THE FIRST LESSON FOR A SAILOR
As the engineer was a cripple, Christy Passford had not expected to have
any difficulty in bringing him to terms; and the result justified his
calculations. The Leopard was now practically in his possession, for
Captain Pecklar was the only person on board, except Percy, who could
give him any trouble; and he was too feeble to do any thing.
Percy seemed to be very busy in the pilot-house, going through imaginary
evolutions at the wheel, and supposing all sorts of orders, and all
kinds of positions in which the tug might be placed. He did not seem
even to observe what his companion was doing, though the engineer had
been driven into the forecastle in plain sight from the window of the
pilot-house.
[Illustration: "The Engineer Obeyed" (Page 277)]
The long-boat was still struggling through the waves on her way to
the Bellevite, and could hardly have made any worse weather of such a
comparatively mild sea. But she had made some considerable progress, for
the boat was now making a proper allowance for leeway, and the soldiers
were improving in their rowing, possibly under the direction of the
major, who could not help seeing how badly they had been doing.
Christy decided to ascertain more definitely the condition of Captain
Pecklar, for reports in in regard to him were conflicting. He went to
his state-room, and found him in his berth. He certainly looked like a
very sick man, though he appeared to be in no immediate danger, so far
as the new captain of the Leopard was able to judge from his appearance.
"How do you find yourself, Captain Pecklar?" asked Christy in
sympathetic tones; for he really pitied the poor man, far away from
his friends, and apparently on the very brink of the grave.
"I am a great deal better," replied the invalid, looking earnestly into
the face of the young man in front of him.
"I am glad to hear it. Major Pierson has gone in the boat to the
Bellevite for Dr. Linscott, and I am sure he will be able to do
something for you when he comes," added Christy.
"When he comes," repeated Captain Pecklar, with a smile on his thin and
blue lips. "I don't expect to see him at present."
"But the major has gone for him; at least, he told me he should."
"I have no doubt he told you so; but he has not gone for the doctor,
though I may see the surgeon of the steamer in the course of the day,"
replied the captain, turning his gaze upon the floor of his room, as
though his mind troubled him as much as his body.
"If the major has not gone for the doctor, what has he gone for?" asked
Christy.
"I know what he has gone for; and, as you belong on board of that
steamer, I should think you might easily imagine."
"Perhaps I can," added Christy rather vaguely.
"Was it necessary for a major and a lieutenant, with six soldiers, to
go for the doctor, when five at the most could have done it better? But
have they gone?" asked the captain anxiously.
"They have; they started some time ago. They are making bad weather of
it, for they don't know how to handle the boat in a sea," replied
Christy.
"They have gone!" exclaimed Captain Pecklar, getting out of his bunk.
"Then I need not stay in my berth any longer."
Christy looked at him with astonishment when he saw him get out of his
berth without any apparent difficulty; for he certainly looked like a
very sick man, though his appearance had somewhat improved since he left
the pilot-house.
"Do you feel able to get up, captain?" asked he, as the sufferer put on
his coat.
"I was exhausted and worn out by being on duty all night, and I had a
faint turn; but I am subject to them. If you are the son of the man that
owns that steamer, you will be able to understand me," replied the
captain; and his feeble condition seemed to make him somewhat timid.
"I am the son of Captain Passford, who owns the Bellevite," added
Christy.
"I should not have been down here now, if I could have got away; but
they seem to hold on to me, for the reason that I am a pilot of these
waters. I was brought up in the pilot-house of a steamer; and they say I
know the bottom of this bay better than any other man, though I have
been here but two years."
"Then you are not in sympathy with the secession movement?"
"In sympathy with it? I hate the very sound of the word! I will tell you
about it."
"Don't be long about it, for I have an affair on my hands," interposed
Christy, though he was not sorry to have the advice of one who knew
something about the situation in the vicinity.
"Only a minute. Major Pierson sent a glass of brandy to me, and I was
fit to take my place in the pilot-house then, for I felt a great deal
better; in fact, I was as well as usual, and I am now. But I had an idea
what the major was about, and I did not want to take any part in getting
your father's steamer into trouble. That's the whole of it; all I want
is to get on board of her, and get out of this country."
"All right, Captain Pecklar!" exclaimed Christy, delighted at the
frankness of his companion. "The steamer, I mean the tug, is already in
my possession."
"In your possession! What do you mean by that?" asked the captain with a
look of astonishment.
"I have driven the engineer into the forecastle, and fastened him down.
