THE NEW COMMANDER OF THE BRONX
"Captain Flint, the first question to be settled is in regard to the
engineer force," said Christy, as the three officers seated themselves
at the table.
"I think we shall have no difficulty on that score, Captain Passford,
for I have already sounded those on board of the Arran, or the Escambia,
as her officers call her. As long as their wages are paid, they don't
care which side they serve. Mr. Pivotte is the chief, and he is as
willing to go one way as the other."
"Very well; then he shall retain his present position, and Bockburn
shall be restored to the Ocklockonee. Of course the arrangements made
after the capture of the first vessel were only temporary, and I propose
to report to the flag officer with everything as nearly as possible in
the condition in which we left New York," continued Christy.
"Of course I expected to resume my former position on board of the Bronx
as soon as we had disposed of the two steamers; and I can say that I
shall not be sorry to do so," said Flint with a pleasant smile, as
though he did not intend to grieve over the loss of his command.
"In a few days more, we shall move down a peg, and I shall cease to have
a command as well as yourself," added Christy.
"And I suppose I shall be relegated to my position as a quartermaster,"
said Baskirk; "but I shall be satisfied. I don't care to wear any spurs
that I have not won, though I shall be glad to have a higher rank when I
deserve it."
"You deserve it now, Mr. Baskirk, and if you don't receive it, it will
not be on account of any weakness in my report of the events of the last
twenty-four hours," added Christy heartily.
"Thank you, captain; I suppose I could have procured a better position
than that of able seaman, but I preferred to work my way up."
"It was wise not to begin too high up, and you have already won your
spurs. Now, Mr. Baskirk, I shall ask you to take the deck, relieving Mr.
Amblen," added Christy, who wished to talk with Flint alone.
"I shall be really glad to get back into the Bronx, for I feel at home
here with you, captain," said Flint.
"You will be back to your berth here very soon. Now we have to send
these two steamers to New York. They are fine vessels, and will be
needed. We want two prize masters, and we must have able men. Have you
any suggestion to make, Mr. Flint? I first thought of sending you as the
principal one; but I cannot spare you, and the service in the Gulf needs
you."
"I am entirely willing to go where my duty calls me, without regard to
personal preferences," replied Flint. "I have a suggestion to make:
which is that Baskirk take one of the steamers."
"That is exactly my own idea; from what I have seen of him, there is no
more devoted officer in the service."
"I have known him for many years, and I believe in him. McSpindle is
almost as good, and has had a better education than Baskirk. I don't
think you could find two better men in the navy for this duty."
"Very well; then I will appoint them both."
Flint was instructed to communicate their appointment to Baskirk and
McSpindle, and make all the preparations for the departure of the
Escambia and the Ocklockonee. Christy went to his state room, and wrote
his report of the capture of the two steamers, in which he commended the
two officers who were to go as prize masters, and then wrote a letter to
his father, with a strong appeal in their favor. Then he wrote very
careful instructions for the government of the officers to be sent away,
in which he directed them to use all necessary precautions in regard to
the prisoners. In a couple of hours after the capture of the Escambia,
the two prizes sailed for New York. Captain Dinsmore expressed his
thanks very warmly to Captain Passford for his courtesy and kindness
at parting.
Christy had visited every part of the two steamers, and talked with the
officers and men, and especially with the engineers, and he discovered
no elements of discord on board of either. Hungerford and Pawcett were
transferred to the Escambia, and committed to the care of the surgeon
of the ship. Both of them were suffering from fever, and they were not
likely to give the prize master any trouble during the passage, which
could only be three or four days in duration. Baskirk and McSpindle were
required to make all the speed they could consistent with safety, though
Christy hardly thought they would encounter any Confederate rover on the
voyage, for they were not very plenty at this stage of the war.
It seemed a little lonesome on board of the Bronx after the two steamers
had disappeared in the distance, and the number of the crew had been
so largely reduced by the drafts for the prizes. The steamer was hardly
in condition to engage an enemy of any considerable force, and Sampson
was directed to hurry as much as possible. Christy had heard of the
Bellevite twice since he left her off Pensacola Bay. She had been sent
to other stations on duty, and had captured two schooners loaded with
cotton as prizes; but at the last accounts she had returned to the
station where the Bronx had left her.
Christy was not so anxious as he had been before the recent captures
to fall in with an enemy, for with less than twenty seamen it would not
be prudent to attack such a steamer as either of those he had captured,
though he would not have objected to chase a blockade runner if he had
discovered one pursued by the gunboats.
It was a quiet time on board of the Bronx compared with the excitement
of the earlier days of the voyage. In the very beginning of the trip,
he had discovered the deaf mute at the cabin door, and his thought,
his inquiries, and his action in defeating the treachery of the second
lieutenant had kept him busy night and day. Now the weather was fine
most of the time, and he had little to do beyond his routine duties. But
he did a great deal of thinking in his cabin, though most of it was in
relation to the events which had transpired on board of the Bronx.
