THE PROGRESS OF THE ACTION
The tremendous speed of the Bellevite had been telling with prodigious
effect upon the distance between the two steamers, which was now reduced
to not more than a mile and a half. Captain Rombold could not help
realizing by this time that the American-built vessel outsailed the
English-built. If the Trafalgar was good for twenty knots an hour, as
represented, she had hardly attained that speed, as Captain Breaker
judged by comparison with that of his own ship.
The Armstrong gun was still silent and it was pretty well settled that
it had been disabled. In this connection Christy recalled something he
had read in Simpson about the "inability of the Armstrong gun to resist
impact," and he sent Midshipman Walters to bring the volume from his
state-room. When it came he found the place, and read that three shots
had been fired into one of them from a nine-pounder, either of which
would have been fatal to the piece; and the section described the effect
of each upon it.
He showed the book open at the place to Captain Breaker; but he had read
it, and carried the whole matter in his mind. The gun quoted was weak,
though the one on the deck of the Tallahatchie was vastly larger; but a
correspondingly heavy force had been brought to bear upon it.
"I am satisfied that the enemy's long gun has been disabled; and while
she continues the attempt to run away from us, she is unable to use her
broadside guns to advantage, for she cannot bring them to bear upon us
without coming to," said the commander. "But we are gaining at least a
knot and a half an hour on her, and she must soon change her tactics."
"That is evident enough, sir," added Christy.
"The captain of that ship is a brave fellow, and I am confident he will
fight as long as there is anything left of him," continued the captain
as he occasionally directed his glass at the chase.
"He certainly will, sir, for I have seen his ship knocked out from under
him, when he had abundant excuse for hauling down his flag before he did
so; and we had hardly time on board of the Chateaugay to save his people
before his vessel went to the bottom," continued Christy. "More than
that, he is a gentleman and a scholar."
"You have told me about him, Christy; and I believe you suggested to
Captain Chantor his best plan of action."
"I simply indicated what I should do in his place, and he adopted the
method I mentioned," added Christy modestly.
"We may find it advisable to resort to the same plan, though I must add
that it is by no means original with you. It was adopted in the war of
1812 with England."
"I did not claim the method as original, and knew very well that it was
not so," replied the lieutenant.
"The conditions on both sides must be favorable to the method or it
cannot be adopted. One of the ships must have heavier metal than the
other, so that she can knock her enemy to pieces at her leisure, and at
the same time greater speed, so that she can keep out of the reach of
guns of shorter range."
"I am sorry I could not obtain more definite information in regard to
the broadside guns of the Tallahatchie," added Christy. "Bokes was a
stupid fellow, drunk whenever he could obtain liquor, and could remember
very little of what he heard on board of the steamer. But you have the
long range Parrot, and I have no doubt you can knock her to pieces in
your own time, since it has been demonstrated that we can outsail her."
But at this moment the conversation was disturbed by the movement of the
chase, which appeared to be again preparing to come about. The commander
ordered the helm to be put to starboard to avoid being raked, and
directed that the pivot gun should be discharged at the enemy. The enemy
fired a broadside of three guns in quick succession, the solid shots
from all them striking the Bellevite between wind and water. The
carpenter's gang was hurried below to plug the shot holes.
Blumenhoff secured his aim and fired; but this time he was less happy
than on the former occasion, and though the shot went between the masts,
no great damage appeared to be done. The enemy started her screw
immediately, and swung around so as to present her starboard broadside
before the Parrot could be made ready for another shot. The Tallahatchie
delivered another three shots, two of which went wide of the mark. The
third struck the carriage of the pivot gun, but fortunately it was not
disabled, for it had been built to resist a heavier ball than the one
which had struck it.
The captain of the Bellevite gave the order to Christy to swing to the
ship, and give the enemy a broadside. The order was promptly executed as
the enemy came about and resumed her course to the southward, which was
certainly a very bad movement on her part. The four guns on the port
side, two sixties and two thirties, sent their solid shots over the
stern of the Tallahatchie.
A moment later, as the fresh breeze carried away the smoke to the
north-east, the crew set up a lively cheer, for the mizzen mast of the
chase toppled over into the water, and the pilot house seemed to have
been knocked into splinters.
"Well done!" exclaimed Captain Breaker, clapping his hands as he
faced the guns' crews on the port side, and Christy joined him in the
demonstration.
The men of the division gave another lusty cheer in response to the
approval of the two chief officers. The captain had already ordered the
ship to be put about so as to deliver the starboard broadside, and the
other division of guns were impatient to have their chance at the enemy.
Christy had clapped his hands with his spy-glass under his arm; and
when he had rendered his tribute of applause, he directed the instrument
to the enemy. A squad of men were at work over the ruins of the pilot
house, which was still forward, as the vessel had been built for a
pleasure yacht, and another gang were getting the extra wheel at the
stern ready for use.
