CHAPTER XVII.
THE SYLVANIA IN AMBUSH.
As soon as we were in the river, the Mississippi pilot was discharged,and we continued on our voyage up the stream. We did not know by whichpass the Islander would come in, and we kept on till daylight in themorning. We then ran up to the shore, which was covered with smalltrees. The place we had chosen was at a bend of the mighty stream,where we could not be seen until the Islander was close upon us. Wemade fast to a tree, and sent Hop Tossford ashore to watch at the bendfor the approach of the other steamer.
As the water was deep enough for the Islander in whatever part of itshe went, I thought she would come within a few yards of our position,as that would lead her up stream by the shortest way. Our passengershad spent their time in the usual manner on the voyage, and one day atsea was very like any other day when the weather was fine. We hadpassed out of the fog before midnight, and the two days on the Gulf hadbeen as pleasant as possible. Some of them landed on the high bank ofthe river where we had made fast; but we required them to keep withincall.
In the pilot-house we had voted that it was not best to say anythingabout Cornwood's relations with Nick, and none of the passengers evenknew that Nick was on board of the Islander. We simply told them thatwe had lost the other steamer in the fog, and we were afraid we shouldmiss the Islander in New Orleans if we delayed to look for her in thefog.
The pilot took the spare berth in the fore cabin, and made himselfentirely at home on the steamer, as I desired he should. We hadarranged our plan for the capture of the Islander when she came up theriver; and none of us had any doubts in regard to her coming. CaptainCayo was to have the duty of taking possession of the person ofCornwood, and Buck Lingley was to do the same kindness to Nick. ColonelShepard was to be close at hand to deal with Captain Blastblow, if heobjected to the proceedings.
All the forenoon passed away without a sight of the Islander. We dined,and began to inquire if there was any way by which the Islander couldget to New Orleans without passing the point where we had takenposition. We could find none she was likely to take. We were beginningto believe our well-laid plan had miscarried, when Ben Bowman, who wason the lookout for the prize, hastened on board with the intelligencethat the Islander was within four miles of us.
We had covered our topmasts with green branches to prevent the peopleon the Islander from suspecting our presence before she turned thebend. A little point covered with trees a short distance below usconcealed the hull of the Sylvania, and I was satisfied that she couldnot be seen by Cornwood before it would be too late to keep out of ourway.
"All hands on deck," I said to Washburn, as soon as Ben Bowman hadannounced the approach of the runaway steamer.
"All on deck, sir, except Ben Bowman," returned the mate, as soon as hehad given the call.
The second engineer had returned to the point to observe and reportupon the movements of the Islander. He informed me that the steamerseemed to be making the shortest course the bends of the stream wouldpermit, and she was headed for the point behind which the Sylvania wasconcealed.
I had arranged my plan of operations. Our steamer was headed up thestream, and held by a single hawser leading to the bowsprit-bitts. Wehad passed the rope around the tree, and made the end fast on board, sothat we could let go without any one going on shore to do so. Thestrong current of the river would carry the steamer's head away fromthe shore, and we had only to dart out alongside the Islander, and makefast to her. We had rigged out our fenders, so that neither steamer waslikely to be damaged by a collision.
Ben Bowman and Buck Lingley were to carry a line on board of the prize,and make fast the instant we came alongside of her. Colonel Shepard wasto get on board of the Islander as quick as he could, and give hisorders to Captain Blastblow. I did not apprehend any difficulty incarrying out the programme. I was confident that the captain of therunaway vessel would respect the orders of his owner. We had banked ourfires in the morning, so that the noise of escaping steam need not warnthe Islander of the presence of another steamer. As soon as Benreported the runaway within four miles, Moses Brickland had caused thefires to be replenished, and he calculated upon having a full head ofsteam when we were ready to run out from our hiding-place.
In about half an hour from the time the Islander was discovered, BenBowman came on board. We could hear the clang of her screw by thistime. I stationed Ben at the hawser, and directed him to let go andhaul in the rope as quickly as possible when I gave the word. BuckLingley and Landy Perkins were to help him make quick work of it.Captain Cayo was stationed where he could make a sure thing of thecapture of Cornwood as soon as he leaped on board.
Nearer and nearer came the Islander to the point. As soon as she showedher bowsprit beyond it, I was to give the word to cast off. I could seenothing to prevent the success of the elaborate plan we had made, and Iwas satisfied that Colonel Shepard would be in possession of hissteam-yacht within five minutes.
"Let go and haul in!" I called to Ben Bowman, at the hawser.
The assistant engineer did not permit an instant to elapse before heand his two helpers were hauling on the rope with all their might.
The moment I saw that the hawser was running free, I rang the gong togo ahead, with the helm hard a-starboard. I heard the screw turn acouple of times, and then it stopped. I did not quite understand this.The next thing I saw was Moses rushing on the forecastle.
"The propeller is fouled in a root or a rope, Alick!" exclaimed he."Back her a stroke or two, and it may clear itself."
I rang to back her as he rushed aft to the engine-room. By this timethe Islander was fairly abreast of us, and I feared that our elaboratescheme had failed. But we were seventy-five miles from New Orleans, andthere was time enough for as lively a race as ever was seen on the"Father of Waters."
