CAPTAIN SULLENDINE OF THE WEST WIND
Weeks and his companions divided up as they had been ordered to do in
coming to the fort, and departed in different directions. The lieutenant
pointed out to them the locality of the bivouac where he had passed so
much of the evening, so that they might avoid it. It was about one
o'clock in the morning when they left, and Christy calculated that
they would reach the ship in an hour and a half, which would give the
commander ample time to get up steam from the banked fires, and move
down four or five miles to the southward of his present position.
The chief of the expedition had sent no message to the captain of the
Bellevite in regard to his own movements, but simply that he would
report to him later. He had already grasped an idea, though he had had
no time to work it up in detail. It looked practicable to him, and he
had jumped to a conclusion as soon as he was in possession of the facts
covering the situation in the vicinity of Fort Morgan.
With only a plan not yet matured in his mind, perhaps he had been more
rash than usual in sending away the whaleboat before he had provided for
his own retreat from the enemy's territory; but he had considered this
difficulty, and had come to the conclusion that the Trafalgar must be
captured if possible, even if he and his associates were sent to a
Confederate prison.
But he did not anticipate any such result. He had three pairs of the
seamen left; and the party still consisted of eight men, all well armed.
If the plan he had considered should fail, he had force enough to carry
a light boat from Pilot Town, or any other point on the inner shore,
in which they could make their escape to the Bellevite or some other
blockader. He did not feel, therefore, that he had "burned his bridges,"
and left open no means of retreat in case of disaster.
Christy and Graines were left alone in the darkness and the fog, a bank
of which was just then sweeping over the point; but they could hear the
violent talk of Captain Sullendine in the distance, as he declaimed
against the perfidy of his mate and the three seamen just at the point
where he needed them most. Evidently he could not reconcile himself to
the idea of being left behind by the Trafalgar, which seemed to be
inevitable under present circumstances.
"The skipper of the West Wind seems to be in an ocean of trouble, and
he is apparently resolved not to submit to the misfortune which has
overtaken him," said Christy, as he led the way towards the knot of men
who were the auditors of the rebellious captain.
"He may jaw as much as he pleases, if it makes him feel any better, but
I don't see how he can help himself," replied Graines. "The schooner
looked like a rather large one when I got a sight of her just before I
came back to you, which I did as soon as I saw the four men leave you."
"I sent Weeks as a messenger to Captain Breaker, to inform him that the
Trafalgar would sail at three in the morning," added Christy.
"I concluded that was the mission upon which you sent him," replied the
engineer; and, whatever doubts the lieutenant's action might have raised
in his mind, he asked no questions.
Every man on board of the Bellevite was well acquainted with the
record and reputation of the executive officer; and he concluded at
once that Christy had already arranged his method of operations. It was
not "in good form" to ask his superior any questions in regard to his
intentions.
"Did you go down to the shore, Charley?" asked Christy, as they walked
in that direction.
"I did not, but I went far enough to hear what the captain of the West
Wind was talking about. I had no orders, and as soon as I saw the four
men leave you, I thought I had better rejoin you," answered Graines.
"Quite right," said the lieutenant as he halted; for they were as near
the group on the shore as it was prudent to go, for the fog was lifting.
"What did the captain say?"
"He offered ten dollars apiece for the recovery of the men who had
deserted, if they were brought back within two hours," replied Graines.
"He did an immense amount of heavy swearing; and it was plain that he
was mad all the way through, from the crown of his head to the sole of
his foot."
"Was any one inclined to accept his offer, and go in search of the
runaways?"
"I can't say, but I saw no one leave on that or any other mission. I was
there but a few minutes, and the fog dropped down on the party so that I
could not see them at all."
"We must join that assemblage, and we may be able to help Captain
Sullendine out of his dilemma," said Christy.
"Help him out of it!" exclaimed Graines.
"Not a word more, Charley. I have an idea or two left, but it is not
prudent to say a word about it here," replied the lieutenant cautiously.
"You know the cut of my jib in my present rig, and I want you to keep an
eye on me, for we must separate now. When you see me take off this old
soft hat with my left hand, and scratch my head with my right, moving
off a minute later, you will follow me. By that time I shall know what
we are to do."
"All right, Christy; I will follow the direction to the letter," added
Graines.
"While you go off to the left of that pile of rubbish yonder, I will
go to the right of it. If you speak to any of our men, do so with the
utmost caution."
"They have been down there some time, and they have full information in
regard to what is going on in this locality," suggested Graines.
"Use your own judgment, Charley, only be careful not to give us away,"
replied the lieutenant, as he moved towards the pile of rubbish.
A walk of a few minutes brought him to the group on the shore, which
consisted of not more than a dozen persons, and half of them belonged to
the Bellevite. Christy halted before he reached the assemblage, in order
to listen to the eloquence of the captain of the West Wind. He talked
very glibly; and it did not take his outside auditor long to perceive
that he had been drinking somewhat freely, though he was not what
non-temperance men would have called intoxicated.