He had captured two valuable prizes; but he could not feel that he was
entitled to any great credit for the achievements of his vessel, since
he had been warned in the beginning to look out for the Scotian and the
Arran. He had taken the first by surprise, and the result was due to the
carelessness of her commander rather than to any great merit on his own
part. The second he had taken with double the force of the enemy in
ships and men; and the latter was not precisely the kind of a victory
he was ambitious to win.
At the same time, his self-respect assured him that he had done his duty
faithfully, and that it had been possible for him to throw away his
advantage by carelessness. If he had fallen in with both the Scotian and
the Arran at the same time, the result might have been different, though
he was sure that he should have fought his ship as long as there was
anything left of her. In that case there would have been more room for
manoeuvring and strategy, for he did not admit to himself that he
should have been beaten.
Amblen continued to hold his place as second lieutenant, and McLinn was
appointed acting third lieutenant. The carpenter repaired the bridge,
though Christy would not have been very sorry if it had been so
thoroughly smashed as to be beyond restoration, for it was hardly a
naval institution. The men who had been only slightly wounded in the
action with the Escambia were progressing finely under the care of Dr.
Spokeley, and when the Bronx was off the southern cape of Florida, they
were able to return to duty. The latest information located the flag
officer off Pensacola, and in due time Christy reported to him. The
Bellevite was still there, and the commander went on board of her, where
he received an ovation from the former officers and seamen with whom he
had sailed. He did not take any pains to recite his experience, but it
was soon known throughout the fleet.
"Christy, I shall hardly dare to sail in command of a ship of which you
are the executive officer," said Lieutenant Blowitt, who was to command
the Bronx, with a laugh.
"Why not? Is my reputation so bad as that?" asked Christy.
"Bad! No, it is so good. The fact of it is, you are such a tremendous
fellow, there will be no room for any other officer to shine in the same
sky."
"I have been in command for a few days, hardly more than a week, but I
assure you that I can and shall obey the orders of my commander to the
very letter," added Christy.
"But you took two steamers, each of them of nearly twice the tonnage of
your own ship, in mid ocean."
"But I took them one at a time. If I had fallen in with both at the same
time, the affair might have gone the other way. We captured the first
one by accident, as it were, and the second with double the force of
the enemy. I don't take much credit to myself for that sort of thing.
I don't think it was half as much of an affair as bringing out the
Teaser, for we had to use some science on that occasion," replied
Christy quietly.
"Science, is it?" laughed Mr. Blowitt. "Perhaps you can assist me to
some of your science, when it is required."
"I shall obey my superior officer, and not presume to advise him unless
he asks me to do so."
"Well, Christy, I think you are the most audacious young fellow I ever
met," added the future commander of the Bronx.
"I haven't anything about me that I call audacity, so far as I
understand myself. When I am told to do any duty, I do it if it is
possible; and whether it is possible often depends upon whether you
think it is or not."
"I should say that it was audacious for you to think of capturing two
steamers, fitted out for war purposes, and twice the size of your own
ship, with the Bronx," added Mr. Blowitt, still laughing, to take off
the edge of his criticism.
"Why did the Navy Department instruct me in my sealed orders to look out
for these steamers, if I was to do so in a Pickwickian sense?" demanded
Christy earnestly. "What would you have done, Mr. Blowitt?"
"Perhaps I should have been as audacious as you were, Christy, if such
had been my orders."
This conversation took place on the deck of the Bellevite where Christy
had come to see his friends; and it was interrupted by a boat from the
flag ship which brought a big envelope for Mr. Blowitt. It instructed
him to go on board of the Bronx, to the command of which he had been
appointed. Another order required him to proceed to a point on the
western coast of Florida, where the enemy were supposed to be loading
vessels with cotton, and break up the depot established for the purpose,
where it could be supplied by the Florida Railroad.
The new commander packed his clothing, and he was sent with Christy in
one of the Bellevite's boats to the Bronx. They went on board, where the
late acting commander had already removed his own property to the ward
room, and Captain Blowitt was conducted to his cabin and state room, of
which he took formal possession. He seemed to be very much pleased with
his accommodations since the government had put the vessel in order,
though he had been on board of her, and fought a battle on her deck,
while she was still the Teaser.
"I am sure I could not ask for anything better than this cabin," said
he, after he had invited his first lieutenant to come in.
"I found it very comfortable," added Christy. "Flint is second
lieutenant, and Sampson chief engineer; and that is all there are of
those who were in the Bellevite. I will introduce you to the acting
third lieutenant, Mr. Amblen, and you can retain him or not as you
please."
Mr. Amblen was called in and presented to the captain, and then Flint
was ordered to get under way.