Frank's First Exploit.
During the three months following that Frank and Archie were attached to
the Illinois, they met with no adventure worthy of notice. They passed
nearly every day in the woods, and, after considerable practice, had
become splendid shots with their muskets; and as game was abundant, their
table was kept well supplied.
At length, the new magazine-boat, which had for some time been building at
Cairo, was towed alongside the Illinois, and a detachment of men from the
receiving-ship were set to work to transfer the ammunition. The crew of
the Illinois were not at all pleased with this, for they knew that the
easy life they had been leading was soon to be brought to an end.
When the ammunition had all been removed into the new boat, the steamer
Champion came alongside, and the Illinois was towed down to Columbus, where
she was to undergo repairs, and her crew was transferred to the
receiving-ship again.
The day after they arrived on board, while Frank and his cousin were
seated on a coil of rope, as usual, talking over old times, and wondering
how George and Harry Butler liked the army, and why they had not written,
the boatswain's mate came along, and called out, in a loud voice:
"Archie Winters!"
"Here I am," said Archie.
"Well, go up on deck," said the mate; "the captain wants to see you."
"The captain wants to see me!" repeated Archie, in surprise.
"Yes; and you had better bear a hand, too, for the captain isn't the man
to wait long when he sends after any one."
Archie accordingly went on deck, trying all the while to think what he had
done that was wrong, and expecting a good blowing up for some
unintentional offense. Perhaps the captain had by some means learned who
it was that had made the descent on the cook's galley, and had called him
up for the purpose of punishing him.
Finding the captain on deck, talking with the executive officer, he very
politely remained out of hearing, holding his hat in his hand, and waited
for a chance to speak to him. At length the captain inquired:
"Hasn't Winters come up yet?"
"Yes, sir," answered Archie, stepping up with his best salute.
"Is this your writing?" inquired the captain, holding out to Archie a
letter addressed, in a splendid business hand, to James Winters, Esq.,
Boston.
"Yes, sir," answered Archie; "that's a letter I wrote to my father."
"Well," continued the captain, "I have got a splendid position for you, as
second clerk in the fleet paymaster's office. Would you like to take it?"
"Yes, sir," answered Archie; "but--but"--
"But what?" inquired the captain.
"I don't like to be separated from my cousin. We shipped together, and I
should like to remain with him as long as possible."
"Oh, as to that," said the captain, "you can't expect to be together long;
there is no certainty that you will be ordered to the same ship. You might
as well separate one time as another. I think you had better accept this
position."
"I should like to speak with my cousin before I decide, sir."
"Very well; look alive, and don't keep me waiting."
Archie touched his hat, and hurried below.
"What did he want with you?" inquired Frank, who was sitting with Simpson
on their mess-chest.
Archie told his story, and ended by saying:
"I don't believe I'll take it; for I don't want to leave you."
"You're foolish," said Simpson; for, as the captain said, you can't expect
to remain together a great while. To-morrow one of you may be ordered to a
vessel in the Cumberland River, and the other to the lower fleet. Better
take it; Frank can take care of himself."
"Yes" said Frank, "I should certainly take it, if I were in your place.
You'll be an officer then, you know."
"Yes, I shall be an officer," said Archie, contemptuously; "and if I meet
one of you anywhere, I mustn't associate with you at all. No sir; I'll go
and tell the captain I can't take it."
"But, hold on a minute," said Frank, as his cousin was about to move away;
"perhaps you may find that there is another good place, and then you can
recommend me."
"That's so," said Archie; "I did not think of that; I believe I'll take
it;" and he hurried on deck again.
"Well, what conclusion have you come to?" inquired the captain. "Will you
take it?"
"Yes, sir, with many thanks for your kindness."
"What is your cousin's name?"
Archie told him, and the captain continued:
"I'll keep an eye open for him. I don't forget that I was young once
myself; and I know that a sailor's life is rather tough for one who is not
accustomed to it; and when I find a deserving young man, I like to help
him along. Mr. Tyler," he continued, turning to the officer of the deck;
"please send this young man over to the fleet paymaster's office in the
first boat that leaves the ship. You need not take your donnage," he said,
turning to Archie again; "if you suit the paymaster, you can come over for
it at any time."