The Bellevite came about in obedience to the order Christy had given to
the quartermaster conning the wheel, and the guns on the starboard side
were all ready to deliver their messengers of death and destruction.
"Aim at that extra wheel," said the captain; and Christy delivered the
order to the officers of the division.
The broadside was of the same metal as on the port side, and the result
was looked for with even more interest than before. The appearance was
that all three shots had struck at or near the wheel at the stern, and
Christy promptly directed his glass to that part of the steamer, the
captain doing the same thing.
"There is nothing of the wheel left in sight," said the lieutenant.
"The taffrail is knocked away, and at least one of those shots must have
knocked the captain's cabin into utter confusion."
"Go ahead at full speed, Mr. Passford," said Captain Breaker, after he
had fully measured with his eye the damage done to the enemy.
"Her steering gear seems to be entirely disabled, sir," continued
Christy, after he had given the order to the chief engineer. "She does
not appear to be able to come about, as no doubt she would if she could,
so as to bring her broadside guns to bear upon us."
The order had been given before to load the broadside and pivot guns
with shells. The enemy had not started her screw for the reason that the
ship was unmanageable with her steering gear disabled. The action had
certainly gone against her; but she gave no indication that she was
ready to surrender for the Confederate flag, which had been hoisted at
the mainmast head when the mizzen was shot away, still floated in the
breeze.
A gang of men were still at work where the extra wheel had been, and the
commander evidently expected he should be able to repair the damage in
some manner so that he could steer his ship. Captain Breaker gave the
command to stop the screw, and a mighty hissing and roaring of steam
followed when Christy transmitted it to the engine room. The order to
come about on the headway that remained succeeded, and the three shells
immediately exploded on the deck or in the hull of the enemy; but the
extent of the damage could not be estimated.
The three from the starboard guns were next sent on their mission; but
so far as could be seen no damage was done. The big Parrot was next
discharged; but the expert captain of the gun was unfortunate this time,
for the projectile dropped into the water beyond the steamer, though it
seemed to pass very near the stern. For the next half hour the midship
piece was kept busy, and its shots made destructive work about the deck
of the Tallahatchie.
"I think we had better finish this business at once, and before the
enemy has time to rig a new steering apparatus, Mr. Passford," said
Captain Breaker, as they came together on the quarter-deck.
"I think we can knock her all to pieces with the Parrot gun, sir,"
replied Christy.
"But it might take all day to do that; and the Tallahatchie exhibits an
astonishing power of resistance. Besides, she will soon repair her extra
wheel, and have it ready for use. I am inclined to believe that we are
wasting time, which will make it all the worse for us in the end,"
reasoned the commander. "I am prepared to board her, for I think she
must have lost a great many men."
"No doubt of it, sir," added the lieutenant.
"Lay her aboard on the port side, and have everything ready," continued
Captain Breaker.
Christy gave the necessary orders for this decided action, and the
officers and the crew seemed to be delighted with the prospect of a
hand-to-hand fight with the enemy. The lieutenant was not wholly
confident that the commander was right in his reasoning, but like a
loyal officer and a true sailor who knows no duty but obedience, he
heartily supported his superior. He walked the deck in the discharge of
his duty; but he was thinking of something since the order to board had
been given.
"Is there anything like a flank movement in boarding, Captain Breaker?"
he asked, as he halted at the side of the commander.
"Of course the officers do their best to flank the enemy after they
reach the deck," replied the captain, looking with some astonishment at
the lieutenant.
"I have reference to another sort of flanking," added the inquirer.
"Of course in a squadron some of the ships may be ordered to operate in
that manner; but a single ship acting against another can hardly do any
flanking."
"But I mean in boarding."
"You had better explain yourself a little more definitely, for I do not
understand you," replied the commander with a puzzled expression on his
face.
"We have one hundred and twenty men, with six absent on other duty,"
continued the lieutenant. "Judging by what I learned from Bokes,
I believe the Tallahatchie has less than a hundred, for he said she
expected to recruit twenty or thirty men at Nassau. She has lost more
men so far than we have, sir."
"Grant all that you say, and where does the flanking come in?"
"Your order is to board on the port side of the enemy, which will bring
the starboard side of the Bellevite alongside of her. Suppose you put
twenty men or more into the launch, on the port side of the ship, where
it cannot be seen by the enemy, just before the order to board is given.
At the right time let this boat hurry to the starboard side of the
Tallahatchie, where the twenty men or more will board, and take the
enemy in the rear."
The commander took off his cap and rubbed his bald head as if to
stimulate his ideas; but he made no answer then to the suggestion.
Paul Vapoor was driving the engine to its utmost, and the ship was
rapidly approaching the enemy.