A VARIETY OF NIGHT SIGNALS
The dip of the oars of the guard-boat could be distinctly heard in
the pilot-house, and it was probable that the men in it could see the
Teaser. But Christy was not much concerned about the situation, and he
was not much disposed to give any attention to the boat.
"Stop her, or we will fire into you!" yelled the officer in charge of
the guard-boat.
Even this menace did not induce the lieutenant to ring his bell to stop
the engine. The boat was doubtless full of men, and as he could not give
straight answers to all the questions that might be put to him, it might
provoke a fight to attempt to do so, and he decided not to incur the
risk. His prisoners might make trouble if he reduced the guard in charge
of them, as he would be obliged to do to beat off the attack of the
boat.
"What is this boat here for, Dave?" asked Christy, as he peered through
the gloom to obtain a glance at the craft.
"To keep the people at Fort Pickens from sending out any armed force,"
replied the intelligent contraband.
"Do they think a boat full of men could do that?"
"No, sir; but they could give the forts on the other side warning."
The sounds from the boat had come from the starboard bow of the steamer,
and it looked as though the guard-boat had intercepted her by accident,
since it was impossible that they could have seen the Teaser in the fog
and gloom. As the steamer dashed ahead at full speed, the sound of the
oars came from a point on the beam. But the boat seemed to be wasting
her time, for nothing had been done since the threat to fire into the
steamer.
"If a vessel is going to run out she has to satisfy this boat that she
is all right," said Dave.
But he had hardly spoken before a volley of musket-balls passed over the
Teaser; and perhaps the officer in the boat intended that they should
pass over her. At any rate no harm was done by them. Then a rocket
darted from the boat up into the air, which could be dimly seen from
the pilot-house.
"What steamer is that?" shouted a hoarse voice out of the gloom.
"The Teaser!" yelled Christy, with all the voice he could command.
The boat did not fire again; and if it had done so the steamer was out
of its reach. But a minute later the boom of a great gun came across the
bay. Fort Barrancas had evidently opened fire in response to the rocket,
which had no doubt been sent up as a signal to notify the garrison that
a vessel was going out or coming in, and that her movements were not
regular. The first shot was followed by others, and a shot dropped into
the water near the Teaser.
"Let the leadsmen sound, Beeks," said Christy. The order was repeated,
and the reports were made known in the pilot-house. Sampson seemed to
be testing the capacity of the engine, for he was doing his best in the
matter of speed; but the Teaser behaved under the strain to which he
subjected her as though she had been very strongly built.
"By the mark eight," chimed the leadsman on the port side.
That was water enough to float a seventy-four, and there was no let-up
in the speed. In fact, it would not have been convenient to reduce the
speed while the guard-boat could be at no great distance from the flying
steamer. This was the report for the next mile at least, and Christy
felt that the enemy was at a safe distance from him.
"And a half six!" shouted the port leadsman, with energy, as though he
understood the effect his report would produce.
Christy rang to slow her down. The depth of water was the only directory
he had in addition to the distance run, which was very indefinite
without a knowledge of the speed of the vessel.
"By the mark six!" shouted the port leadsman, who was on the side
nearest to the island of Santa Rosa.
This did not induce the pilot to take any further action, and the Teaser
continued on her course at less than half speed. Christy looked at his
watch by the light of the binnacle lamps. It was half-past eleven,
and the Teaser appeared, as well as he could calculate it, with the
necessary allowances, to have made at least sixteen knots on the run
from the sound channel.
"And a quarter five!" cried the leadsman of the land side.
Christy spoke to Sampson through the tube, and the result was a further
reduction in the speed of the steamer, Beeks, who was at one side of
the wheel while the lieutenant was at the other, seemed to be a little
nervous as the depth diminished; and if he had spoken his thought, he
would have expressed his surprise that his superior officer was running
the steamer so near the shore, with the apparent intention of going
still nearer.
"Mark under water three!" yelled the leadsman on the port side, while
the one on the starboard gave "By the mark four."
"Shoaling fast," said Beeks.
"Yes; but as expected," replied Christy.
"Steamer, ahoy!" shouted a voice on the port side.
"On shore!" replied Christy promptly.
"What steamer is that?" demanded the shore speaker.
"The Teaser, prize to the United States ship Bellevite," answered the
lieutenant.
"Boga-hobble-good!" continued the man on shore.
"Rabble-gabble-weed!" responded Christy.
"There's a Chinaman on shore there; but I am glad you speak his
language," said Beeks, trying to repress his laughter.
"You are all right as to position!" shouted the islander.
"The guard-boat must be about a mile astern of me," added Christy.
