paul vapoor was a genius, and that accounted for his position as chief engineer at the age of twenty-two. he was born a machinist, and his taste in that direction had made him a very hard student. his days and a large portion of his nights, while in his teens, had been spent in studying physics, chemistry, and, in fact, all the sciences which had any bearing upon the life-work which nature rather than choice had given him to do.
his father had been in easy circumstances formerly, so that there had been nothing to interfere with his studies before he was of age. up to this period, he had spent much of his time in a large machine-shop, working for nothing as though his daily bread depended upon his exertions; and he was better qualified to run an 59 engine than most men who had served for years at the business, for he was a natural scientist.
there was scarcely a part of an engine at which he had not worked with his own hands as a volunteer, and he was as skilful with his hands as he was deep with his head. paul's father was an intimate friend of captain passford; and when a sudden reverse of fortune swept away all the former had, the latter gave the prodigy a place as assistant engineer on board of his steam-yacht, from which, at the death of the former incumbent of the position, he had been promoted to the head of the department. while his talent and ability were of the highest order, of course his rapid promotion was due to the favor of the owner of the bellevite.
captain breaker, who had rather reluctantly assented to the placing in charge of the engineer department a young man of only twenty-one, had no occasion to regret that he had yielded his opinion to that of his owner. paul vapoor had been found equal to all the requirements of the situation, for the judgment of the young chief was almost as marvellous as his genius.
paul was gentle in his manners, and possessed a 60 very lovable disposition; in fact, he was almost a woman in all the tender susceptibilities of his nature; and those who knew him best knew not which to admire most, his genius or his magnetic character. mr. leon bolter, the first assistant engineer, was thirty-six years old; and mr. fred faggs, the second, was twenty-six. but there was neither envy, jealousy, nor other ill-feeling in the soul of either in respect to his superior; and they recognized the god-given genius of the chief more fully than others could, for their education enabled them to understand it better.
paul vapoor and christy passford were fast friends almost from the first time they met; and they had been students together in the same institution, though they were widely apart in their studies. they were cronies in the strongest sense of the word, and the chief engineer would have given up his very life for the son of his present employer. the owner favored this intimacy, for he felt that he could not find in all the world a better moral and intellectual model for his son.
mr. vapoor, as he was always called when on duty, even by the members of the owner's family 61 in spite of the fact that he seemed to be only a boy, appeared on the quarter-deck of the steamer in answer to the summons of the commander. he was neatly dressed in a suit of blue, with brass buttons, though some of the oil and grime of the engine defaced his uniform. he bowed, and touched his cap to the commander, in the most respectful manner as he presented himself before him.
"for reasons which you will understand better, mr. vapoor, at a later period, captain passford is in a great hurry to reach bermuda, where we are bound, at the earliest possible moment," the captain began. "our ordinary rate of speed is fourteen knots when we don't hurry her."
"that is what i make her do when not otherwise instructed," replied the chief engineer.
"you assisted as a volunteer in building the engine of the bellevite, and you were in the engine-room during the whole of the trial trip, three years ago," continued captain breaker with a smile on his face; and a smile seemed to be a necessity in the presence of the young man.
"that is all very true, captain; and i was more interested in this engine than i have ever been in 62 any other, and it has fully realized my strongest hopes."
"what speed did you get out of her on the trial trip?"
"eighteen knots; but her machinery was new then. the order of captain passford included the requirement that the engine of the vessel should give her the greatest speed ever produced in a sea-going steamer, and the bellevite was built strong enough to bear such an engine. i believe the company that built it fully met the requirement."
"what do you believe to be her best speed, mr. vapoor?"
"i have never had the opportunity to test it, but i believe that she can make more than twenty knots, possibly twenty-two. you remember that captain passford was in a desperate hurry to get from messina to marseilles a year ago this month, and the bellevite logged twenty knots during nearly the whole of the trip," replied the engineer, with a gentle smile of triumph on his handsome face, for he looked upon the feat of the engine as he would upon a noble deed of his father.
"you made her shake on that trip, mr. vapoor."
63 "not very much, sir. all the owner's family, including miss florry, were on board then, and, if any thing had happened, i should have charged myself with murder. i do not know what the bellevite could do if the occasion warranted me in taking any risk."
"i do not wish you to be reckless on the present emergency; but it is of the utmost importance to save every hour we can, and the success or failure of the expedition may depend upon a single hour. i will say no more, though an accident to the engine would be a disaster to the enterprise. i leave the matter with you, mr. vapoor," added the commander, as he moved off.
