THE OPENING OF THE SECRET ORDERS
Christy listened with interest to the conversation in the captain's
cabin, though so far it had afforded him no information in regard to the
present situation, and it was hardly likely to do so, for he had already
been told by Mr. Flint what the next movement of the Bronx was to be.
She had already been ordered to proceed to the eastward, and her sealed
instructions would reveal the enterprise in which she was to engage.
The steamer had been so successful while in command of Captain Blowitt
in breaking up the shipping of cotton in a port where a larger vessel
could not operate, that Christy promptly concluded that she was to
be used in a similar enterprise. The listener was amused rather than
impressed by the conversation which was in progress so near him, and
especially at the display of dignity and authority on the part of his
cousin.
Mr. Galvinne had proved himself to be a very gentlemanly officer in what
little Christy had seen of him on the voyage from New York; but the
situation was entirely changed so far as he was concerned. It appeared
from the conversation, as the listener had for some time supposed,
that the second lieutenant of the Vernon was the real leader of the
enterprise of which Corny was the nominal head. Probably the restraint
of over a week imposed upon him had fretted his spirit, and when he
found himself alone with his incompetent superior, he became conscious
of the superiority his knowledge and training gave him.
Christy rather sympathized with him in his contempt for the one who was
only nominally his superior, though that could not excuse the breach of
good manners of which he had been guilty, whether in the old or the new
navy. He felt that Mr. Galvinne was a man of ability, and that he was
the only person whom he had to fear in carrying out his plan for the
recovery of the vessel.
"I am not a naval officer, though I have given a good deal of attention
to the study of nautical subjects in connection with this enterprise,
and I am not a cipher," continued Corny, after he had handed the sealed
envelope to his companion. "I expect to be treated with reasonable
consideration, even while I defer to you in all nautical matters. Let
us understand each other."
"I acknowledge that I was altogether too brusque with you, Mr. Passford,
and I beg your pardon for my rudeness," said Mr. Galvinne.
"I am entirely satisfied, Mr. Galvinne; and here is my hand," added
Corny, who doubtless felt that he had fully vindicated himself.
"I have been living on a hot gridiron for the last ten days, and in
the first moments of freedom I overstepped the limits of propriety.
I hope we understand each other now, for we are engaged in an important
enterprise, and we cannot afford to be at variance," replied the naval
officer. "Our work is yet unfinished, though it has progressed admirably
so far. Have I your permission to open this sealed envelope?"
"Certainly, Mr. Galvinne; I had heard so much about sealed orders in the
instructions given me for this undertaking, that I was under the
impression that they were not to be seen till the time marked on the
envelope."
"It is not necessary to obey the orders of the Yankee flag-officer under
present circumstances," answered Mr. Galvinne in a chuckling tone, as it
sounded to the listener.
The naval officer read the orders aloud for the benefit of his
associate. The flag-officer had obtained information that a steamer
was loading with cotton at St. Andrew's Bay, and Captain Passford was
instructed to visit that locality and capture the vessel, and any others
that might be found there.
"Why was it necessary to give secret orders for such an expedition as
this?" asked Corny.
"It was wise on the part of the Yankee commodore to make his orders
secret; for information might have been sent by telegraph or otherwise
to St. Andrew's, which would have enabled our people to get the steamer
mentioned out of the way, or to prepare a successful resistance to the
gunboat sent to capture it," Mr. Galvinne explained in the tone of one
who enlightens an ignorant person.
"I see; that is plain enough," added Corny. "How far is it to St.
Andrew's?"
"If I remember rightly it is eighty-three sea miles from the entrance
to Pensacola Bay. But you do not run away with the idea that it is
necessary for you, as the present commander of the Bronx, to visit this
place?" asked the naval officer.
"Of course we are not bound to obey the orders of the Union
flag-officer," added Corny. "But now you know the situation thoroughly,
Mr. Galvinne, and I suppose you are ready to arrange your plans for the
future."
"There is not much planning to be done; all we have to do is to run into
Pensacola when we are ready to do so," replied the naval officer.
"Do you think it advisable to do so at once?" asked Corny; and his
motive seemed to be simple curiosity, for he was not competent to give
advice on a naval question, though he was in nominal command of the
steamer.
"Certainly not; for as soon as it was seen on board of the flag-ship
that the commander of the Bronx was disobeying his orders, we should be
chased by the two ships on the station and fired upon."
"How shall you manage it?"
"We shall be well out of sight of the flag-ship by dark, or sooner, and
then we can come about, and keeping closely under the lee of the land,
we shall reach the entrance of the bay before morning; and then all we
have to do is to run in."
"But the flag-ship will make out the steamer," suggested Corny.
"We shall be too far in for her to do us any harm, for the water has not
less than four fathoms anywhere along the shore of St. Rosa's Island."
