the opening of the secret orders
christy listened with interest to the conversation in the captain's cabin, though so far it had afforded him no information in regard to the present situation, and it was hardly likely to do so, for he had already been told by mr. flint what the next movement of the bronx was to be. she had already been ordered to proceed to the eastward, and her sealed instructions would reveal the enterprise in which she was to engage.
the steamer had been so successful while in command of captain blowitt in breaking up the shipping of cotton in a port where a larger vessel could not operate, that christy promptly concluded that she was to be used in a similar enterprise. the listener was amused rather than impressed by the conversation which was in progress so near him, and especially at the display of dignity and authority on the part of his cousin.
148 mr. galvinne had proved himself to be a very gentlemanly officer in what little christy had seen of him on the voyage from new york; but the situation was entirely changed so far as he was concerned. it appeared from the conversation, as the listener had for some time supposed, that the second lieutenant of the vernon was the real leader of the enterprise of which corny was the nominal head. probably the restraint of over a week imposed upon him had fretted his spirit, and when he found himself alone with his incompetent superior, he became conscious of the superiority his knowledge and training gave him.
christy rather sympathized with him in his contempt for the one who was only nominally his superior, though that could not excuse the breach of good manners of which he had been guilty, whether in the old or the new navy. he felt that mr. galvinne was a man of ability, and that he was the only person whom he had to fear in carrying out his plan for the recovery of the vessel.
"i am not a naval officer, though i have given a good deal of attention to the study of nautical subjects in connection with this enterprise, and i am not a cipher," continued corny, after he had 149 handed the sealed envelope to his companion. "i expect to be treated with reasonable consideration, even while i defer to you in all nautical matters. let us understand each other."
"i acknowledge that i was altogether too brusque with you, mr. passford, and i beg your pardon for my rudeness," said mr. galvinne.
"i am entirely satisfied, mr. galvinne; and here is my hand," added corny, who doubtless felt that he had fully vindicated himself.
"i have been living on a hot gridiron for the last ten days, and in the first moments of freedom i overstepped the limits of propriety. i hope we understand each other now, for we are engaged in an important enterprise, and we cannot afford to be at variance," replied the naval officer. "our work is yet unfinished, though it has progressed admirably so far. have i your permission to open this sealed envelope?"
"certainly, mr. galvinne; i had heard so much about sealed orders in the instructions given me for this undertaking, that i was under the impression that they were not to be seen till the time marked on the envelope."
"it is not necessary to obey the orders of the 150 yankee flag-officer under present circumstances," answered mr. galvinne in a chuckling tone, as it sounded to the listener.
the naval officer read the orders aloud for the benefit of his associate. the flag-officer had obtained information that a steamer was loading with cotton at st. andrew's bay, and captain passford was instructed to visit that locality and capture the vessel, and any others that might be found there.
"why was it necessary to give secret orders for such an expedition as this?" asked corny.
"it was wise on the part of the yankee commodore to make his orders secret; for information might have been sent by telegraph or otherwise to st. andrew's, which would have enabled our people to get the steamer mentioned out of the way, or to prepare a successful resistance to the gunboat sent to capture it," mr. galvinne explained in the tone of one who enlightens an ignorant person.
"i see; that is plain enough," added corny. "how far is it to st. andrew's?"
"if i remember rightly it is eighty-three sea miles from the entrance to pensacola bay. but 151 you do not run away with the idea that it is necessary for you, as the present commander of the bronx, to visit this place?" asked the naval officer.
"of course we are not bound to obey the orders of the union flag-officer," added corny. "but now you know the situation thoroughly, mr. galvinne, and i suppose you are ready to arrange your plans for the future."
"there is not much planning to be done; all we have to do is to run into pensacola when we are ready to do so," replied the naval officer.
"do you think it advisable to do so at once?" asked corny; and his motive seemed to be simple curiosity, for he was not competent to give advice on a naval question, though he was in nominal command of the steamer.
"certainly not; for as soon as it was seen on board of the flag-ship that the commander of the bronx was disobeying his orders, we should be chased by the two ships on the station and fired upon."
"how shall you manage it?"
"we shall be well out of sight of the flag-ship by dark, or sooner, and then we can come about, 152 and keeping closely under the lee of the land, we shall reach the entrance of the bay before morning; and then all we have to do is to run in."
"but the flag-ship will make out the steamer," suggested corny.
"we shall be too far in for her to do us any harm, for the water has not less than four fathoms anywhere along the shore of st. rosa's island."
