a lesson in ordinary politeness
though the second lieutenant of the bronx had not been to breakfast, it was not his stomach that made the first demand upon him. he directed the steward to remain in the gangway and apprise him of the coming of any person in the direction of the cabin and ward room. dave took his station on the steps. mr. flint entered the stateroom, and the first thing he did was to drop down on his knees and thrust his right hand into the space under the berth. it was instantly grasped by christy, and given a warm pressure.
"is it really you, captain passford?" asked the second lieutenant.
"no doubt of it," replied christy.
"i thought you were somewhat changed in your looks when i saw you come on board of the bronx, and then i felt that the greeting you gave me was rather stiff for an old comrade who had 137 passed some time with you in a confederate prison," added mr. flint.
"we have no time to talk sentiment now. it is necessary for you to understand the situation better than you do," interposed christy; and he proceeded to explain in what manner his cousin corny happened to be in command of the bronx, while he was himself nominally a prisoner of war.
"your absence from the between decks of the vernon has been discovered, and captain battleton has caused the strictest search to be made for you on board of all three of the ships. the last i saw of him he was evidently talking with the flag-officer about you, as i judged from his looks and gestures," replied the second lieutenant.
"he has not found me yet; and i think that the stateroom of the commander of the bronx is the last place he will think of looking for me. but i have no time to talk of merely selfish matters, for i am not at all worried about my personal safety while we are within union lines. if this plot succeeds, and the conspirators get the ship into a confederate port, i shall feel differently about this matter. has any third lieutenant been appointed, mr. flint?"
138 "there has, captain; he is a young man by the name of byron; but i did not learn his rank."
"byron!" exclaimed christy, recalling walsh, and the name he had insisted was his own when he first encountered him on board of the vernon. "he may have a rank in the confederate navy, but he has none in that of the union. in other words, he is a confederate officer or seaman, and he is the man who helped corny steal my commission and orders."
"we have a nest of them in the cabin—the captain and two officers. what is to be done? we cannot allow the bronx to be captured by any such trick as this, with forty-five loyal seamen on board of her, to say nothing of myself as a loyal officer."
"all the crew are not loyal," replied christy, as he explained the instructions he had given to the steward.
"but most of the crew must be loyal, for twenty of the old seamen remain on board, and every one of them is as true as steel," mr. flint insisted.
"but the conspirators do not intend that any issue shall be raised until the vessel is under the 139 guns of a confederate fort. doubtless mr. galvinne, whom i look upon as the actual commander of the steamer, for corny is no sailor, will run into pensacola bay under the american flag. probably he is a pilot in these waters, and knows what signal to make to the confederate forts."
"i don't believe he would attempt to run in while it is broad daylight," suggested mr. flint. "captain corny already has his sailing orders. they are sealed, but he is to proceed to the eastward. i should say that he would obey orders, and when it is time for him to break the seals this evening, he will come about, hug the shore of st. rosa's till he comes to the entrance of the bay, when he will go in."
"if he does that, so much the better, for we shall have more time to prepare for a decided stroke," replied christy. "i have my plan all ready, though of course it may fail, and to-night we may all be prisoners of war."
"but don't you believe it will be better to appeal to the flag-officer?" asked the second lieutenant.
"what good will that do?" demanded christy. "my cousin has made out his case before the captain of the vernon."
140 "but you had no witnesses then. you have twenty or thirty of them now. i know you, and so do all the members of the old crew."
"but it appears that you promptly accepted your commander in the person of my cousin," said christy, laughing in spite of the gravity of the situation.
"if i had seen you and corny together, i should have known which was which," pleaded mr. flint.
"do you think if i should present myself on deck at this moment, wearing the frock and shirt of a common seaman, the men would identify me alongside corny, who wears the uniform of an officer?"
"i am not so sure of that."
"i don't see how the commodore could go behind the commission which corny carries in his pocket, with the orders of the department, any more than captain battleton could. i have thought of this, and i am afraid to trust myself to the chance," replied christy very decidedly. "besides, i desire to take the conspirators in the very act of running away with the bronx; then i can make out a good case."
141 "but how is this desirable end to be accomplished?" inquired the second lieutenant, who seemed to be troubled with some doubts.
"very easily, i think."
"but you must not be rash, captain."
"will it be the highest prudence to permit the conspirators to take the bronx into a confederate port, pensacola, or any other?" demanded christy with more earnestness than he had yet manifested.
