captain carboneer brought the florence about, and headed her across the river. the bellevite was moored a short distance from the estate down the stream.
"i have been up here before to-day," said the naval officer, as the boat moved away from the shore, assuring him that no one could be near enough to hear what he said.
"we only reached new york yesterday, and i don't see how you can have picked up a ship's company in that time," replied mulgate.
"i sent the men before i came myself. i have stationed them in various places on the river, where i can get them when i want them; and i shall want them before the sun rises to-morrow morning," replied the captain.
"to-night!" exclaimed mulgate, who seemed to be astounded at the revelation.
49 "yes, to-night; in a few hours from now. i have obtained all the information i could in regard to the steamer, and what we do must be done at once. the bellevite, as they call her now, has not yet been handed over to the government, though she has been accepted. they are waiting for something, though i don't know what, and she may be sent to the navy yard to-morrow; and then it will be too late for us to do anything."
"but to-night—that is rather hurried," added mulgate, musing.
very likely he was thinking of the beautiful miss florry in the elegant mansion a short distance up the river. without a doubt he was major pierson, since the naval officer had addressed him by this name and title. he had often met the young lady at glenfield plantation, and possibly his sudden visit to the north had not been without some thought of her. however it may have been with her, he was at least very much interested in miss florry.
the fact that she was a "yankee" did not make her less beautiful, and it did not make her any the less the daughter of a millionnaire. no one could say that he was mercenary, however, and no one 50 could say why he was not as deeply interested in the daughter of the planter, for she was hardly less beautiful, though her father was not considered a millionnaire, to say nothing of a ten-millionnaire. major pierson did not tell what he was thinking about; but he was certainly astounded and badly set back when the naval officer intimated that the capture of the bellevite might be undertaken that night.
"you can see for yourself that we must strike at once, or there may be nothing to strike at," replied captain carboneer.
"but we shall have no time to work up the case," suggested the major.
"the case is all worked up, and there is nothing more to work up," replied the captain, as he headed the boat for the steamer.
major pierson said no more, but he was as much dissatisfied with the promptness of the naval officer as though he had said it in so many words. it would be difficult to imagine how he expected to manage his case with miss florry, since he could not enter the house without betraying his identity. perhaps he intended to lie in wait for her in the grounds of the estate, and trust that her 51 interest in him would induce her to keep his secret.
"is that you, christy?" called a voice from the steamer, as the florence approached the bellevite.
"answer him, corny," said captain carboneer, in a low voice. "say 'yes,' and ask who it is that speaks."
"yes," repeated corny. "who are you?"
"sampson," replied the man on board of the steamer.
"and who is with him," added the captain.
"are you alone on board?" demanded corny, varying his speech a little from his instructions.
"no; warping is on board, but he has gone to sleep in the pilot-house. do you want him?"
"no; but you wish to take a couple of friends on board to obtain the measure of a gun-carriage," continued captain carboneer.
"no; i don't want warping; i only wanted to know if he was on board," repeated corny. "i have a couple of friends here who want to measure a gun-carriage to-night, for they have to leave in the morning."
"very well, young man; you understand yourself 52 very well," said the captain, in tones of approval.
by this time captain carboneer had brought the boat alongside the accommodation steps, the lower part of which were hoisted up to prevent any water tramps from coming on board without permission. but when corny had delivered the last message, the steps were lowered, and the florence made fast to them. corny was told to lead the way, and act as though he were christy passford, and owned the ship in his own right.
the planter's son went up the steps, and the other two followed him, though the naval officer had really ascertained all he wished to know. there were only two ship-keepers on board, and they would be no obstacle in the way of the ship's company to which the captain had alluded. but the leader of the enterprise had another object in view, though it was only secondary in its nature. he was afraid to overburden the mind of corny, and he said nothing more.
"is everything all right on board, sampson?" asked corny, as he stepped down upon the deck of the vessel.
"all right, christy," replied the man.
53 "i am glad to hear it. is there anything new?"
"nothing at all, christy. i have been overhauling the boilers a little to-day for the want of something to do, and they are in first-rate condition. as you told me to-day that we might expect the order to report at the navy yard at any minute, i thought i would have everything as nearly ready as it could be."
