THE NEW MATE OF THE COTTON SCHOONER
Christy had given himself credit for more physical strength, or Flint
for less weight, than the circumstances warranted, and found that he
could not draw up his companion as he intended. He made several efforts
to accomplish his purpose, but he failed every time. The fear of making
a noise cramped his efforts to some extent.
"Let go, Mr. Passford," whispered Flint, when he realized that his
avoirdupois was too much for the young officer. "I will get that box,
and then I can manage it myself."
"All right; but don't make a particle of noise," added Christy.
It required some time for the mate to find the box in the darkness, but
he had it in position at last, standing upon one end. Mounting it, he
found that his head was on a level with the roof, and he could easily
draw himself up; but he did not do so at once.
"What are you waiting for, Flint?" asked Christy, rather impatiently.
"If I leave the box where it is, the guard will see where we have gone
when they inspect the prison at ten o'clock," replied Flint.
"That's so; I did not have the box in my plan, and that would tell the
guard where to look for us," replied Christy. "We must make a line, and
haul it up after you."
"Here are two big handkerchiefs," added Flint, as he removed his
neck-cloth, and passed up his pocket handkerchief with it.
Christy tied the handkerchiefs together with great care, adding two more
of his own to the length, which he thought would reach the box, Flint
made it fast to the broken end of a board on the side, and then, without
the least difficulty or noise, sprang lightly to the roof of the
warehouse. With the aid of his companion, Christy drew up the box,
careful that it should not strike against the frame of the scuttle. The
door was closed, though of course they were unable to hook it on the
inside, as they had found it; but the guard were not likely to notice
that it was not fastened before morning.
"What next, Mr. Passford?" asked the master's mate, after they had
rested for a few minutes from their labors, though they had not been
very arduous.
"The next thing is to get down into the street, where we shall be as
safe as though we were as patriotic, over the left, as my Uncle Homer.
The burden of the work is done, but I hope we shall be able to kill two
birds with one stone," replied Christy, though his meaning was
mysterious to his companion.
"It don't seem to me that we are much better off than we were in the
loft," suggested the mate.
"I believe we are, though I don't think we had better indulge in any
long speeches just now. We have a favorable night, and we must make the
best of it. I don't intend to be seen in this town in the morning, but
we have the whole night before us."
"There will be a lively time looking for us to-morrow, for I don't think
they will be willing that you should get off, though it won't make much
difference to them about me."
"They would not be willing to part with you, my friend."
"But you made yourself rather noted in helping the Bellevite out last
May, and they will have a history of the loss of the Teaser in the
newspapers in due time, if they have not had it already; and they will
not like it a bit when they find that you have stepped out."
"They are welcome to their own reflections," replied the lieutenant.
"And they will send a searching party out to your uncle's estate at
Glenfield; but of course we shall not go near there," said Flint.
"That is just where I am going," replied Christy, decidedly, "for that
is where I expect to kill one of the birds with the stone I fire. But we
had better be moving, for we have a long tramp before us."
The midshipman led the way, and though the roof, which was nearly flat,
was wet with the falling rain, they walked, still in their stockinged
feet, to the farther end of the block. Neither of them wore his uniform,
as they remained as they had dressed for the duty they were to do on
board of the Teaser. This was a point in their favor in the course they
were to pursue, for their uniform would have betrayed them as soon as
they were seen.
Before they reached the end of the block of warehouses, they had found
and tried all the scuttles on the roof, but they had not discovered one
which had been left unfastened. At the last one this became a serious
question. The scuttle at the end warehouse was securely hooked on the
inside; but neither of the pair felt discouraged at this circumstance.
Looking about them they found a piece of joist about ten feet long,
which might have been left there when the building was finished. Christy
examined the scuttle with the greatest care, to determine on which side
the hooks were placed.
While he was doing this, Flint detached a couple of bricks from the
party-wall, which were used as a fulcrum for the lever, made of the
joist. The building was not inhabited, and there was little to be feared
at that height above the street from any noise they might make. Flint
sat down on the end of the lever, and the scuttle flew up at once, the
staple drawn out of the wood.
The master's mate was the first to enter; and he "hung off" to the floor
below. Then he assisted Christy to descend, and to close the scuttle
after him. Acting upon their belief that all the warehouses were
constructed on the same plan, they easily found the door by which they
reached the staircase. On the lower floor, they opened a window and
passed out into the alley in the rear of the building. They were on the
ground, and Christy soon ascertained where he was. He made his way to a
wharf where he was fortunate enough to find a boat.
This locality seemed to be entirely deserted, and there was no one to
challenge them, and no one appeared to take any notice of them on the
way. It was not yet nine o'clock, and many stores were open, one of
which they entered and bought a cooked ham and a large supply of bread.