"but she will signal the fort to fire upon us."
"they can't make us out soon enough to do us any harm, or not much, at any rate," replied mr. galvinne confidently.
"i hope it will all come out right, but i have some fears," added the impostor.
"you need not have. you have played your part remarkably well, mr. passford, and it was an excellent idea on the part of major pierson, who suggested this plan of putting you in the place of your cousin. he had seen you and your relative together, i believe?"
"he had, for we were both prisoners of war after our unsuccessful attempt to capture the bellevite, on the hudson."
"i have heard about that; and i know that your cousin christopher is no chicken."
153 "he is what the yankees call smart, and i know he is all that," added corny. "what do you suppose has become of him? when captain battleton sent for him in order to let the commodore see us both together, he could not be found. as you know, all three vessels were very thoroughly searched without any success."
"there are a great many hiding-places on board of any vessel, and i am very clear in my own mind as to what became of him. of course, the flag-officer, seeing both of you together, would have been as much perplexed as the captain was, and he would have been compelled to accept the evidence of the commission and the orders in your possession."
"but christy would have found plenty of witnesses here: the second lieutenant and the seamen on board of the bronx, for example."
"the evidence might have perplexed him; if he had done anything, he would have been more likely to retain both of you on board of the flag-ship, and appointed a new officer in command of the bronx, rather than go back of the evidence of the commission," argued mr. galvinne.
"but christy has disappeared all the same; and where do you suppose he is?"
154 "i have no doubt he is concealed on board of the vernon, with the intention of returning to new york, where he has plenty of influential friends to fight his battle for him. but i must go on deck, or something may go wrong in my absence."
christy heard the footsteps of the late second lieutenant of the vernon as he left the cabin. he had listened to the details of the plan formed by the naval officer, and it agreed with the prediction of mr. flint. while he was thinking of what he had just learned, he heard the step of corny—for it could not be that of any other person so soon—coming into the stateroom; then he saw his feet from behind his barricade of bags and baggage.
he had not expected his cousin to make any full examination of the room to be occupied by the commander of the gunboat, for his stay on board would be short, and he could not feel any great interest in the room. his curiosity might lead him to make a closer examination of the interior of the apartment than would be agreeable to his cousin. he felt that he was in danger of being discovered in his hiding-place; but he instantly 155 made up his mind as to what he would do in the event of such an accident. he had hoped to be spared from any personal conflict with his cousin, and he had made his plan so as to avoid any such disagreeable necessity.
but if corny carried his investigations too far for his safety, and especially for the success of his enterprise, he decided that the ties of blood should not prevent him from doing his whole duty as he understood it. he was therefore prepared to muzzle the intruder, and confine his hands behind him with a strap he had taken from his valise. happily corny did nothing more than look under the berth while still standing in the space in front of it, and in this position he could not see the fugitive. the impostor wandered about the cabin for a time, and then christy heard his footsteps on the stairs as he ascended to the deck.
he had hardly left the cabin before the steward entered the stateroom, and reported that he had seen ralph pennant, and that he had told him all he knew about the loyalty and the disloyalty of the new hands in the crew. ralph reported that he had "spotted" the four seamen whose names had been given him before the vernon reached the station.
156 "what does he say in regard to me?" asked christy.
"he said he believed you were bony fido commander of the bronx, and he is ready to obey your orders. mr. flint had a talk with him while the first lieutenant was below; he talked to boxie, and three more of the men, and he did it mighty sly, too, for the third lieutenant was on the deck all the time. there's eight bells, massa christy, and the second lieutenant will have the deck."
"i did not think it was so late; but that reminds me that i have eaten nothing since my breakfast was brought to me early this morning," said christy.
"i hope to drink up every drop of water in the alabama river if i did not forget all about that! gollywomps! dave is getting stupid," exclaimed the steward, springing to his feet. "i can't bring you a regular dinner, massa christy, but i will do the best i can."
"never mind the regular dinner; but bring me something to eat, if it is only some crackers and cheese," added christy; and the steward hastened to his pantry.
he soon returned with a huge slice of ham and 157 some cold biscuits. the hungry fugitive, who had not left his appetite at home, immediately attacked the provision as though it had been an enemy of the union, and stood by it till he had devoured the whole of it; and it proved to be just a pattern for his empty stomach, and he declined dave's offer to bring him another.
he had hardly finished it before mr. flint paid him another visit, and reported everything ready for the recapture of the steamer.