The major's brother is in the pilot-house, and he has learned something
about handling the wheel. I am going to start the boat now; and if I
can do nothing more, I can show myself to my father on board of the
Bellevite."
"I am glad to hear it. I intended to do something, though I hardly knew
what, as soon as I was sure that the major and his men had gone," added
Captain Pecklar. "I can take the wheel now."
"Percy Pierson takes a great deal of interest in his new occupation,
and I think it will be best to let him occupy his mind in that way. He
steered the tug for some time, while I was ascertaining what was going
on in this part of the boat."
"Just as you think best, Mr. Passford."
"Call me Christy, for that will sound more natural to me."
"As you please, Christy. I am competent to run an engine, and did it
once for a couple of years, though the business does not agree with me."
"Very well, Captain Pecklar; then you shall run the engine, and I will
keep the run of what is going on around us," said Christy, as he walked
towards the stern of the tug. "There is a new danger off in the
north-west."
"What's that?" asked the captain.
"There is another steamer coming in this direction, and I suppose she
hails from Mobile. There she is."
Christy was somewhat disturbed to find that the approaching steamer was
overhauling the tug very rapidly. It looked as though she would prove to
be a more important factor in the immediate future than he had supposed.
If he could only get on board of the Bellevite, he was sure that she
could run away from any thing that floated. But there was not another
moment to be lost, and he hastened on deck to have the Leopard started.
He found Percy still engaged with his problems in steering, going
through all the forms as though the boat were actually under way.
"Now you may do it in earnest, Percy," said he. "We are all ready to go
ahead. Strike your gong."
"It will be no use to strike it while you are up here," replied the
pilot, looking at Christy with interest.
"We have not a second to spare; strike your gong, and we will talk about
it afterwards," continued Christy impatiently.
"But I am not a fool, Christy, and I don't"--
"But I do!" interposed the acting captain sharply, as he reached over
and pulled the bell.
"I don't like to have a fellow fool with me when I am in earnest. What
good will it do to ring the bell while you are in the pilot-house,
Christy?"
But before the captain could answer the question, if he intended to do
so, the boat began to shake under the pressure of the engine, and the
tug moved ahead at half speed. Percy was so much astonished that he
could hardly throw over the wheel, and Christy took hold of it himself.
"I don't understand it," said he, as he took hold of the spokes, and
looked ahead to get the course of the boat.
"You will never make a sailor till you mend your ways," added Christy.
"There must be some one in the engine-room," said Percy.
"Of course there is."
"Why didn't you say so, then? I did not suppose the boat could go ahead
while you were up here."
"I told you to ring the gong, didn't I?"
"What was the use of ringing it when you were in the pilot-house?"
"What was the use of ringing it when I did?" demanded Christy, who had
but little patience with this kind of a sailor.
"You knew there was some one in the engine-room."
"But the engine would have started just the same if you had rung the
gong."
"Well, I didn't know it; and if you had only said you had an engineer,
I should have understood it."
"You will never make a sailor, as I said before," added Christy.
"What is the reason I won't?"
"Because you don't obey orders, and that is the first and only business
of a sailor."
"If you had only told me, it would have been all right."
"If the captain, in an emergency, should tell you to port the helm, you
could not obey the order till he had explained why it was given; and by
that time the ship might go to the bottom. I can't trust you with the
wheel if you don't do better than you have; for I have no time to
explain what I am about, and I should not do it if I had."
"It would not have taken over half an hour to tell me there was an
engineer in the engine-room," growled Percy.
"That is not the way to do things on board of a vessel, and I object to
the method. I don't know what there is before us, and I don't mean to
give an order which is not likely to be obeyed till I have explained its
meaning."
"I will do as you say, Christy," said Percy rather doggedly. "Did
Spikeley agree to run the engine?"
"No, he did not; he is locked up in the forecastle. Captain Pecklar is
at the engine; but he is all ready to take the wheel when I say the
word."
"I can keep the wheel, for I think I understand it very well now."
"I did not wish to take you away from the wheel, for I saw that you
liked the work; and I said so to Captain Pecklar. If you have learned
the first lesson a sailor has to get through his head, all right; if
not, Captain Pecklar will take the wheel."
"I understand the case better now, and I will do just what you tell me,"
protested Percy.
"And without asking any questions?"
"I won't ask a question if the whole thing drops from under me."
Percy steered very well, and Christy had enough to do to watch the
steamer astern and the boat ahead.