Within The Enemy's Lines by Oliver Optic (beach books txt) 📖

than is necessary," said Captain Breaker, as he sighted the Parrot, and devoted especial attention to her. "She is a very fast steamer, and she will be very valuable in our navy in picking up just such vessels as she is herself."

Perhaps it was impudence for him to do so, but Christy could not help casting his eye along the gun. All possible precautions were taken to secure a correct aim, and then the lieutenant gave the order to "Fire!"

"Hit her, sir!" shouted one of the lookout men aloft, who could see over the cloud of smoke.

"Where did it strike her?" demanded the captain.

"Right in the broadside, abreast of the forward smokestack, sir! She has stopped her screw!" added the lookout.

"Mr. Dashington, get the ship astern of the 178 chase at once," continued the captain to the first lieutenant.

This was the work of at least half an hour; but the Bellevite was running for the stern of the other steamer, as though she intended to cut her in two lengthwise. The chase lay helpless on the water, unable to bring her broadside guns to bear on her enemy.

179 CHAPTER XVI THE CONFEDERATE STEAMER YAZOO

It was impossible to discover the nature or extent of the injury the chase had received from the shot from the midship gun; but she had been disabled, though it might be but slightly. The Bellevite dashed on, as though impatient to obtain possession of her prey. All the glasses on board were brought to bear on the injured vessel, which all hands regarded as already a prize.

The glasses did not reveal any considerable havoc in the side of the steamer, and the shot hole could easily be plugged when necessary; but the commander of the craft did not yet give up the ship, for he seemed to be engaged in hoisting her foresail and jibs, evidently with the intention of bringing her about so that he could use his guns. The wind was very light, and his chances of accomplishing his purpose were not very brilliant.

180 "Mr. Dashington, you will call all hands, and be ready to board the prize in three divisions when we run abreast of her," said Captain Breaker. "Let Mr. Passford command the forward division; Mr. Blowitt, the waist; and Mr. Calvert, the quarter."

The boarders were mustered at once, as there was no occasion to fire again at the prize. Each officer arranged his men, and spoke some stirring words to them. Men in the tops were supplied with muskets, and all with revolvers and cutlasses. It was not believed that all this force would be necessary to capture the prize, but there was some evidence that she had a fighting crew on board, and the captain prepared for the worst.

As the Bellevite came nearer to the prize, the sound of hammers was heard, and it appeared that the engineers were engaged in an effort to repair the mischief which had been done to the engine. It was still impossible to see how many men she had on board, but Captain Breaker did not estimate that she had a full ship's company, for vessels intended for war purposes, escaping as this one doubtless had, did not usually take their force on board at the beginning of the cruise.

"Christy and Beeks on the Steamer's Deck."—Page 181.

The three divisions of boarders were all in readiness, 181 and all they feared was that there would be little for them to do on board the enemy. Captain Breaker was in the fore rigging where he could observe all that was done on the decks of both vessels. The Bellevite went ahead with all speed till the signal was given to slow down. The sea was not heavy, and the captain laid her alongside of the prize.

"Do you surrender?" demanded the commander in a loud tone, but with his usual dignity.

"I do not surrender!" replied the captain of the steamer.

"Boarders away!" shouted Captain Breaker.

Christy Passford was the first to leap upon the rail of the other vessel, and then he dropped in the same instant upon her deck. At that moment he was conscious that the steamer under him was moving, though it might be the shaking which the Bellevite gave her when she came alongside. On the deck of the prize, as he still taught himself to consider her, he saw not more than thirty men; and with nearly three times that number on the other side, it did not look as if it could be a very hotly contested battle.

As Christy jumped down from the rail, Beeks 182 followed him, and he was not a little surprised to find that they were alone. But there was no enemy at hand upon whom he could flesh his cutlass, and he sprang upon the rail again. He found that his impression had been correct, for the vessel was moving. She had already left a gap a dozen feet wide between the Bellevite and herself.

It appeared that the machinery had been repaired, and that it was now capable of doing all that it had done before. The steamer was the Killbright, for the lieutenant saw the name painted in several places about her forward deck. She had suddenly shot ahead very unexpectedly to the captors, as they supposed they were, alongside of her. A puff of wind had been favoring her before, and she darted away towards the northwest. As she began to move, the lock-strings of her port battery were pulled as rapidly as possible.

It would have been impossible to help hitting the Bellevite, with the three guns fired into her at so short a distance. But the cloud of smoke that enveloped both vessels prevented the captain from taking in the situation. The crew of the Killbright were ordered to reload their guns instantly. Whatever was to happen in the near 183 or distant future, it was evident that the dangerous steamer had not yet been captured, and Christy did not think of her as a prize any more just then.

The Killbright crowded on all the steam she could obtain, and she rapidly increased the distance between herself and the Bellevite. She fired her three broadside guns continually, but it was clear to Christy that the men had not been trained to this business, or they might perhaps have sunk the naval vessel by this time.

