AN EASY VICTORY
The shot from the Dornoch, which had evidently been intended to hit
the Chateaugay, sufficiently indicated the purpose of her commander.
On board of either steamer there could be no doubt in regard to the
character of the other. Captain Chantor gave the order to beat to
quarters, and in a few moments every officer and seaman was at his
station.
Christy Passford went to his stateroom, buckled on his sword belt, and
prepared his revolvers for use; for though he held no position on board
of the Chateaugay, he did not intend to remain idle during the action,
and was ready to serve as a volunteer. Mr. Gilfleur came to the open
door of his room, and seemed to be somewhat astonished to observe his
preparations.
"You appear to be ready for duty, Mr. Passford, though you are not
attached to this ship," said he.
"I have no position on board of the Chateaugay; but it would be quite
impossible for me to remain inactive while my country needs my services,
even as a supernumerary," replied Christy.
"But what am I to do?" asked the detective, with a puzzled expression on
his face.
"Nothing at all, Mr. Gilfleur; I regard you as a non-combatant, and I
think you had better remain in your stateroom," replied Christy. "But I
must go on deck."
The Frenchman followed him to the quarter-deck, and seemed to be
inclined to take a hand in the conflict. He desired to be an American
citizen, and possibly he believed he could win his title to this
distinction in a battle better than by any other means. But he had no
naval training, could be of no service at the guns, and was more likely
to be in the way of others than to accomplish anything of value. It was
a needless risk, and the captain suggested that his life was too
valuable to his adopted country for him to expose himself before his
mission had been accomplished. He stepped aside, but he was not willing
to go below.
"I desire to offer my services as a volunteer, Captain Chanter," said
Christy, saluting the commander. "If you will assign me to any position
on deck, though it be nothing more than a station at one of the guns,
I will endeavor to do my duty."
"I have no doubt you would do your whole duty, Mr. Passford," replied
the captain, taking him by the hand. "You can be of more service to me
as an adviser than as a hand at a gun. It is plain enough that the
commander of the Dornoch intends to fight as long as there is anything
left of him or his ship. Your report of him gives me that assurance."
"I suppose by this time, Captain Chantor, you have arranged your plan
for the action," added Christy, looking curiously into the face of the
commander, though he had resolved to give no advice and to make no
suggestions unless directly requested to do so.
"I suppose the only way is to pound the enemy till he has had enough of
it, using such strategy as the occasion may require. According to your
report we outweigh her in metal, and we have proved that we can outdo
her in speed," replied Captain Chantor.
"But the Dornoch will have the privilege of pounding the Chateaugay at
the same time," said Christy in a very low tone, so that no one could
hear him.
"That is very true; of course we must expect to take as good as we
send."
"But then what use shall you make of your advantage in speed and weight
of metal?" asked the passenger very quietly. "We both believe that there
is humanity in war as well as in peace."
At that moment a shot passed under the counter of the ship, and buried
itself in the water a cable's length beyond her.
"That is good practice, Captain Chantor," said Christy. "That shot was
aimed at your rudder; and I have no doubt Captain Rombold is seeking to
cripple you by shooting it away."
"I believe in humanity in war; but I do not see where it comes in just
now, except in a very general way," replied the captain.
"If the Dornoch cripples you, and then takes her own time to knock the
Chateaugay to pieces, it will amount to the sacrifice of many lives,"
suggested the unattached officer.
"I should be very glad to have your opinion, Mr. Passford," added the
commander.
"I certainly do not desire to thrust my opinion upon you, Captain
Chantor; but as you have asked for it, I will express myself freely."
"Thank you, Mr. Passford."
"I should adopt the tactics of Commodore Dupont at Port Royal."
"In other words, you would keep sailing around the Dornoch."
"Precisely so. I would not give him a shot till I was out of the reach
of his broadside guns."
"And then pound her with the midship gun. That is my idea exactly.
Quartermaster, strike one bell."
"One bell, sir."
"Strike four bells, quartermaster," added the captain.
"Four bells, sir."
The Chateaugay was soon going ahead at her best speed, headed directly
away from the Dornoch, and it would have looked to an observer as though
she was running away from her. At any rate, the enemy made this
interpretation of her movement, and immediately gave chase, opening fire
upon the ship with her bow guns. Presently she fired her heavy midship
gun, the shot from which would have made havoc if it had hit the mark.
It was soon evident that the enemy's speed had been overrated, for the
Chateaugay gained rapidly upon her. A shot from her heavy gun knocked
off the upper works on one side of the Eleuthera, but did no other
damage.
At the end of two hours even the heavy gun of the enemy could not carry
its shot to the chase. It would have been easy enough to run away from
the Dornoch; but this was by no means the intention of Captain Chantor.