"Very good, sir," answered Archie; and he went below again.
When the ten o'clock boat was called away, Archie, in obedience to the
captain's order, was sent over to the paymaster's office; and Frank was
left alone. He watched the boat until it reached the landing, and he saw
his cousin spring out. He then walked aft, and seated himself on the
mess-chest, and commenced writing a letter to his mother. While he was
thus engaged, he heard the order passed, in a loud voice: "All you men
that belonged to the Illinois, muster on the forecastle with your bags and
hammocks."
As Frank hastened to obey the order, he met Simpson, who exclaimed:
"We're off again, my hearty; and I'm glad of it. I don't like to lay
around here."
"Where are we going?" inquired Frank.
"I don't know for certain; but I suspect we are to be the crew of the
store-ship Milwaukee, now lying alongside the wharf-boat."
Simpson's surmise proved to be correct. The entire crew of the Illinois,
with the exception of Archie, was mustered around the capstan; and after
answering to their names, they were crowded into a cutter that lay
alongside, and, in a few moments, were landed on board the Milwaukee.
She had steam up; her stores were on board, and she was all ready to sail;
and the crew had scarcely time to stow away their bags and hammocks, when
the order was passed: "All hands stand by to get ship under way."
The gang-planks were quickly hauled in; the line with which she was made
fast to the wharf-boat was cast off, and the Milwaukee was soon steaming
down the river, and Cairo was rapidly receding from view.
The Milwaukee, which was now dignified by the name of "store-ship," was an
old river packet. She was loaded with clothing, provisions, and small
stores, with which she was to supply the fleet. It was not, of course,
intended that she should go into action; but, in order that she might be
able to defend herself against the guerrillas, which infested the river
between Cairo and Helena, she mounted a twelve-pound howitzer on her
boiler-deck, and was well supplied with muskets. Her destination was
Helena.
They reached that place without any adventure, and, after supplying the
fleet with stores, started to return to Cairo. One pleasant afternoon, as
they were passing through Cypress Bend, the officer of the deck discovered
a man standing on the bank, waving a flag of truce. A bale of cotton lay
near him; and the man, as soon as he found that he had attracted their
attention, pointed to the cotton, and signified, by signs, that he wished
it carried up the river.
The Milwaukee was immediately turned toward the shore, and as soon as they
arrived within speaking distance, the captain called out:
"What do you want?"
"I would like to have you take this cotton to Cairo for me," answered the
man.
"Are you a loyal citizen?" asked the captain.
"Yes, sir; and here is a permit from Admiral Porter to ship my cotton;"
and, as the man spoke, he held up a letter to the view of the captain.
"Bring her into the bank, Mr. Smith," said the captain, addressing the
pilot; "and, Mr. O'Brien," he continued, in a lower tone, turning to an
officer who stood near, "go down and stand by that howitzer. Perhaps there
is no treachery intended, but it is well to be on the safe side."
As soon as the Milwaukee touched the bank, Frank and Simpson, with two
others, sprang ashore with a line, and, after making it fast to a tree,
returned on board, and commenced pushing out a plank, so that the cotton
could be easily rolled on, when, suddenly, several men rose from behind
the levee, and the quick discharge of their rifles sent the bullets around
those standing on the forecastle, like hailstones; and Simpson, who was
standing directly in front of Frank, uttered a sharp cry of pain, and sank
heavily to the deck. The next moment the guerrillas, with loud yells,
sprang down the bank in a body, intending to board the boat and capture
her. But they had not taken her so much by surprise as they had imagined,
for a shell from the howitzer exploded in their very midst, and one of the
rebels was killed, and three disabled. The others turned and hastily
retreated behind the levee. Frank took advantage of this, and lifting the
insensible form of his friend, retreated under cover, and laid him on a
mattress behind a pile of coal, where he would be safe from the bullets of
the guerrillas, which now began to come through the sides of the boat in
every direction.