"We will take care of that," replied the shore speaker.
Christy rang to stop the engine, which was done, though the steamer
continued to go ahead under the impetus of her former headway. The
leadsman on the port side reported two fathoms a little later, and then
there was a ring to back her, for there could not be more than two foot
of water under the keel. At this moment the peal of a twelve-pounder
came from the shore, and a little later the bursting of a shell was
heard astern of the Teaser.
Beeks was very much perplexed by the strange speech which had passed
between the lieutenant and the shore, and now by the discharge of the
gun on the island; but he was a well-disciplined quartermaster, and he
asked no questions.
"I don't think that boat will come any farther this way," said Christy,
as a second report from the gun reached his ears.
"Then I suppose the shots we hear are directed at the boat," added
Beeks.
"They can hardly be directed at anything out in that fog and darkness;
but I don't think the guard will be willing to take the risk of a chance
shell bursting near them," added Christy.
"On board the Teaser!" shouted a voice quite near the bow of the
steamer.
"In the boat!" replied Christy. "Sound that bell slowly, Beeks, to let
him know where we are."
The ripple of oars was presently heard, and a boat came out of the
gloom, rowed by two soldiers, with an officer in the stern. It came up
to the forward gangway, and the person in the stern climbed on board.
The boat did not wait for him, but pulled directly back to the island.
"I am glad to see you, Captain Westover," said Christy, as the officer
came into the pilot-house.
"And I am equally glad to see you, lieutenant," replied the captain.
"You seem to have been successful in your undertaking?"
"Successful so far, and I think the worst of it is over now."
As soon as Beeks heard the name of Captain Westover, he understood all
that had been dark before. Even the Chinese lingo must have been agreed
upon. The army and the navy officer had been very busy in talking over
something when they came in the boat from the Bellevite, and after they
landed on the island. What they had been talking about was plain enough
now.
Captain Westover had not much confidence in the expectations of the
young naval officer when he expressed a hope that he might capture the
Teaser; but he had promised to render all the assistance in his power.
He had agreed to be on the shore of the island if the Teaser presented
herself, and thus assure the lieutenant of his position on the bay. He
had done more than this, for he had brought out a couple of guns and a
section of artillerists to beat off the guard-boat if it interfered with
the operations of the navy.
Christy had taken a course from the entrance of the sound, half way
between the island and Town Point, west-southwest. He knew that the
distance was about four miles; but he could not know, except by
sounding, when he came to the island, and he had bargained with the army
officer to be on the lookout for him. Captain Westover had heard the
noise of the Teaser, and had hailed her, thus assuring the lieutenant
that his calculation had been correct, and that he was in the vicinity
of Fort Pickens.
"I had no idea that you would accomplish anything, lieutenant," said
Captain Westover.
"I found everything laid out just as I should have wished it to be,"
replied Christy. "We had plenty of information that the steamer would
run out the first favorable night; and nothing could have been more
favorable for blockade running than this fog and darkness."
"But nothing has been seen of this steamer from the fort."
"Where was she fitted out, Dave?" asked Christy, turning to the steward.
"Up by Emanuel Point, sir, about a mile above the town," replied Dave.
"Then she has not shown herself in the lower bay."
The conversation was interrupted by the roll of a drum on the shore.
"There you are, lieutenant," said the captain with a smile. "When you
are ready to go ahead, don't wait on my account, for I will go on board
of the ship."
"But what is the drum for?" asked the lieutenant, who was in the dark in
his turn.
"I am not much of a sailor, lieutenant, but I have sent a drummer to
follow the shore to the west end of the island, and you will know by the
racket he makes where the island is, and how far off it is," replied the
army officer.
"I am much obliged to you, Captain Westover; that will be a safe guide
for me," said Christy, as he rang to go ahead.
He gave out the course west by north, and he thought he should be able
to keep within hail of the island, though, as he could see nothing,
it would be difficult to tell when he reached the northwest corner of
it. If he continued on this course too long, he was likely to scrape
acquaintance with Fort McRae, for there would be nothing in the
soundings to indicate the approach to this dangerous neighbor.
Nothing more was heard of the guard-boat, though the section of
artillery continued to discharge shells into the fog for a short time.
On the other side of the bay Fort Barrancas kept up its fire at long
intervals, and Fort Pickens could not reply without the danger of
putting a shot into the Teaser after her recent reformation. The steamer
kept on her course at half speed; but in ten minutes the sound of the
drum fell astern of her, when the drummer could go no farther.
"Heave over the wheel, Beeks," said Christy.
Then he rang the bell to go ahead at full speed.