"But she will signal the fort to fire upon us."
"They can't make us out soon enough to do us any harm, or not much,
at any rate," replied Mr. Galvinne confidently.
"I hope it will all come out right, but I have some fears," added the
impostor.
"You need not have. You have played your part remarkably well, Mr.
Passford, and it was an excellent idea on the part of Major Pierson, who
suggested this plan of putting you in the place of your cousin. He had
seen you and your relative together, I believe?"
"He had, for we were both prisoners of war after our unsuccessful
attempt to capture the Bellevite, on the Hudson."
"I have heard about that; and I know that your cousin Christopher is no
chicken."
"He is what the Yankees call smart, and I know he is all that," added
Corny. "What do you suppose has become of him? When Captain Battleton
sent for him in order to let the commodore see us both together, he
could not be found. As you know, all three vessels were very thoroughly
searched without any success."
"There are a great many hiding-places on board of any vessel, and I am
very clear in my own mind as to what became of him. Of course, the
flag-officer, seeing both of you together, would have been as much
perplexed as the captain was, and he would have been compelled to accept
the evidence of the commission and the orders in your possession."
"But Christy would have found plenty of witnesses here: the second
lieutenant and the seamen on board of the Bronx, for example."
"The evidence might have perplexed him; if he had done anything, he
would have been more likely to retain both of you on board of the
flag-ship, and appointed a new officer in command of the Bronx, rather
than go back of the evidence of the commission," argued Mr. Galvinne.
"But Christy has disappeared all the same; and where do you suppose
he is?"
"I have no doubt he is concealed on board of the Vernon, with the
intention of returning to New York, where he has plenty of influential
friends to fight his battle for him. But I must go on deck, or something
may go wrong in my absence."
Christy heard the footsteps of the late second lieutenant of the Vernon
as he left the cabin. He had listened to the details of the plan formed
by the naval officer, and it agreed with the prediction of Mr. Flint.
While he was thinking of what he had just learned, he heard the step of
Corny--for it could not be that of any other person so soon--coming into
the stateroom; then he saw his feet from behind his barricade of bags
and baggage.
He had not expected his cousin to make any full examination of the room
to be occupied by the commander of the gunboat, for his stay on board
would be short, and he could not feel any great interest in the room.
His curiosity might lead him to make a closer examination of the
interior of the apartment than would be agreeable to his cousin. He felt
that he was in danger of being discovered in his hiding-place; but he
instantly made up his mind as to what he would do in the event of such
an accident. He had hoped to be spared from any personal conflict with
his cousin, and he had made his plan so as to avoid any such
disagreeable necessity.
But if Corny carried his investigations too far for his safety, and
especially for the success of his enterprise, he decided that the
ties of blood should not prevent him from doing his whole duty as he
understood it. He was therefore prepared to muzzle the intruder, and
confine his hands behind him with a strap he had taken from his valise.
Happily Corny did nothing more than look under the berth while still
standing in the space in front of it, and in this position he could not
see the fugitive. The impostor wandered about the cabin for a time, and
then Christy heard his footsteps on the stairs as he ascended to the
deck.
He had hardly left the cabin before the steward entered the stateroom,
and reported that he had seen Ralph Pennant, and that he had told him
all he knew about the loyalty and the disloyalty of the new hands in the
crew. Ralph reported that he had "spotted" the four seamen whose names
had been given him before the Vernon reached the station.
"What does he say in regard to me?" asked Christy.
"He said he believed you were bony fido commander of the Bronx, and he
is ready to obey your orders. Mr. Flint had a talk with him while the
first lieutenant was below; he talked to Boxie, and three more of the
men, and he did it mighty sly, too, for the third lieutenant was on the
deck all the time. There's eight bells, Massa Christy, and the second
lieutenant will have the deck."
"I did not think it was so late; but that reminds me that I have eaten
nothing since my breakfast was brought to me early this morning," said
Christy.
"I hope to drink up every drop of water in the Alabama River if I
did not forget all about that! Gollywomps! Dave is getting stupid,"
exclaimed the steward, springing to his feet. "I can't bring you a
regular dinner, Massa Christy, but I will do the best I can."
"Never mind the regular dinner; but bring me something to eat, if it is
only some crackers and cheese," added Christy; and the steward hastened
to his pantry.
He soon returned with a huge slice of ham and some cold biscuits. The
hungry fugitive, who had not left his appetite at home, immediately
attacked the provision as though it had been an enemy of the Union, and
stood by it till he had devoured the whole of it; and it proved to be
just a pattern for his empty stomach, and he declined Dave's offer to
bring him another.
He had hardly finished it before Mr. Flint paid him another visit, and
reported everything ready for the recapture of the steamer.