THE DISPOSAL OF THE PRISONERS
Before Christy could begin his report he was called to the deck by the
first lieutenant, though everything had appeared to be quiet and orderly
there. Ralph Pennant had been at work among the crew, and was unable to
discover that any of the men were disloyal; but the commander had
better information obtained by his own investigations. Ralph was in
consultation with Mr. Flint when Christy went on deck.
"I think the men are all right, and, so far as I can ascertain, not a
man is a rebel," said Ralph in answer to a question of the executive
officer.
"You have the names of the four men that I sent to you by the steward,
have you not?" asked Christy.
"I have, captain; Rockton and Warton took part with Mr. Galvinne, but
Sayles and Nichols did nothing, and they seem to be as in earnest on the
right side as the other two were on the wrong side," replied Ralph.
"I should not be willing to trust them. I know they were the intimate
associates of Rockton and Warton, for they were in council together on
board of the Vernon. In carrying out our orders, we may have a fight
either with a battery or with some vessel, and we must not have any
black sheep in the crew,--one who might speak a word or make a sign that
would ruin all our calculations," added Christy.
"Of course I can't say that Sayles and Nichols are not rebels; but they
have done nothing that is suspicious, and one of our men has pumped them
both," answered Ralph.
"Have them closely watched, or they may play us some trick when we least
suspect it, and in some critical moment," said the commander.
"But I wished to see you in regard to the prisoners," interposed Mr.
Flint. "We have four of them here made fast to the rail, and Galvinne
complains of his treatment; he says he is cold."
"I should think he might be, for the night air is very chilly," replied
Christy. "I should have preferred to get rid of these men before we went
into any enterprise, for they are dangerous persons to us."
"With their arms locked together behind them, they are not in condition
to do any harm," added Mr. Flint.
"I will go below and see what can be done with them. I desire to make
them as comfortable as possible, though I do not believe they will be
satisfied with any location to which I may assign them."
"I think you need not be too particular about them; they have made their
own nest, and now they must live in it," said the first lieutenant.
"You may come with me, Ralph," added Christy, as he descended the
companion-way.
The commander found Dave keeping close watch over Corny Passford, though
he was fast asleep in his berth. Passing through the ward room and
steerage, Dave unlocked the door that led into the quarters of the crew.
Next to the bulkhead, or partition, was space enough for the prisoners,
and the steward was required to bring five berth sacks, which were
placed on the deck.
"The only objection I have to this as prison quarters is that Sayles and
Nichols will be too near them; but I shall keep a sentry over them all
the time," said Christy.
"I should think they would be safe with a guard," added Ralph.
"Now, Dave, you will wake your prisoner, and I will relieve you of all
responsibility in regard to him. He is dressed, is he not?" continued
the commander when they reached the ward room.
"He is, Captain Passford, for he did not undress when he turned in last
night," replied the steward.
"What is the matter now?" asked the prisoner in the ward room, after he
had rubbed his eyes for a time.
"Nothing is the matter now on our side of the house, but I must put you
with the other prisoners," replied Christy. "You may unbuckle the strap,
Dave, so that he can get out of the berth."
"Who are the other prisoners?" demanded Corny, as though he had a right
to know.
"They are your confederates in the plot, Corny. Who do you suppose they
are? Jeff Davis is not one of them. The most important one, not even
excepting yourself, cousin, is Mr. Galvinne, late first lieutenant of
the Bronx."
"Is he a prisoner?" asked Corny, as he got out of the berth.
"Of course he is. Do you think I should let him lie around loose on
deck? The next one is the man-servant at Bonnydale by your appointment,
formerly Walsh, but now Byron. He is a very good actor, but he has
played out his _rôle_."
"He was by profession an actor in Mobile," added Corny.
"I should think he might have been. By the way, Corny, where is my
commission that you and he stole from my pocket at Bonnydale?"
"That is my commission," replied Corny, putting his hand involuntarily
on his left breast, where he had carried his papers on board of the
Vernon.
"You stole it, cousin, and you must give it back to me," added Christy,
very decidedly.
"I shall not," replied Corny, with quite as much firmness.
"Take it from him," said the commander.
The hands of the impostor were now free, and he placed himself in a
defensive attitude; but Ralph Pennant, who was rather above the average
stature, threw his arms around him, and he was pinned as tightly as
though he had been put into a strait jacket. Corny was probably stiff in
his arms from their confinement, and he was unable to make a very
spirited defence. While the seaman held him, Christy took the envelope
from his breast pocket, and transferred it to his own. But there was
considerable noise made in the brief scuffle, which waked some of the
sleepers. From one of the staterooms an officer rushed out, and demanded
the cause of the disturbance. The person proved to be the surgeon.
"We are putting things to rights on board," replied Christy, who had not
seen the doctor before, for he had retired early to his room.
