CHAPTER XIV
THE BEGINNING OF A CHASE
Major Pierson still remained on board of the Bellevite, for no officerhad been sent on board for him, as expected; and he was under theefficient care of Sampson. He was subjected to no restraint, and he tookhis breakfast with the engineer. But he was not a welcome visitor onboard, and Captain Passford would have been very glad to get rid of him.
The owner sought him the next time he came on board, when he was not sobusy as he had been before. But he said nothing to him about his missionat the North, and treated him as a guest rather than a prisoner. Forreasons of his own, though not difficult to conjecture, he was veryanxious to make a good appearance before the father of Miss Florry,and he was a gentleman in his manners.
"Major Pierson, I am sorry to do anything that may be unpleasant toyou, but I have not the means of holding you as a prisoner," said thecaptain, after they had been talking of indifferent subjects for a time.
"I realize that I am a prisoner of war, subject to such restraint as mycaptors impose upon me," replied the major.
"If you will allow yourself to be paroled, it will settle your statusfor the present," added Captain Passford.
"As a guest at your house?" asked the major, his face suddenlybrightening up. "I shall be very happy to give my parole."
"Not at my house, if you please, Major Pierson; it would not beconvenient at the present time," replied the owner, astonished at thesuggestion,
"Then you will excuse me if I decline to accept a parole," replied theprisoner, biting his lip as though he was not pleased with the reply."As a guest in your house, I should not wish you to have any solicitudein regard to me."
"Very well, major; I cannot object to your decision," added the captain,as he touched his hat and left the prisoner to the attentions ofSampson.
He was kept on board of the Bellevite, now re-enforced by the return ofabout twenty of her former crew, so that regular watches were kept, andthere was no chance for the prisoner to escape, and none for CaptainCarboneer to capture the steamer. Dr. Linscott soon relieved Corny ofhis pain, but it was many weeks before he was fit to leave the house,and then he was paroled. Captain Passford could never ascertain what hadbecome of the crew intended for the Bellevite, though it was supposed,as they separated, that they found their way to some port where theycould ship for their chosen service.
On the Monday following the attempt to capture her, the Bellevitewas taken to the Navy Yard, and she was prepared for service. It wasunderstood that her former officers and crew would be appointed to her,for they were accustomed to the vessel, and could do better with herthan any other. Paul Vapoor and Christy Passford had already receivedtheir commissions and orders. Captain Breaker had been restored to hisformer rank, and was to be the commander of the Bellevite.
It was two months before the ship was ready to go into commission.Important alterations had been made below, and the armament had beentaken from her deck, substituting for it a Parrot midship piece, ofeight-inch bore, and carrying a one hundred and fifty pound shot, twosixty-pounders, and two thirty-pounders. This was a heavy armament, butthe ship was strong enough to bear it.
Joel Dashington and Ethan Blowitt were appointed as masters, and wereto be the first and second lieutenants, while Christy Passford was thethird. Leon Bolter was made a first assistant engineer, and Fred Faggsthe second. Sampson obtained his place as a first-class fireman, withthe expectation of soon becoming an assistant engineer, for he was wellqualified for the position.
Captain Passford, though he had offered his services in any capacity inwhich he might be needed, had been induced to withdraw his applicationfor the reason that he could be of more service to the cause at homethan he could in the field or at sea. He was a man of influence, and hewas needed in civil life. He was even able to do more as an adviser andcounsellor than in any public office, though he filled several of thelatter in the earlier part of the war. He furnished no inconsiderablepart of the money needed at particular times, and he was only lessvaluable on account of his money than he was for his patriotism andgood judgment.
"Now, Christy, remember that you are an officer of the United States,and make yourself worthy of the place you occupy," said his father toChristy, on the evening of his last day at home. "Study your duty, andthen perform it faithfully. Perhaps I can tell you something of morevalue than good advice is generally considered to be."
"I shall try to follow your good advice, father; and I mean to do myduty; and it will not be for the want of trying if I fail," repliedChristy.
"You have sailed with Captain Breaker a great deal when you were ina different relation to him. Now I must warn you that he has his dutyto do, and I hope you will not expect to be favored, or ask him forprivileges not granted to other officers," continued the late ownerof the Bellevite.
"I am sure I expect him to be impartial with his officers."
"I meant to have seen Breaker this afternoon before I came home; but Ihad not time to go to the ship. For some of my own affairs I have hadthree agents in England. I wrote them some time ago to obtain all theinformation they could in regard to vessels, especially steamers, thatcleared for any ports of the British Possessions near the UnitedStates," continued Captain Passford, taking a letter from his pocket."Two weeks ago an iron steamer sailed from a port in Ireland for theBermudas. This letter will tell you all about it, and you will hand itto Captain Breaker, and give him my explanation."
