ON BOARD OF THE BELLEVITE
The crisis was at hand; for the Dauphine was darting in between the
Leopard and the Bellevite, between father and son. On the port rail of
the former, as if ready to leap upon the deck of the tug, were at least
twenty men; and, for the first time, the plan of the enemy became
apparent to Christy Passford.
He hastened to the hurricane deck of the Leopard, where he could see
more clearly; and it was evident to him that the question before them
would be settled within a very few minutes. If he and his companions
fell into the hands of the enemy, nothing less than a severe fight with
the Dauphine, perhaps aided by the Belle, on the part of the Bellevite
could undo the mischief.
Christy was disposed to leave nothing to be undone. Rushing into the
pilot-house, he seized the wheel, and threw it over, determined to
redeem the fate of the tug while he could. Captain Pecklar had crowded
on all the steam he could, and doubtless the boat was doing her very
best. She flew round like a top, careening till her rail was under
water.
"Hard up, Percy!" cried he, while the tug was still whirling. "Those men
will drop on board of us if we don't get out of the Dauphine's way."
"The Bellevite is almost into her," added the volunteer pilot.
Paul Vapoor evidently understood the situation, and must have been
preparing for it for some time, though the shoal-water had prevented the
steamer from taking advantage of his effort. She had suddenly begun to
dart ahead as though she had been an object shot from one of her biggest
guns; and she seemed almost to leap out of the water in her struggle to
come between the Leopard and the Dauphine.
The Bellevite was certainly making two miles to her rival's one in the
race, and it looked as though she would strike her sharp bow into the
broadside of the enemy. She seemed to rely on a vigorous blow with her
stem rather than on her guns; for as yet she had not fired a shot,
though she was fully prepared to do so.
The Leopard came about in double-quick time; and as soon as her keel was
at right angles with that of the Dauphine, Christy righted the helm, and
let her go in the direction of the disabled Belle. She rolled, pitched,
and plunged in the sea, which had been increasing very sensibly within a
short time; but she went ahead at her best speed, and that was all
Christy wanted of her.
The Bellevite was still rushing down upon the Dauphine as though she
intended to annihilate her when the crash came, as come it must within
a minute or two. Christy's heart was in his throat, for he felt that
his own safety depended upon the events of the next two minutes.
A tremendous collision was impending, and thus far the Dauphine had done
nothing to avoid it. Doubtless her commander had gauged the speed of the
Bellevite by what she had been doing in the shoal water, and had not
believed she could overhaul him before he had thrown a force on board of
the Leopard.
"Now, keep her as she is, Percy, and we shall soon know what is going to
happen," said Christy, when the tug had come about so that he could not
readily see the movements of the other steamers.
"We are running right into the Belle," suggested Percy.
"This thing will be settled before we can come within hail of her, and I
don't think she wants any thing more of us at present," replied Christy,
as he left the pilot-house, and hastened aft, where he could get a
better view of the situation.
"There is a row on board of the Dauphine," said Captain Pecklar, who
had come to the stern for the same purpose as Christy. "Those men are
leaping down from the rail."
"What has happened on board of her?" asked Christy.
"Nothing; but the Bellevite is coming into her full tilt, and they know
that the shock will knock all those men overboard; and I think they
don't want to have to stop to pick them up," answered the captain.
At this moment several sharp orders were given on board of the Dauphine,
and her head began to swing around to the northward.
"That's what's the matter!" exclaimed the captain. "They think they
won't wait for the rap the Bellevite is ready to give them."
The helm of the enemy's steamer had been put hard-a-port; and as she
promptly came about, the sharp bow of the Bellevite shot past her
quarter, and she barely escaped the blow. It look as though those on
board of either vessel could have leaped to the deck of the other.
"What is the reason she don't fire upon the Bellevite?" asked Christy,
when he felt that the crisis was past.
"I don't believe she has any guns on board yet, though I don't know,"
replied the captain.
"What is she going to do now, I wonder."
"I think she will come about and try to board the Bellevite now. It
seems to me that if she had any guns on board, she would have opened
fire before this time."
"We must look out, or the Bellevite will run into us," added Christy, as
he went forward to the pilot-house.
"That steamer has come about," said Percy, as he joined him.
"If she had not come about, the Bellevite would have cut through her
starboard quarter," replied Christy. "But we are all right now, and I
think the excitement is about over."
By this time the Bellevite was abreast of the Leopard, and not half a
cable's length from her; but there was no demonstration at all of any
sort on board of her. Her high bulwarks concealed the whole ship's
company; and no one could be seen but the lookouts forward, and a couple
of officers in the rigging of the mainmast.
"Now we will get a little nearer to her," said Christy, as he threw the
wheel over. "She is coming about."