This was the first time Frank had ever been under fire, and he was
thoroughly frightened; but he knew that it was his duty to resist the
rebels, and to do them as much damage as possible; so, instead of looking
round for a safe place to hide, his first impulse was to run up on deck
after a gun. This he knew was a dangerous undertaking, for the vessel lay
close to the bank, the top of which was on a level with the boiler-deck;
and behind the levee, scarcely half a dozen rods distant, were the
guerrillas, who were ready to shoot the first man that appeared.
Nevertheless, Frank resolved to make the attempt, for he wanted to take
revenge on them for shooting Simpson. But, just as he was about to start
out, he heard the captain shout down through the trumpet which ran from
the pilot-house to the engine-room:
"Back her, strong! We must get away from the bank or they will pick us all
off."
In obedience to the order, the engineers let on the steam, and a heavy
puffing told Frank that the powerful engines were doing their utmost to
break the line which held them to the bank. Here was another thing that
Frank knew he ought to do; he knew that he ought to cut that line, for it
would be an impossibility to break it. There was an ax handy, and a sudden
rush and a couple of lusty strokes would put the vessel out of danger.
But, at short intervals, he heard the bullets crashing through the side of
the boat, and he knew that the guerrillas were on the watch. If he made
the attempt he could scarcely hope to come back alive; and he thought of
his mother and Julia, how badly they would feel when they heard of his
death. But even where he stood he was in danger of being struck by the
bullets that were every moment coming through the vessel; and would not
his mother much rather hear that he fell while performing his duty, than
that he was shot while standing idly by, taking no part in the fight? He
did not wait to take a second thought, but seized the ax, and, with one
bound, reached the gangway that led out on to the forecastle. Here he
hesitated again, but it was only for a moment. Clutching his ax with a
firmer hold, and gathering all his strength for the trial, he sprang
forward, and a few rapid steps brought him to the capstan, to which the
line was made fast. He raised his ax, and one swift blow severed the line,
and the Milwaukee swung rapidly out from the bank Without waiting an
instant, Frank turned and retreated; but, instead of going back to the
place where he had left Simpson, he bounded up the steps that led to the
boiler-deck, and the next moment was safe behind a pile of baled clothing.
His sudden appearance had taken the rebels completely by surprise, and
before they could recover themselves, the line had been cut, and the young
hero was safe. But they had seen where he had taken refuge, and, with loud
yells of disappointment and rage, sent their bullets about his
hiding-place in a perfect shower. Frank, however, knowing that he was
safe, was not in the least alarmed. Waiting until the fire slackened a
little, he sprang up, and, snatching a musket and cartridge-box from the
rack which stood close by the door of the cabin, was back to his
hiding-place in a moment.
"Now," he soliloquized, "we are on more equal terms. Better keep close, or
I'll drop some of you."
In his cool, sober moments, Frank would have shuddered at the thought of
taking the life of a fellow-being; but he had seen Simpson shot down
before his eyes--perhaps killed; and is it to be wondered that he wished
to avenge his fall?
It was some time before Frank could get an opportunity to use his musket;
for if he exposed the smallest portion of his body, it was the signal for
his watchful enemies, who sent the bullets about him in unpleasant
proximity. In spite of his dangerous situation, he could not help thinking
that the rebels were very proficient in "Indian fighting," for, with all
his watchfulness, he could not get an opportunity to put in a shot. All he
could see of his enemies would be, first, a rifle thrust carefully over
the levee, then a very small portion of a head would appear, and the
bullet would come straight to the mark.
In the mean time the Milwaukee was working her way out into the stream,
and the rebels, finding that their fire was not returned, grew bolder by
degrees, and became less careful to conceal themselves. This was what
Frank wanted; but he reserved his fire until a tall rebel rose to his full
hight from behind the levee, fired his gun, and stood watching the effect
of the shot. Frank's musket was at his shoulder in an instant, his finger
pressed the trigger, and the rebel staggered for a moment, and disappeared
behind the levee.
"There," said Frank to himself, "that's what Simpson would call 'squaring
the yards.' I'm even with the rascals now."
The rebels answered the shot with load yells, and their bullets fell
thicker than ever; but the Milwaukee was almost out of range, and, in a
few moments, the firing ceased altogether.