I rang again to stop the engine, and then to start it. It went hard,and I heard some snapping near the stern. It was evident that the screwhad been fouled in a root, and I was afraid it might have been twistedinto the propeller. I stopped the engine again. When I found the screwdid not move freely I ran aft, and found Hop Tossford had climbed overthe stern with a boat-hook in his hand, and was punching in thedirection of the propeller.
"It's a crocodile!" he exclaimed. "There it goes!"
I saw the creature rise to the top of the water. Hop was English, andEnglishmen are apt to call all saurians by this name. I should not haveexpected to see the real alligator so near the salt water, for I hadheard that only crocodiles proper lived or thrived in salt water. Itmay have been one washed out from some bayou by the high water, whichwas prevailing at this time, or it may have been the real crocodile. Idid not stop then to reason about this case in natural history; but assoon as I saw the mangled reptile, which was about ten feet long, onthe surface of the water, I hastened to the pilot-house, and startedthe screw again. This time it moved freely, and I concluded that thesaurian had been resting on the blades of the propeller when it beganto turn.
By this time the Islander had made about a quarter of a mile, as Ijudged, against the swift current. But there was now no chance for herto dodge us. Our fires were in excellent condition, for the fireman hadbeen forcing them for twenty minutes.
"A miss hit," said Captain Cayo, coming into the pilot-house, when itwas clear that the capture would not come off immediately.
"I suppose that alligator went down to drink when we came up to thebank of the river," I replied. "But he has the worst of it, for thescrew has smashed him."
I saw the saurian floating motionless down stream, and the screw hadevidently made short work of him.
"I am sorry the rascal interfered with our affair," added the pilot.
"The game is not up yet. We shall have an opportunity to learn which isthe faster steamer," I replied.
"The current must be running five or six miles an hour here," saidCaptain Cayo.
"About five miles an hour is the usual rate of the Mississippi," Ianswered. "But it runs just as fast for the Islander
as it does for theSylvania."
"That's true; and I doubt if either steamer is making more than six orseven knots an hour."
"The Islander is sheering off from us towards the middle of the river,and that is where she is making her mistake."
"Why so?" asked the pilot.
"Because the current is swifter in the middle of the stream than nearthe banks, for the friction of the shore has some effect on its flow."
"That is bringing it down to a fine point," said Captain Cayo,laughing, for he was entirely unused to river navigation.
I kept the Sylvania as near the shore as I deemed it prudent to go,while the Islander went in the middle of the river, as if her captaindesired to avoid falling into any possible trap. The wind was southerlyand quite fresh. I directed the mate to shake out the fore squaresailand the fore topsail. In twenty minutes, by the clock in thepilot-house, we were abreast of the Islander, but half a mile from her,for she was still in the middle of the river. By this time, CaptainBlastblow evidently saw his mistake in not setting his squaresails, forthe wind was blowing about half a gale.
I put the helm about a half a point nearer to the course of the othersteamer. I immediately noticed that her pilot made a correspondingchange in her helm. Moses kept an eye on her, and understood the gameperfectly. I did not attempt to run any closer to her, for a turn inthe river would soon bring the Sylvania alongside of her. If the vesselattempted to go any nearer the shore, she would have to stand out againin order to pass the bend above. In a word, the Islander was cornered.
Captain Blastblow could not help realizing the situation of the steamerhe sailed. Too late he sent his men aloft to loose the squaresail.Before they could get the gasket off, I had to port the helm to preventstriking the other steamer. All our hands were in position to do theparts before assigned to them.
I kept a sharp watch upon the actions of the Islander to meet anychange in her course. I saw Captain Blastblow in the pilot-house at thewheel. He looked very nervous and disturbed, and I did not wonder atit.
"Sheer off, or you will be afoul of us!" shouted the captain of therunaway steamer.
"Sheer off, or you will be afoul of us!" _Page 206._]
At the same moment he rang his gong to stop her. I rang mine also themoment I heard the other. Moses was standing by his lever and wheel,and I think the Sylvania was stopped before the Islander. Of course wecontinued to go ahead under the impulse of the momentum given the twoboats.
Very cautiously I put the helm to starboard, and in a moment the twoboats touched each other, but without any shock or crash. The two handsassigned to the duty sprang upon the forecastle of the Islander, andmade fast the rope they carried to the bowsprit-bitts. At the sameinstant, Captain Cayo and Buck Lingley leaped into the waist of thesteamer. I saw Cornwood and Nick on the hurricane-deck, though theybegan to make their exit as soon as we came alongside. The pilot knewhis men well, and before the Floridian could leave the hurricane-deck,he had taken him rather unceremoniously by the collar.
Buck did not know Nick Boomsby, but the simple fact that he was withCornwood satisfied him that he was the person he wanted. I saw thatCornwood began to look magnificent, and to show fight, while Nick actedlike a sick kitten.
Colonel Shepard hastened to follow the pilot on board, and met CaptainBlastblow coming out of the pilot-house to ascertain what the matterwas.