as the engineer was a cripple, christy passford had not expected to have any difficulty in bringing him to terms; and the result justified his calculations. the leopard was now practically in his possession, for captain pecklar was the only person on board, except percy, who could give him any trouble; and he was too feeble to do any thing.
percy seemed to be very busy in the pilot-house, going through imaginary evolutions at the wheel, and supposing all sorts of orders, and all kinds of positions in which the tug might be placed. he did not seem even to observe what his companion was doing, though the engineer had been driven into the forecastle in plain sight from the window of the pilot-house.
illustration of quoted scene
"the engineer obeyed" (page 277)
the long-boat was still struggling through the 279 waves on her way to the bellevite, and could hardly have made any worse weather of such a comparatively mild sea. but she had made some considerable progress, for the boat was now making a proper allowance for leeway, and the soldiers were improving in their rowing, possibly under the direction of the major, who could not help seeing how badly they had been doing.
christy decided to ascertain more definitely the condition of captain pecklar, for reports in in regard to him were conflicting. he went to his state-room, and found him in his berth. he certainly looked like a very sick man, though he appeared to be in no immediate danger, so far as the new captain of the leopard was able to judge from his appearance.
"how do you find yourself, captain pecklar?" asked christy in sympathetic tones; for he really pitied the poor man, far away from his friends, and apparently on the very brink of the grave.
"i am a great deal better," replied the invalid, looking earnestly into the face of the young man in front of him.
"i am glad to hear it. major pierson has gone 280 in the boat to the bellevite for dr. linscott, and i am sure he will be able to do something for you when he comes," added christy.
"when he comes," repeated captain pecklar, with a smile on his thin and blue lips. "i don't expect to see him at present."
"but the major has gone for him; at least, he told me he should."
"i have no doubt he told you so; but he has not gone for the doctor, though i may see the surgeon of the steamer in the course of the day," replied the captain, turning his gaze upon the floor of his room, as though his mind troubled him as much as his body.
"if the major has not gone for the doctor, what has he gone for?" asked christy.
"i know what he has gone for; and, as you belong on board of that steamer, i should think you might easily imagine."
"perhaps i can," added christy rather vaguely.
"was it necessary for a major and a lieutenant, with six soldiers, to go for the doctor, when five at the most could have done it better? but have they gone?" asked the captain anxiously.
"they have; they started some time ago. they 281 are making bad weather of it, for they don't know how to handle the boat in a sea," replied christy.
"they have gone!" exclaimed captain pecklar, getting out of his bunk. "then i need not stay in my berth any longer."
christy looked at him with astonishment when he saw him get out of his berth without any apparent difficulty; for he certainly looked like a very sick man, though his appearance had somewhat improved since he left the pilot-house.
"do you feel able to get up, captain?" asked he, as the sufferer put on his coat.
"i was exhausted and worn out by being on duty all night, and i had a faint turn; but i am subject to them. if you are the son of the man that owns that steamer, you will be able to understand me," replied the captain; and his feeble condition seemed to make him somewhat timid.
"i am the son of captain passford, who owns the bellevite," added christy.
"i should not have been down here now, if i could have got away; but they seem to hold on to me, for the reason that i am a pilot of 282 these waters. i was brought up in the pilot-house of a steamer; and they say i know the bottom of this bay better than any other man, though i have been here but two years."
"then you are not in sympathy with the secession movement?"
"in sympathy with it? i hate the very sound of the word! i will tell you about it."
"don't be long about it, for i have an affair on my hands," interposed christy, though he was not sorry to have the advice of one who knew something about the situation in the vicinity.
"only a minute. major pierson sent a glass of brandy to me, and i was fit to take my place in the pilot-house then, for i felt a great deal better; in fact, i was as well as usual, and i am now. but i had an idea what the major was about, and i did not want to take any part in getting your father's steamer into trouble. that's the whole of it; all i want is to get on board of her, and get out of this country."
"all right, captain pecklar!" exclaimed christy, delighted at the frankness of his companion. "the steamer, i mean the tug, is already in my possession."
283 "in your possession! what do you mean by that?" asked the captain with a look of astonishment.