The woman in charge asked no questions, though Christy talked about a
fishing trip to blind her. The boat they found was a very good one, and
as it was the property of the enemy, Christy had no scruples in regard
to confiscating it. He had money enough in his pocket to pay for it, but
as the owner did not appear to dispute his taking possession of it, he
dispensed with this ceremony.
Taking the oars which they found in the boat, they pulled away from the
wharf without interruption from any source. Christy took his bearings
as well as he could, and they passed out into the fog and darkness,
to which experience within a few days had accustomed them both. They
crossed the Alabama River, and then followed the land to the southward.
Striking across an inlet they reached the land again, and by midnight
they reached a point of land where Christy felt entirely at home. He
recognized it by the dilapidated wharf, from which he had embarked in
the Leopard.
It was still a long pull to Glenfield, and they went ashore to partake
of a little refreshment. Flint was a smoker, and he had some dry matches
which enabled them to make a fire, more for its light than its heat. The
ham was good and so was the bread to hungry men like the fugitives. At
the end of an hour by the midshipman's watch, they felt like new men,
and they resumed their places in the boat, and pulled two hours longer,
which brought them to the inlet at Glenfield. At the rude pier where the
Bellevite had been moored lay a topsail schooner.
"I don't find any fault, Mr. Passford, but it seems to me that it is
rather dangerous for you to come here," said Flint, in a low tone, as
soon as they had made out the schooner at the wharf. "I can't see what
you are to make by it; and your uncle would hand you over to the rebel
officers as readily as he would eat his breakfast."
"I have no doubt he would do so; but I don't intend to give him the
chance to do so," replied Christy, resting on his oar. "You see this
schooner. She is loaded with cotton, and she is going to run the
blockade about this time. I intend to take passage in her."
"Then you knew about this vessel?" asked Flint curiously.
"I did; and that is the particular reason why I came here. Lonley told
me that my uncle had offered him the command of the schooner; and now
that he has lost his position on board of the Teaser, I have no doubt
he has already applied for the berth that was offered to him. I am
confident that he has seen my uncle, and it must have been he who told
him that I was a prisoner."
"I begin to understand you now, Mr. Passford," added Flint.
"If you do, we will say no more about it just now, for there may be some
one within earshot of us," replied Christy.
Nothing more was said, and the boat cautiously approached the schooner.
No one appeared to be on board of her, and the fugitives found that she
was loaded with cotton, even carrying a deck-load of this staple of the
South, the price of which had bounded up to an enormous figure in the
markets of the world. In the early morning the clouds and the fog were
swept away, and the sun came out. Christy found a hiding-place on the
other side of the creek, in a dense mass of bushes, where the boat was
drawn out of the water.
A spot which commanded a full view of the schooner had been selected,
the boat was turned upside down so as to afford a shelter, and the weary
Unionists went to sleep, for they were not likely to be disturbed on
this side of the creek. It was noon when they woke, and it looked as
though something was going on at the vessel. About half a dozen negroes
were to be seen on the deck-load of cotton; and a little later in the
day, Colonel Passford and Lonley were observed talking together. But
nothing was done that day, and the night came on. Christy was not
satisfied with his information, and as soon as it was dark, the boat
was launched, and the fugitives pulled over to the schooner.
"Who's in dat boat?" shouted a negro, showing himself at the rail of the
vessel.
"I am," replied Christy, rather indefinitely.
"Be you de new mate, sar?" demanded the man.
"I am," answered Christy, at a venture.
"We done wait free days for you, an' Massa Lonley be mighty glad to see
you."
"Where is Captain Lonley now?" asked the lieutenant.
"Stoppin' wid Massa colonel. He done tole me to call him if de mate
come. Dis nigger gwine to do dat," added the man.
"Stop a little," added Christy, as he climbed on board of the vessel,
followed by Flint. "How many men have you on board?"
"Six men wid de cook."
"Are these men sailors?"
"Dey all done work aboard a vessel, but dey ain't much sailors."
"All free niggers?"
"No, sar; wish dey was."
"Where are the rest of the men?"
"In de fo'castle, sar. De capin specks de mate come to-night, an' I
reckon we's gwine down de bay right off den."
"Go and call the captain then," added Christy, as confidently as though
he had stood on his own ground.
The negro hastened away as fast as his legs would carry him, and in
a few minutes Colonel Passford and Captain Lonley came on board. The
latter seemed to be hung on wires, he was so active; and even before he
saluted the new mate, he called all hands and directed them to hoist the
mainsail.
"I am glad to see you, Fetters," said the captain, extending his hand to
him. "I expected you yesterday."
"My business was such that I could not leave," replied Christy.
It was very dark, and the captain did not recognize him.