The Bellevite fired her two broadside guns, and they made terrible havoc in the upper works of the Killbright. But the strangest thing of all to the young lieutenant, caught on board of the anticipated prize, was that the Bellevite did not go ahead, and give the boarding parties a chance to get on the deck of the enemy.

"I don't understand it, Beeks," said Christy as he found himself by the side of the quartermaster. "Why don't the ship give chase?"

"I think she must be disabled, sir," replied the warrant officer.

"What could have disabled her?"

"I suppose she might be hit as well as this 184 vessel," replied Beets, no better pleased with the situation than his companion in trouble. "They fired three shots into her while she was alongside."

"She must have been hit in a bad place, or she would have been alongside of us before this time. But here we are."

The third lieutenant and quartermaster felt very much like prisoners, though they had no evidence that the Killbright was a ship-of-war, except that she had hoisted the Confederate flag, and fired upon the Bellevite. But the rakish-looking steamer continued on her course, while the Bellevite had not moved since the first broadside. She had already made a mile, and the shots from her enemy did not seem to disable her.

She continued to run with all her speed, and the lieutenant felt the deck quiver as though it was in danger of being shaken out of her. But she was not followed by the Bellevite, and things began to look dark and somewhat cheerless to Christy. The firing came to an end, for the distance was becoming too great for it to be effectual on either side.

"If we had not jumped down from the rail when we boarded, we might have escaped this 185 scrape," said Beeks, who was even more disgusted than his companion.

"It is no use to growl about it," added Christy, laughing. "Here we are, and we can't help ourselves at present."

"I suppose they will let us go, won't they?" inquired the quartermaster.

"Let us go where?"

"Let us go back where we came from," replied Beeks, who seemed to be quite muddled by his misfortune.

"You don't expect them to put you on board of the Bellevite again, do you?"

"Well, no; not exactly; but this steamer is nothing but a blockade runner, and such craft don't take prisoners."

"I hardly know what she is yet; she is a blockade runner, but she appeals to be something more than that. She hoisted the Confederate flag, and her people stood by their guns like brave men. I count myself as a prisoner of war," said Christy, to the increased disgust of his companion.

"What do you suppose they will do with us?" asked Beeks, looking as though he had not a friend in the world, though he had always been a very 186 brave and active fellow when there was anything to do.

"I don't know, but I suppose she will run the blockade into the Cape Fear River, and we may be taken up to Wilmington."

While they were talking about it, they saw a group of officers coming to the forward deck, where they had remained since they came on board. They appeared to be examining the steamer to ascertain what damage she had sustained. Her bulwarks had been torn off, and she had suffered not a little from shot; but she did not appear to be very seriously damaged. At the head of the party was one who had a uniform, and dignity enough to be the commander of the ship.

"Who are those two men forward?" asked this gentleman, as he called the attention of the others to the two strangers.

No one knew who they were, and the captain continued to advance, looking very sharply at Christy, or at his uniform. The lieutenant thought he had seen the gentleman before, for it was quite impossible entirely to forget one with so much character in his face.

"I am afraid I shall be obliged to call upon 187 you, sir, to explain how you and your companion happen to be here, for I was not before aware of your presence."

"I shall cheerfully explain, Captain Carboneer," replied Christy, recognizing the captain, and bowing politely.

"Ah, you know me? But I have not the pleasure of your acquaintance, so far as I can remember," added the captain.

"We met under some disadvantages so far as you are concerned, for I had the satisfaction of seeing you, though you did not see me," replied the lieutenant, looking very good-natured in spite of his situation as a prospective prisoner.

"I must beg you to explain still further, Mr.—I have not the pleasure of knowing your name."

"Passford, sir, Christopher Passford, midshipman in the United States Navy, and at present third lieutenant of the steamer Bellevite, which you can hardly make out at this moment, though I remember that you have seen her before," answered Christy, telling the whole story, as indeed his uniform had already done, so far as his rank was concerned.

"I am very happy to meet you under present 188 circumstances, Mr. Passford, though I am not yet informed where I met you before."

"Perhaps you did not exactly meet me, Captain Carboneer; but, at any rate, we were in the same boat together."

"I suppose we met, if at all, on the Hudson, in connection with the Bellevite. Your people have not been as fortunate to-day with their gunnery practice as on that occasion," suggested the captain.

"Now, Captain Carboneer, will you kindly inform me in regard to the status of this vessel? Is she a naval vessel, or simply a blockade runner?"

"She is both; and I am sorry for your sake to inform you that you are a prisoner of war."

"I supposed I was."

"Perhaps you will be willing to inform me what became of Major Pierson and Corny Passford—the latter a cousin of yours, I believe?"

"Like myself, the major is a prisoner of war. Corny was injured in the disaster to the Vampire, as you are aware; he is also a prisoner, but on parole, remaining at my father's house to be healed."

"I have to regret to-day more than ever before 189 that we failed to