"I use my men well, and give 'em enough to eat and drink, and what's
good enough," the nautical orator declaimed with a double-handed
gesture. "Why, my friends, I gave each of the villains that deserted
the schooner a bottle of apple-jack. I don't drink it myself, but it is
good enough for niggers and sailors; in fact, my men liked it better'n
whiskey, because it's stronger. They served me a mighty mean trick, and
I'll give ten dollars apiece to have 'em fetched back to me. That's a
good chance for some on you to make some money tonight."
His audience listened to him as they would have done to a preacher with
whom they had no sympathy, and no one was tempted by the reward to go in
search of the deserters. Christy moved up nearer to the speaker. In his
disguise, with his face smooched with some of the color he had received
as a present from Mr. Gilfleur, the French detective, with whom he had
been associated on his cruise some months before, he did not appear at
all different from most of those who listened to Captain Sullendine.
He had laid aside his gentlemanly gait and bearing, and acted as though
he had lately joined the "awkward squad."
"How d'e?" called the orator to him, as he saw him join the group of
listeners. "I see you come from the other side of the p'int."
"Well, is that agin the laws o' war?" demanded Christy.
"Not a bit on't," replied the captain pleasantly, as though his
potations of whiskey were still in full effect upon him. "If you come
from that way, have you seen anything of my four men that deserted the
schooner?"
"I wasn't lookin' for 'em; didn't know ye'd lost some men," replied
Christy, staring with his mouth half open at the orator. "Was one on
'em the mate?"
"Yes!" exclaimed the captain eagerly.
"Well, I hain't seen nothin' on em," added Christy in a mumbling tone.
"I'll bet you have!" protested the skipper of the West Wind. "How'd you
know one on 'em was the mate if you didn't see 'em?"
"I didn't know one on 'em was the mate; I only axed yer so's ter know."
"I reckon you know sunthin about my men," persisted the captain; and by
this time the attention of all the party had been directed to him.
"I don't know nothin' about yer men, and I hain't been interduced to
'em. If you want to ship a new crew, I'm ready to jine with yer."
"One man ain't enough," added the skipper.
"Some o' these men'll jine too, I reckon," suggested Christy, who
had proceeded in this manner in order to attract the attention of the
disconsolate master of the West Wind.
"I don't reckon they can ship, 'cause most on 'em belongs to the
Tallahatchie, and they can't leave."
"That's so," shouted several of the group, including some of the crew of
the Bellevite.
"What's the Talla-what-you-call-her?" demanded Christy.
"She's the steamer you can see when the fog lifts," answered Captain
Sullendine. "The Tallahatchie is her name. Are you a sailor, my lively
lad?"
"I reckon I know the bobstay from the mainmast."
"You know sumthin about my mate and men, my jolly tar, and I'll give you
five dollars apiece for any news on 'em that will help me to ketch 'em;
and I'll ship you into the bargain, for I want more hands," the captain
proceeded in a more business-like manner, though at the expense of his
oratory.
Just at this moment three short and sharp whistles sounded from off the
shore, and about half of the skipper's audience turned upon their heels
and walked down to the water, where they embarked in a boat. They were
evidently members of the ship's company of the Tallahatchie, on shore on
leave, and the whistles were the signal for their return. The remainder
of the group, with two or three exceptions, were the seamen of the
blockader.
"Where'd you come from, my hearty?" demanded the captain of the
schooner, turning to Christy again.
"I was tooken in a blockader, eight on us. We done stole a whaleboat and
comed ashore," replied Christy, enlarging upon the story he had told the
bivouackers.
"Eight on you!" exclaimed the master of the schooner. "Where's the rest
on ye?"
"They're all about here somewhar, and I reckon I kin find em. They're
lookin for sunthin t'eat. They all want to ship, and the mate of the
Rattler's one on 'em," continued Christy, guiding himself by the
circumstances as they were developed to him.
"What's your name, my man?"
"My name's Jerry Sandman; and I ain't ashamed on't."
"Are your men all sailors, Jerry?"
"Every one on 'em."
"I want eight good men, Jerry, the mate bein' one on 'em."
"Then we kin fix you like a 'possum in a hole."
"I've got two boats on the shore; the deserters stole one on 'em, and I
come ashore in t'other arter 'em. I reckon I'll get a steamer in Nassau,
and I want all the good men I can find to man her. I'll ship the whole
on you. Find your men, Jerry, and fetch 'em down to the boats. I'll give
'em all sumthin t'eat. Now be lively about it," said Captain Sullendine,
as he walked away towards the shore.
"I'll find 'em in no time," replied Christy, as he removed his soft hat
with his left hand, and scratched his head with the other.
The rest of the party scattered, and Graines joined the lieutenant.