"i understand you perfectly, captain breaker, and there shall be no failure in the engine department to meet your wishes," replied the chief, as he touched his cap and retired to the engine-room.
"i am waiting for you, breaker," said captain passford, who was standing near the companionway with christy.
"excuse me for a few minutes more, for there seems to be a strong breeze coming up from the north-east, and i want to take a look 64 at the situation," replied the commander, and he hastened forward.
it had been bright sunshine when the pilot came on board: but suddenly the wind had veered to an ugly quarter, and had just begun to pipe up into something like half a gale. captain breaker went to the pilot-house, looked at the barometer, and then directed mr. dashington to crowd on all sail, for he intended to drive the vessel to her utmost capacity.
the bellevite was rigged as a barkantine; that is, she was square-rigged on her foremast, like a ship, while her main and mizzen masts carried only fore-and-aft sails, including gaff-topsails. the shrill pipe of the boatswain immediately sounded through the vessel, and twenty-four able seamen dashed to their stations. in a few minutes, every rag of canvas which the steamer could carry was set. but the commander did not wait for this to be done, but hastened to join the owner.
"i suppose you don't want me, sir," said christy, as his father led the way into the cabin.
"on the contrary, i do want you, christy," replied captain passford, as he halted, and the 65 commander passed him on his way to the cabin. "i wish you to understand as well as i do myself what we are going to do."
"i shall be very glad to know more about it," added christy, pleased with the confidence his father reposed in him in connection with the serious undertaking before him.
"in the work i have to do, you stand nearer to me than any other person on board," continued captain passford. "i know what you are, and you are older than your sixteen years make you. it was at your age that charles xii. took command of the armies of sweden, and he was more than a figure-head in his forces."
"sometimes i feel older than i am," suggested the boy.
"i believe in keeping a boy young as long as possible, and i have never hurried you by putting you in an important place, though at one time i thought of having a third officer, and assigning you to the position, for the practice it would give you in real life; but i concluded that you had better not be driven forward."
"i think i know something about handling a steamer, father."
66 "i know you do; though i have never told you so, for i did not care to have you think too much of yourself. now, in common with all the rest of us, you are hurled into the presence of mighty events; and in a single day from a boy you must become a man. you are my nearest representative on board; and if any thing should happen to me, in the midst of the perils of this expedition, a responsibility would fall upon you which you cannot understand now. i wish to prepare you for it," said captain passford, as he went down into the cabin.
the commander was already seated at the table, waiting for the owner; and captain passford and christy took places near him. the cabin was as elegant and luxurious as money and taste could make it. in the large state-room of the owner there was every thing to make a sea-voyage comfortable and pleasant to one who had a liking for the ocean.
leading from the main cabin were the state-rooms of florence and christy. one of the four others was occupied by dr. linscott, the surgeon of the ship, who had had abundant experience in his profession, who had been an army surgeon 67 in the mexican war, though his health did not permit him to practise on shore.
another was occupied by the chief steward, who was a person of no little consequence on board; while the others were appropriated to guests when there were any, as was often the case when the bellevite made short voyages.
the trio at the table began the discussion of the subject before them without delay; but it is not necessary to enter into its details, since, whatever plans were made, they must still be subject to whatever contingencies were presented when the time for action came.
forward of the main cabin was what is called in naval parlance the ward-room, and it was called by this name on board of the bellevite. in this apartment the officers next in rank below the commander took their meals; and from it opened the state-rooms of the first and second officers on the starboard-side, with one for the chief engineer on the port-side, and another for his two assistants next abaft it.
the commander was an old friend of the owner, and messed with him in the main cabin, though his state-room was a large apartment 68 between the cabin and the ward-room; the space on the opposite side of the ship being used for the pantries and the bath-room.
before the conference in the cabin had proceeded far, the motion of the steamer, and the creaking of the timbers within her, indicated that mr. vapoor was doing all that could be required of him in the matter of speed, though the pressure of canvas steadied the vessel in the heavy sea which the increasing breeze had suddenly produced. before night, the wind was blowing a full gale, and some reduction of sail became necessary.
the bellevite had the wind fair, and the most that was possible was made of this accessory to her speed. at one time she actually logged the twenty-two knots which the chief engineer had suggested as her limit, and inside of two days she reached her destination. christy had suddenly become the active agent of his father, and he was the first to be sent on shore to obtain information in regard to the guns and ammunition, for it was thought that he would excite less suspicion than any other on board.