The Bellevite was blowing off steam, and she had reduced her speed as
soon as she went clear of the Dauphine. In a minute more, when she had
come a little nearer to the Leopard, she stopped her screw.
"Tug, ahoy!" shouted some one, in whose voice Christy recognized that of
Captain Breaker.
"On board the Bellevite!" responded Christy.
"Come alongside!" added the commander of the steamer.
"That's just what I was going to do," added Christy to his companion.
"I suppose we are all right now, are we not, Christy?" asked Percy.
"I don't know what will come up next. The Dauphine is still afloat, and
in good condition; and I don't believe she is going to let the Bellevite
off without doing something."
Captain Pecklar was letting off steam also; for he realized that the
battle, so far as the Leopard was concerned, was finished. Christy
steered the tug alongside of the steamer; and when he rang the bell
finally to stop her, after a rope had been heaved on board of her, he
left the engine, with the steam still escaping from the boiler, and the
furnace-door wide open, and went to the pilot-house.
"Hurry up!" shouted Captain Breaker, appearing on the rail of the
Bellevite, at the gangway.
Captain Pecklar looked astern of the tug, and saw that the Dauphine was
rapidly approaching. She had come about, and her captain did not appear
to be satisfied with saving his own vessel from the collision, and
intended to make another movement. But he had gone some distance before
he came about, though he was now rather too near for the comfort of the
Bellevite after she had stopped her screw.
"What shall we do with this tug?" asked Christy, who had some doubts
whether or not he ought to leave the Leopard in condition for further
use by the enemy.
"We have no time to bother with her, and she don't amount to any thing.
Come on board as quick as you can," replied Captain Breaker.
"Go on board, Captain Pecklar," said Christy, pointing to the gangway.
"Come, Percy, your troubles are over for the present."
The captain went up the ladder, followed by Percy, and Christy went
the last; for he felt that he must see his friends through before he
abandoned the Leopard himself. The moment the owner's son showed himself
on the rail, a burst of cheers came from the ship's company, to which he
replied by taking off his cap and bowing.
"I am glad to see you again, Christy," said his father, as he descended
to the deck and found himself in the arms of Captain Passford. "I was
afraid I should have to leave you here, though I did not intend to do
that as long as a plank of the Bellevite remained under me."
Christy found his father a great deal more demonstrative than he had
ever known him to be before, and he fully realized that he had had a
very narrow, and even a wonderful escape since he had been taken by the
enemy.
Captain Breaker did not wait for father and son to finish their
affectionate greetings; but as soon as Christy put his foot on the rail
he directed the line to the tug to be cast off, and the order was given
to start the screw. The Bellevite went ahead again, and the commander
gave out the course for her.
Before Captain Passford was ready to think of any thing except the
joyful meeting with his son, Captain Pecklar suddenly dropped to the
deck as though a bullet from the enemy had finished his career in the
very moment of victory. Christy broke from his father, and hastened to
his assistance. He had fainted again from exhaustion after the efforts
of the day. Dr. Linscott was at his side almost as soon as Christy, and
the sufferer was borne to the cabin, where he was placed in one of the
vacant state-rooms.
"Who is that man, Christy?" asked Captain Passford, as soon as the
invalid had been cared for.
"That is Captain Pecklar; and he is a Union man, though he has been
in charge of that tug in the service of the forts. But he is in
consumption, and he does not believe he can live much longer. He says he
would rather die at home than live down here," replied Christy.
"He looks like a sick man," added the owner.
"He is, and he has worked altogether beyond his strength. But I believe
I should not have been here, father, at this moment, if he had not
worked with me, and acted with the utmost courage and devotion."
"Then he shall want for nothing while he is on board of the Bellevite."
"But I am sure that the doctor can improve his condition; at least,
I hope he can."
"He can if any one can. But how happens Percy to be with you in the
tug?" asked Captain Passford, as he looked about him for the young man,
who was standing near the mainmast, watching the approaching smoke-stack
of the Dauphine.
"Percy has not been as reliable as Captain Pecklar; but he has done
well, and has rendered good service. He has steered the tug for some
time," replied Christy, calling to him the subject of the last remarks.
"I am glad to see you again, Mr. Percy," said the owner, giving him his
hand. "I am under obligations to you for all you have done to assist my
son on board of that tug."
"I was at work too for myself," said Percy, taking the offered hand,
"I don't belong on this side of the question, and all I want is to get
back to Nassau. I have nothing to expect from my brother, Major Pierson,
and my mother cannot protect me."
"In consideration of the service you have rendered to my son, I shall be
glad to do all I can to assist you in getting there."
"Thank you, sir."
"But where is Florry, father?" asked Christy, looking about the deck.
"I could not allow her to be on deck when a shot was liable to come on
board. She is in the cabin, and she will be as glad to see you as I have
been," replied Captain Passford.
Christy hastened to the cabin.