"you have done very well, sampson," added corny, approvingly. "we are to get under way early in the morning, and if father gets home he will start the steamer as soon as he comes. he went to the city this evening, and probably he will bring the order with him," continued corny, making use of the information he had obtained in the house.
"where is this long gun, my man?" asked captain carboneer, taking a measure from his pocket.
"forward, sir," replied sampson, as he led the way.
the captain kept some distance behind the ship-keeper, and took corny by the arm to detain him.
"tell him to get up steam at once," whispered 54 the leader of the party, as he hastened forward to the long midship gun, where he proceeded to take his measurements as though he were in real earnest, though it was so dark that he could not possibly see the marks on his tape, even if he tried to do so.
"you say that everything is ready to start the fires, sampson?" said corny, as soon as he had a chance to speak to the ship-keeper.
"everything is ready, christy, and i have only to touch the match to the shavings to make a beginning," replied sampson. "is there any news about my appointment in the engine-room, christy?"
"not yet, sampson; but the papers will soon come, and i am almost willing to guarantee your appointment."
"mr. vapoor has already spoken a good word for me."
"all right, sampson; then you are sure of the position. i am very sure that we shall get the order before morning to move the steamer over to the navy yard, and i think you had better start the fires at once, sampson," continued corny, making himself as much at home on board of the 55 steamer as though he had really been the person he was supposed to be.
"all right, christy; and if the order don't come as soon as you expect it, we can bank the fires, and no harm will be done," replied the oiler, for such was his position on board, though he was evidently expecting something better.
by this time captain carboneer had finished taking the measure of the gun-carriage, though he had not been able to see anything. but he had been through all the forms, and that answered his purpose just as well. he declared that he had no further business on board, and the trio went to the accommodation ladder. sampson had called his sleeping companion, and already the black smoke began to pour out of the smokestack.
"that was all very handsomely done," said major pierson, as they stepped on board of the florence.
"everything worked very well; but it was all owing to the fact that the ship-keeper thought that corny was some other person," replied the captain.
"i know that he took him for christy passford, and i have had some experience with christy," 56 replied the major, recalling his attempts to prevent the bellevite from escaping from mobile bay. "he is a smart fellow, as the yankees would say, and it is fortunate that he is not here at the present time."
"he can't be very far off," suggested corny. "he was expected back to supper, and i wanted to see him, for he is my cousin. he must be about here somewhere."
"never mind whether he is or not; we have finished our business here, and the harvest is ripe for the sickle. we will leave this boat just where we found it, for i have a rowboat a little farther down the river," continued captain carboneer.
"i suppose i ought to return to my uncle's house," suggested corny. "if they miss me they will be looking about here to ascertain what has become of me."
"i think you had better not try to relieve their anxiety to-night. if they are worried about you, they will get over it in the morning when they find the steamer is missing," said captain carboneer, with something like a chuckle in his tones when he pictured the surprise of the "yankees" in making the discovery that the bellevite had 57 taken to herself wings, and sped on her way to the south.
"i don't think they will worry about me," added corny, laughing. "i was afraid they might think i was here to capture the city of new york, or something of that sort."
"i think you had better not undeceive them to-night," replied the captain, as he ran the yacht upon the beach near where he had found her.
"everything looks exceedingly well for our enterprise."
"if you get that steamer into mobile bay"—
"i don't intend to get her into the bay; that would be folly, and i shall run no risks among the blockaders, for a single shot might give her back to her present owners."
"no matter; if you only get her, and she is under the flag of the confederacy, it will put me back where i was when she went into the bay by a yankee trick," added major pierson.
"after the war, if you wish to see the young lady, you will have more time to attend to the affair, and i shall wish you every success then," said the captain lightly.
"how long do you think the war will last, 58 captain carboneer?" asked the major, in this connection.
"possibly it may last a year, though if we can break up that blockade, it will not last six months longer."
the trio landed on the beach, and the naval officer made sure that the florence was securely fixed in the gravel. the party walked down stream, embarked in the boat of which the captain had spoken. it was pulled by two men, and after they had gone about a mile, the captain began to blow a boatswain's whistle which he took from his pocket.
but they had hardly jumped down on the beach before christy passford opened the cabin door of the yacht, and crept out with the utmost care.
