however interesting the voyage of the bellevite might prove to be, the purpose of this story does not admit of its details. mr. vapoor was instructed to the effect that a quick run was desirable, and he governed himself accordingly. at daylight on a bright may morning, the lofty light tower of sand island, off the entrance to mobile bay, was reported by the lookout, and the captain was called.
on the passage from nassau, the guns of the steamer had been mounted; for, as a measure of prudence, they had been put in the hold. though the owner hoped to avoid any close scrutiny of his outfit, and had succeeded in doing so, he was not inclined to tempt fate by any carelessness. but when the first watch was called, the night 103 before her arrival off the bay, every thing was in condition for active service.
captain passford had not a particle of the foam generated by the excitement of the times, and he sincerely hoped he should have no occasion to use the guns which it had cost him so much trouble to procure. fort morgan was on one side of the entrance to the bay, and fort gaines on the other side.
he had seen a paragraph in one of his papers, to the effect that one or both of these works had been garrisoned by confederate troops, and it was not likely to be an easy matter to get into the bay. as it looked to the owner and the commander, the only way to accomplish this feat was by running the gauntlet of both forts, which were just three nautical miles apart.
a shot from either of them might go through the boiler or engine of the bellevite, which would render her utterly helpless, and subject all on board to the fate of prisoners-of-war. it looked like a terrible alternative to the owner, so overburdened with anxiety for the safety of his daughter; but he was prepared to run even this risk for her sake.
104 the method of getting into the bay had been fully considered by the owner and the captain; and as soon as the latter came on deck, he ordered the course of the vessel to be changed to the westward, as they had decided to enter the bay by the middle channel. for the danger from fort gaines was believed to be less than that from fort morgan, though either of them doubtless had the means of sinking the steamer with a single shot.
the water was shoal in the middle channel, and it was not prudent to attempt to go into the bay at any other time than high tide; though captain breaker was thoroughly acquainted with the channel, having once been engaged in a survey of the shifting shoals in this locality, and he had once before taken the bellevite by this passage on a trip to new orleans.
as he could not foresee the time of the steamer's arrival off the bay, he was obliged to consult his almanac, and make his calculations in regard to the tide, which rises and falls less than three feet at this point. it would not be safe to attempt the passage before nine o'clock in the forenoon, and he headed the vessel away from the land.
105 percy had tried to make the best of his situation, annoying as it was; and christy amused him with more chinese reminiscences. both of them came on deck at an unusually early hour on the morning that the sand island light was made out; for there was more commotion than usual on board, and even in the cabin, where the owner and commander discussed the situation.
"here we are, my chinese friend," said percy, as he joined christy on deck, and made out the tall tower in the distance. "i wish i was on the island of nassau, instead of here."
"why, mr. percy, this is your own, your native land; and in china we always used to have a warm affection for our own country," replied christy.
"you didn't have to go into the army there," said percy with a sigh.
"but don't you want to go into the army?"
"certainly i do; that is the dearest wish of my heart. but my father would not let me, and what could i do?"
"if you were bent on it, like a patriot, as you must be, you could run away and enlist. i don't 106 know but i shall do that when i get back to china."
"i don't like to do any thing to make my poor father unhappy. i am afraid my absence now, without his knowing where i am, or whether i am dead or alive, will bring on a fit of sickness."
"but i am sure he would be very proud of you if you should run away and join the army."
"perhaps he would; but i should not feel very proud of myself if i did a thing like that. i am only afraid i shall meet my brother, major pierson, and that he will make me go into some regiment against the wishes of my father and mother. he is not willing to hear a word from either of them," replied percy, disgusted with the prospect before him.
"he is very patriotic," suggested christy.
"he is altogether too patriotic for me. but don't misunderstand me: i am really very anxious to go into the army, and fight the enemies of my country."
"i see that you are, and perhaps you and i had better run away and enlist."
"my conscience would not let me do that 107 contrary to the wishes of my parents," replied percy, shaking his head vigorously.
"but you may not see your brother the major; for probably he has been ordered away with his regiment before this time," said his companion in comforting tones, though he was not as sincere as he generally was.