The midshipman put the letter into his pocket without reading it. In hischamber he looked it over, and found that it meant business, and he wasdelighted with the idea of having something to do before he reached theport for which the ship was bound, for the inactivity of the blockadewas not wholly to his mind. He slept as soundly as usual, for already hehad come to regard war as the business in which he was engaged, and hehad but little sickly sentiment over it.
It was a tearful parting with his mother and sister before he took thetrain with his father, and it was a sad one with his father when he wentoff to the Bellevite in the boat. But neither of them shed any tears,for both felt that they were called upon to discharge their duty totheir country.
Captain Breaker had always trained his officers and seamen to performtheir duty in conformity with the discipline of the navy so far as itwas practicable to do so, and consequently his ship's company were verynearly at home from the beginning of the voyage. He had received hissealed orders, and at noon the Bellevite went down the bay on hermission to the South, though no one on board knew where the ship wasbound. The crew had been re-enforced by as many men as she had usuallycarried, and the first day was a very busy one in putting everything inorder. Christy had handed the letter his father had given him to thecaptain, and after dinner he spoke of it.
"Did you read this letter, Mr. Passford?" asked the captain.
"I did, sir; my father told me to read it," replied Christy.
"It appears that a very fast steamer loaded with a valuable cargo sailedfrom Belfast eleven days ago, clearing for the Bermudas. We shall all bevery happy to pay our respects to her; but I can say nothing till I haveopened my orders to-morrow," said Captain Breaker.
"If she sailed eleven days ago from Belfast, she ought to be wellup with the Bermudas, if she is as fast as represented, sir," addedChristy, hoping the orders would permit the Bellevite to look out forthe Killbright, as she was called.
The next day, as the observations indicated the latitude in which thesealed orders were to be opened, the seal of the official envelope wasbroken. Captain Breaker read the letter, and a smile came over hisbronzed face. The orders were evidently to his satisfaction; andChristy, who was on duty near him, remembered what his father had saidto him, and asked no question, as he would have been likely to do underother circumstances. But the commander was kind enough to call hisofficers to him, and inform them of the duty assigned to the ship.
The government had received information which indicated the approachto our shores of a considerable fleet of blockade
runners, and theBellevite, on account of her reputed fast sailing, was to cruise fora given time off the coast in search of these blockade runners.
"I have no doubt these blockade runners will go into the Bermudas,especially the Killbright. If we go into St. George, we shall not beallowed to sail till twenty-four hours after this fast vessel leaves,"said Captain Breaker. "On the other hand, if we are seen off the port,she will not come out."
"I don't see, then, that we can do anything about it, Captain Breaker,"added Mr. Dashington.
"Captain Passford's correspondent thinks the Killbright is intended forthe Confederate Navy, and that she is commanded by a naval officer sentout for the purpose," continued the captain.
But no satisfactory measures could be devised for overcoming thedifficulties on both hands, and the steamer sped on her way. In twodays more she was in sight of the Bermudas. It was almost dark when thelookout sighted a steamer coming out from the islands. By the order ofthe captain, the engine was stopped, and the steamer rested silently ona calm sea.
"I don't think she has seen us yet," said Captain Breaker. "If she had,she would have come about and run back into the harbor."
"She keeps on her course," added Mr. Dashington.
"If she has the reputation of being a very fast vessel, very likely shebelieves that she can run away from us," suggested Mr. Blowitt.
"As I don't believe the vessel floats that can outsail the Bellevite,I shall give her time to get well away from the port before the screwturns again," said the captain.
"Mr. Passford," called he a little later.
"On duty, sir," replied Christy, touching his cap to the commander.
"You will have the midship gun charged with a solid shot, and have itready for use at once."
As the steamer in the distance still kept on her course, the screw ofthe Bellevite was started. The chief engineer was called upon deck, andthe situation explained to him.
"We shall want all the speed we can get out of her, Mr. Vapoor," saidthe captain.
"We shall have no trouble in making twenty-two knots, sir, with the seaas it is now," replied the engineer.
"That steamer means to go into the Cape Fear River," said Mr. Blowitt,when the chase had laid her course. "If she was going in at Savannah,or round into the Gulf, she would go more to the south."
"I think you are right; but she has room enough to run away from us ifshe can," added the captain.
It was a busy time in the fireroom, but there was nothing to do on deckbut watch the steamer. She had actually lighted the green light on thestarboard, and evidently did not expect to be overhauled, even if hercommander had noticed the presence of the Bellevite.