"i have driven the engineer into the forecastle, and fastened him down. the major's brother is in the pilot-house, and he has learned something about handling the wheel. i am going to start the boat now; and if i can do nothing more, i can show myself to my father on board of the bellevite."
"i am glad to hear it. i intended to do something, though i hardly knew what, as soon as i was sure that the major and his men had gone," added captain pecklar. "i can take the wheel now."
"percy pierson takes a great deal of interest in his new occupation, and i think it will be best to let him occupy his mind in that way. he steered the tug for some time, while i was ascertaining what was going on in this part of the boat."
"just as you think best, mr. passford."
"call me christy, for that will sound more natural to me."
"as you please, christy. i am competent to 284 run an engine, and did it once for a couple of years, though the business does not agree with me."
"very well, captain pecklar; then you shall run the engine, and i will keep the run of what is going on around us," said christy, as he walked towards the stern of the tug. "there is a new danger off in the north-west."
"what's that?" asked the captain.
"there is another steamer coming in this direction, and i suppose she hails from mobile. there she is."
christy was somewhat disturbed to find that the approaching steamer was overhauling the tug very rapidly. it looked as though she would prove to be a more important factor in the immediate future than he had supposed. if he could only get on board of the bellevite, he was sure that she could run away from any thing that floated. but there was not another moment to be lost, and he hastened on deck to have the leopard started. he found percy still engaged with his problems in steering, going through all the forms as though the boat were actually under way.
285 "now you may do it in earnest, percy," said he. "we are all ready to go ahead. strike your gong."
"it will be no use to strike it while you are up here," replied the pilot, looking at christy with interest.
"we have not a second to spare; strike your gong, and we will talk about it afterwards," continued christy impatiently.
"but i am not a fool, christy, and i don't"—
"but i do!" interposed the acting captain sharply, as he reached over and pulled the bell.
"i don't like to have a fellow fool with me when i am in earnest. what good will it do to ring the bell while you are in the pilot-house, christy?"
but before the captain could answer the question, if he intended to do so, the boat began to shake under the pressure of the engine, and the tug moved ahead at half speed. percy was so much astonished that he could hardly throw over the wheel, and christy took hold of it himself.
"i don't understand it," said he, as he took 286 hold of the spokes, and looked ahead to get the course of the boat.
"you will never make a sailor till you mend your ways," added christy.
"there must be some one in the engine-room," said percy.
"of course there is."
"why didn't you say so, then? i did not suppose the boat could go ahead while you were up here."
"i told you to ring the gong, didn't i?"
"what was the use of ringing it when you were in the pilot-house?"
"what was the use of ringing it when i did?" demanded christy, who had but little patience with this kind of a sailor.
"you knew there was some one in the engine-room."
"but the engine would have started just the same if you had rung the gong."
"well, i didn't know it; and if you had only said you had an engineer, i should have understood it."
"you will never make a sailor, as i said before," added christy.
287 "what is the reason i won't?"
"because you don't obey orders, and that is the first and only business of a sailor."
"if you had only told me, it would have been all right."
"if the captain, in an emergency, should tell you to port the helm, you could not obey the order till he had explained why it was given; and by that time the ship might go to the bottom. i can't trust you with the wheel if you don't do better than you have; for i have no time to explain what i am about, and i should not do it if i had."
"it would not have taken over half an hour to tell me there was an engineer in the engine-room," growled percy.
"that is not the way to do things on board of a vessel, and i object to the method. i don't know what there is before us, and i don't mean to give an order which is not likely to be obeyed till i have explained its meaning."
"i will do as you say, christy," said percy rather doggedly. "did spikeley agree to run the engine?"
"no, he did not; he is locked up in the forecastle. 288 captain pecklar is at the engine; but he is all ready to take the wheel when i say the word."
"i can keep the wheel, for i think i understand it very well now."
"i did not wish to take you away from the wheel, for i saw that you liked the work; and i said so to captain pecklar. if you have learned the first lesson a sailor has to get through his head, all right; if not, captain pecklar will take the wheel."
"i understand the case better now, and i will do just what you tell me," protested percy.
"and without asking any questions?"
"i won't ask a question if the whole thing drops from under me."
percy steered very well, and christy had enough to do to watch the steamer astern and the boat ahead.