"I don't quite understand this matter," said the surgeon. "What are you
doing, Mr. Passford?"
"Captain Passford, if you please, Dr. Connelly, for I have the honor to
be in command of the Bronx at the present moment. This is Mr. Passford,"
added Christy, pointing to his cousin.
"Then you have reversed the decision of Captain Battleton?"
"For sufficient reasons, I have; with the assistance of the loyal
members of the ship's company, I have taken possession of the
vessel, and we are now on our way to carry out the orders of the
flag-officer.--Conduct the prisoner to his future quarters," said
Christy, in a very business-like manner.
During this conversation, Ralph, still holding his prisoner, had sent
the steward on deck for a pair of handcuffs, which the seaman proceeded
to apply to the wrists of Corny.
"What are you about?" demanded the prisoner, attempting to shake off his
captor when he felt the cold iron.
"Just giving you a pair of bracelets," replied Ralph, as he grappled
again with his victim, and asked Christy to adjust the handcuffs. "Just
for ornament, you know."
In the grasp of such a powerful man as Ralph Pennant, Corny was
powerless, and he was compelled to submit, though his opposition
appeared to be merely a matter of form with him, for he could not help
realizing that it was utterly useless; but he had not been in the affray
on deck, and he had not learned the full lesson from experience. The
irons were locked upon his wrists, and the seaman was directed to
conduct him to the place assigned to all the prisoners.
"This is mean of you, Christy, to put me in irons," said Corny
reproachfully as he turned to his cousin; "I might have asked Captain
Battleton to put you in irons on board of the Vernon; but I did not."
"If he had done so, I should not have complained. I have been a prisoner
of war, and I had to take my chances. We may be in action for aught I
know in a few hours, and I do not mean to have half a dozen rebels at my
heels to trip me up if I can help it. The circumstances are entirely
different from those on board of the Vernon."
"I don't think so," muttered Corny. "You treat your own flesh and blood
as though blood was nothing but water with you."
"I stand by the Union, and those on the other side must keep out from
under. When I was in a Confederate prison, my uncle Homer, your father,
did not do a single thing for me. Lead on, Ralph."
Dr. Connelly was so much astonished at the proceedings that he did not
turn in, but completed his toilet, and came out into the ward room
again. He looked troubled, for he had heard nothing of the struggle on
the quarter-deck, and the situation was a revelation to him. He looked
and talked as though he thought that Christy and his associates who had
captured the vessel were simply mutineers. The captain sent the steward
for Boxie, and, giving him a pair of pistols and a cutlass, informed
him that he was to stand guard over the five prisoners until he was
relieved. The old man, who had been one of the seamen on board of
the Bellevite when she was a yacht, took his place forward of the
berth-sacks, and began his march athwartship.
"You know me, don't you, Boxie?" said Corny as he recognized the old
salt, who was the sheet-anchorsman of the crew, and who was generally
their spokesman.
"You will hold no conversation with the prisoner, Boxie; but you may
let them talk among themselves, and note what they say if it is of any
importance. You will be relieved with the first watch."
Ralph Pennant and three seamen conducted the other prisoners to their
quarters. They were supplied with blankets, in which those from the deck
wrapped themselves up. Corny and Galvin began to compare notes at once;
but Boxie kept his ears open as he marched up and down within two feet
of his charge.
"I hope you have not committed any rash act, Mr. Passford," said Dr.
Connelly as the party passed through the ward room.
"I do not stand on mere forms, Dr. Connelly; but if you continue to call
me simply 'mister,' I shall understand from it that you do not recognize
me as the rightful commander of the Bronx," replied Christy, as he
invited the surgeon with a gesture to enter the captain's cabin.
"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford; I used the title of 'mister' from
habit, and not as meaning anything," replied the surgeon. "I was forced
by the evidence, and quite as much by the lack of evidence, to concur
with Captain Battleton in his decision."
"I find no fault with you on that account, doctor," added Christy.
"You made no protest to the flag-officer, but suddenly disappeared.
When I went to my stateroom in the evening, your cousin was in command,
and had sailed to execute the orders given him. You can judge of my
astonishment when I learned just now that the captain and his officers
were prisoners," the surgeon explained.
"I do not propose to submit to another investigation by you, or any one
but the flag-officer; but for your information I am willing to give you
the facts," said Christy with dignity, of which he had a full supply
whenever it was needed. "As long as the officers in charge of the
Bronx continued to obey the orders of the commodore to proceed to
the eastward, I did nothing; but when they headed the steamer to the
westward, which they did as soon as it was dark, I understood very well
that they were disobeying their orders, and intended to run the Bronx
into Pensacola Bay, and deliver her to the Confederate authorities. Then
I carried out my plan and captured the vessel."
The surgeon was satisfied with this evidence.