He was very cool and self-possessed, and he did not ask his passenger
for any further suggestions. He understood his business thoroughly,
though he had at first been disposed to make shorter work of the action
than he had now adopted. As soon as he had obtained his distance, he
gave the order to bring the ship about. Thus far he had not fired a gun,
and the enemy had apparently had it all his own way.
The midship was in readiness to initiate the work of the Chateaugay. At
the proper moment, the gunner himself sighted the piece, the lock string
was operated, and the hull of the ship shook under the discharge.
Christy had a spy-glass to his eye, levelled at the Dornoch. She had
just begun to change her course to conform to that of the Chateaugay,
and the observer on the quarter-deck discovered the splinters flying
about her forecastle. The shot appeared to have struck at the heel of
the bowsprit.
"That was well done, Captain Chantor," said Christy.
"Excellently well done; but Mr. Turreton will improve when he gets his
range a little better," replied the captain.
At this moment the report of the Dornoch's great gun was heard again;
but the shot fell considerably short of the Chateaugay. At the same time
she was crowding on all the steam she could make, and Captain Chantor
was manoeuvring his ship so as to maintain his distance. The midship
gun was kept as busy as possible, and Mr. Turreton improved his practice
very materially. Fought in this manner, the action was not very
exciting. The ship followed her circular course, varying it only to
maintain the distance. For several hours the unequal battle continued.
The mainmast of the Dornoch had been shot away, and Christy, with his
glass, saw several of the huge shots crash into her bow.
It was evident, after pounding her a good part of the day, that the
enemy could not stand much more of this punishment. At eight bells in
the afternoon watch she hauled down her flag. Christy had done nothing
but watch the Dornoch, and report to Captain Chantor. As her flag came
down, he discovered that her condition, after the last shot, was
becoming desperate.
"She has settled considerably in the water, Captain Chantor, and that is
evidently the reason why she hauled down her flag," said Christy, just
as the ship's company were cheering at the disappearance of the
Confederate flag from the peak of the enemy.
"I was confident she could not endure much more such hulling as Mr.
Turreton has been bestowing upon her," replied the commander, after he
had given the order to make the course directly towards the Dornoch.
Christy continued to watch the enemy's vessel. The ship's company were
employed in stretching a sail over the bow, evidently for the purpose of
stopping in whole or partially a dangerous leak in that part of the
vessel; and she seemed to be in immediate peril of going to the bottom.
They were also getting their boats ready, and the situation must have
been critical. In a short time the Chateaugay was within hailing
distance of her prize.
"Dornoch, ahoy!" shouted Captain Chantor, mounted on the port rail. "Do
you surrender?"
"I do," replied Captain Rombold; for Christy recognized his voice. "Our
ship is sinking!"
By this time the havoc made by the big gun of the Chateaugay could be
seen and estimated. The bow of the steamer had been nearly all shot
away. Her bowsprit and her mainmast had gone by the board. Her bulwarks
were stove in, and most of her boats appeared to have been knocked to
pieces. In spite of the efforts to keep her afloat, it was plain that
she was sinking; and Christy could see her settling in the water. The
boats of the victor were promptly lowered, and crews sent away in them
to the relief of the imperilled enemy. There were not more than sixty
men on board of her, including the officers; and they were soon
transferred to the deck of the Chateaugay.
Christy watched the boats with the most intense interest as they came
alongside the ship; for he knew that his Uncle Homer was on board of the
Dornoch, if the plans arranged at the hotel had been fully carried out.
Captain Rombold came in the last boat, and Colonel Passford was with
him. His nephew did not care to meet him just then. The Confederate
commissioner came on deck; and Christy looked at him with interest from
behind the mizzenmast. His expression testified to his grief and sorrow
at the early failure of his mission. The young lieutenant could pity the
man, while he rejoiced at his ill success in building up the navy of the
Confederacy.
His attention was drawn off from his uncle by the sudden sinking of the
Dornoch; and the vortex that followed her disappearance extended to the
Chateaugay. Most of the officers and seamen had brought off the whole or
a part of their clothing and other articles.
When Captain Rombold came on deck, Captain Chantor politely saluted him,
and returned the sword he surrendered to him. Colonel Passford kept
close to him; and Christy thought he looked dazed and vacant.
"While I must rejoice in my own good fortune, Captain Rombold, I can
sympathize personally with a brave commander who has lost his ship,"
said Captain Chantor, taking the hand of the late commander of the
Dornoch.
"I thank you for your consideration, Captain. I am sorry to have been so
easy a victim to your strategy; and I can reciprocate by congratulating
you on your victory, though your better guns enabled you to knock my
ship to pieces at your leisure," replied Captain Rombold.
He then introduced Colonel Passford, and both of them were invited to
the captain's cabin. The wounded were turned over to the surgeon, and
the crew were sent below. It was clearly impossible for the ship to
continue on her voyage with such an addition to her numbers; and the
Chateaugay was at once headed back to New York.