"we may not be able to help ourselves."
"by taking the bull by the horns in good season, i am confident we can prevent this mischief."
without discussing this matter any farther, christy detailed his plan to mr. flint, which was certainly very simple, and the second lieutenant could raise no objection to it. he was requested to select the men who were to take part in the enterprise, and all the particulars were definitely arranged. there was nothing more to be done, and christy was left to himself to consider what he had done. the hungry officer helped himself hastily from the table which was waiting for him in the ward room, and then hastened on deck.
the transfer of cargo, so far as the bronx was 142 concerned, was completed. it appeared that the flag-officer was hurrying the departure of the steamer on her mission, whatever it was. he had just had a long talk with corny, and doubtless there was danger that the object of the cruise might be defeated by delay. in a short time the bronx was under way, headed to the eastward, in accordance with her verbal orders, for the sealed envelope was not to be opened till nine o'clock in the evening, as christy learned from mr. flint.
the deck was in charge of the second lieutenant, who was seeing that everything was put in order. but it might have been observed that he was more familiar with the men than was his habit. for the first time since he came on board, corny went below to take a look at his quarters, dave bearing his valise before him. at the same time mr. galvinne presented himself in the ward room to take possession of the stateroom of the first lieutenant, which was the farthest forward on the starboard side. it had been christy's room during his service in the gulf, though he had made himself at home in the captain's cabin when he was acting commander on the voyage from new york.
143 "this is my cabin, is it?" said corny, as he followed the steward into the apartment.
"i think you ought to know it by this time, captain passford," answered dave; and the remark was enough to condemn the impostor in the opinion of the servant. "you lived in here when you were in command of the vessel."
"all right. you may go into the ward room and ask mr. galvinne to come in here," added corny, who did not feel quite at home in the cabin, and was in mortal terror of committing some indiscretion in his unaccustomed position.
"invite the first lieutenant to the captain's cabin," said dave. "yes, sir;" and the steward left the cabin.
it was some little time before mr. galvinne presented himself, for probably he did not feel bound to obey the orders of the bogus captain with especial promptness. however, he came after a quarter of an hour, and seated himself familiarly in an arm-chair at the table. he had the bearing of the superior officer, to which corny made no objection.
"we are all right so far," said corny.
"perhaps we are; but you talk too much by 144 half, passford, and i have been dreading that you would make a slip of some kind," replied mr. galvinne rather crustily. "you were as stupid as a kentucky mule when you stopped to talk with byron in the waist."
"and you were as stupid as an alabama mule when you snapped at me for doing so in the presence of some of the sailors," replied corny, with considerable spirit; and christy, who heard all that was said, was glad to have him maintain the dignity of the family in his new situation.
"i hope you will not make a donkey of yourself before we have finished this business," added the executive officer for the time being. "now have you looked at your orders?"
"i have not; they are sealed orders, and i am not to open them till nine o'clock this evening," replied corny.
"i believe you have lost all the wits you ever had, passford," said mr. galvinne contemptuously.
"if i did, you did not pick them up."
"i am not going to banter with you, passford. where are your orders?" demanded the first lieutenant in a tyrannical manner.
"they are in my pocket," replied corny sourly.
145 "hand them over to me, and let us have no more fooling."
"i will take care of the orders myself."
"what! are you not going to give them to me?" demanded mr. galvinne, apparently as much in astonishment as in anger.
"not till you change your tone. i wish you to understand that i am in command of this ship, and i have my commission in my pocket. i intend to be treated with decency at least."
"well, this is pleasant; and it will be my duty to report your conduct to my superior officer. in command of this ship! why, you don't know enough to lay off the course of the ship, or even to box the compass."
"i know enough to understand when i am treated like a gentleman. change your manners, or i will order you to leave my cabin. you talk to me as though i were a small boy, and had nothing to do with the enterprise in which we are engaged," returned corny.
"do you expect me to obey your orders?" demanded the executive officer in a sneering tone.
"if you don't, i will send for the second lieutenant 146 and a file of men to put you out of my cabin."
there was a silence for a few moments.
"this will never do, passford," said the tyrannical officer.
"i don't think it will, galvinne. behave like a gentleman, and we shall have no difficulty," added corny.
"will you permit me to see your orders, mr. passford?" said the officer.
the breach was closed, and corny produced the sealed envelope.