"i am afraid i shall; and i fear, that, in the absence of my father, he would put me into the ranks in spite of all i could do."
"but your mother is at home."
"lindley don't care a rush for what she says in this matter, for he insists that a boy of eighteen ought not to be tied to his mother's apron-strings when his country needs his services, i may see my brother before we get fairly into the bay."
"where in the world are you going to see him before you get on shore?" asked christy, becoming more interested in the conversation.
"i believe he is in command of the garrison at fort gaines, though i am not sure," replied percy, suddenly looking more disconsolate than ever at the prospect of meeting his patriotic brother.
"what makes you think he is?" asked christy, 108 with the feeling that he might be on the point of obtaining some useful information.
"they talked of sending him there before father and i left for new providence."
"i supposed your brother was a young fellow like yourself."
"i believe he is twenty-six years old; but he has been two years in a military school in north carolina, and they say he is a good soldier, and knows all about guns and forts and such things."
"where do you think we are likely to overhaul him?"
"i don't know much about this business; but don't a boat have to come out from the fort and see that this vessel is all right before she can go into the bay?" asked percy.
"i don't know about that. we may run into the bay without waiting for any boat."
"then they fire on you from the fort," suggested the disconsolate.
"we rather expect that," added christy quietly.
"you do?"
"of course, a shot from the fort may blow us out of the water; but we can't help that, and we must take our chances of being hit."
109 "but that is terribly risky business, and the whole of us may be killed before we get by the fort."
"of course: that may be the case; but we have no papers, and we have to take things as they come."
"it isn't pleasant to take cannon-balls as they come, for they are apt to hit hard. but they won't fire at us if a boat comes off to examine the vessel."
"but in that case you will have the pleasure of meeting your brother the major."
"and whatever he may do with the steamer, he will take me to the fort with him, and put me into the ranks."
"perhaps we can save you from such a fate in some way," suggested christy, who was already doing some heavy thinking on his own account.
"i wish you would!" exclaimed percy, catching at the straw held out to him.
"there is time enough, and i will see you again," added christy, as he joined his father on the forecastle, where lie was taking a survey.
the owner's son had an idea, and he thought it was a good one. without losing any time, he 110 laid it before his father, explaining it in detail. he was even ready to remove objections to the scheme, and was confident that it would succeed. captain passford called the commander, and informed him what his son had suggested. captain breaker heartily approved it; for, if it failed, it would leave the steamer in no worse position than before, with all her chances of running the gauntlet successfully still open to her.
christy was the best person on board to manage the details, for he was the most intimate with the son of the purchaser of vessels. he returned to that part of the deck where he had left his companion. he found that percy was very anxious to see him again, for he had founded a hope on what had been said before.
"i think we can manage it, mr. percy, if you will do just what you are told to do," christy began.
"i will do all that to the letter," protested percy; and a smile actually lighted up his face at the prospect of escaping the fate to which his father and mother objected so strongly.
"you see the trouble with the bellevite is that she has no papers; not even a letter from the 111 confederate agent who is picking up vessels for the navy. but i think we can manage it if you will learn your part correctly."
"i will do that. do you think you can really keep my brother from taking me to the fort?" asked percy, his tones and manner burdened with anxiety.
"i feel almost sure of it."
"good for you!"
"you must go into the cabin now with me. they are just starting up the steamer again, and she will soon reach the channel where she is going into the bay."
the owner and the commander were busy in instructing the ship's company in regard to what would be expected of them as soon as the bellevite was in motion again. all the men spoken to smiled as they heard what was said to them, and they evidently regarded the whole affair as a decided pleasantry. but they all promised to be very discreet, and to say only what they had been told to say if they were called on for any information by confederate officials.
in the mean time christy was very busy with his pupil, who entered heartily into the plan 112 which promised to save him from shouldering a musket in one of the companies of his brother's regiment. he had been quite enthusiastic from the first; and, as he was deeply interested in the result of the adventure, he was a very apt pupil.
as the bellevite approached the middle channel, a tug-boat was discovered off fort gaines, which immediately began to move towards the approaching steamer. examined with the glass, a heavy gun was seen on her forecastle.
