whatever had happened to the bellevite, it was plain enough now to christy that she had repaired the injury, for the speck in the distance was assuming the form of a steamer. the discovery was not calculated to fan the hopes of captain carboneer and his officers, though the two unionists on board of the yazoo were elated. the chase was continued till the middle of the afternoon, when the bellevite opened fire with her heavy midship gun.
"mr. passford, your ship has opened fire upon us, and i will not compel you to expose yourself to it," said captain carboneer, as one of the shots from the bellevite dropped into the water near the yazoo. "you are at liberty to retire to any part of the vessel you desire, with your companion."
"thank you, sir; you are very kind; and as i don't care to be shot by my friends, i will go below," replied christy.
191 it was hardly safer below than on deck, and it was not likely that the resolute commander of the yazoo would allow her to be captured as long as he could make any resistance. christy got the idea from the decision he had observed in the face and expression of captain carboneer, that the only way to capture the steamer would be to knock her to pieces. he expected to be saved from the fate of a prisoner of war, but he was not ready to believe that the yazoo would be sent to the north as a prize. she had not half the force of the bellevite, either in men or guns, and it had been proved that her speed could not save her. but all the chances of accidents were to be incurred, and no one could predict the final result.
christy and beeks went below, and seated themselves in the wardroom of the ship. it looked as though it had been altered from the dining-saloon of a passenger steamer for its present use. but the vessel was an elegant affair, and christy thought it was evident from what he saw that she had been built for a steam-yacht by some british magnate. she was not more than two-thirds as large as the bellevite.
the sound of the firing indicated that the bellevite 192 was gaining on the chase even more rapidly than in the morning. at the end of a couple of hours more she seemed to be within a mile, or perhaps less. the yazoo was shaking in every fibre of her steel body, and it was plain that captain carboneer was straining her to the utmost to effect his escape.
"it is beginning to warm up a little," said beeks, as he tried to look out at one of the round ports of the wardroom.
"it will be hotter than this before we see the end of it," replied christy. "can you see anything?"
"not a thing; of course the bellevite is astern of us," added beeks. "but the yazoo is not using her guns."
"how can she? she has not fired a shot for some time, and she cannot without coming to. i should say she might as well do one thing as another. she can't run away from the bellevite, and she may as well take her chances in a fight as a run."
"but the bellevite does not seem to be handling her great gun at a very lively rate," suggested beeks.
193 "i suppose captain breaker wants to save all he can of the yazoo, and he knows that he can knock her all to pieces when he decides that it is necessary."
"what is all that racket on deck?" asked beeks.
"probably they are getting a couple of stern chasers ready for use," answered christy; and this explanation was soon proved to be correct by the report of a gun at the stern of the yazoo.
for the next half-hour, the firing from the bellevite was more rapid, and several crashes, produced by the striking of shot, were heard. it was soon apparent that one of the stern chasers had been disabled; and after a while the other ceased its noise. beeks was so excited that he left the wardroom, and found his way into what proved to be the captain's cabin. more than one shot had come into it, and made no little havoc. he found a port there through which he obtained a view of the bellevite. whatever damage had been done to her, her engine was in perfect order, for she was driving ahead at her best speed.
the quartermaster reported what he had seen to christy, though it proved nothing except that the 194 bellevite was all right, but everything began to look more hopeful to the occupants of the wardroom. they had only to wait, for they could do nothing. the pursuer had ceased to discharge her guns, and those of the yazoo were useless under present circumstances.
the situation was becoming more exciting on the deck of the yazoo, judging by the sounds that came from it. then it was evident that the bellevite had returned to her former tactics, and was coming alongside with the intention of boarding. loud yells and fierce cries followed, and then came the noise of a hand-to-hand struggle on the deck. it was of short duration, for the ship's company of the yazoo were outnumbered at least two to one.
"i suppose we may go on deck now," said beeks.
"i should judge that the fight was over," replied christy, as he led the way out of the wardroom.
at the companion-way they found two sailors assisting captain carboneer to his cabin. his face was covered with blood, and he looked very pale. the surgeon was close by him. christy felt sincerely sorry for the commander, for he was a noble and upright man. his protest had prevented 195 major pierson from attempting to carry out whatever plan he had in his mind for the abduction of florry passford, and the young officer felt grateful to him.
"ah, mr. passford, the luck is on your side again," said the wounded commander, when he saw christy.
"of course, i rejoice that it is so, but i am sincerely sorry that you are wounded," replied christy. "i must thank you for your interference in behalf of my sister in opposition to the scheme of major pierson."
"how could you know anything about that?" asked the commander, bracing himself up.
"i heard the whole of it."
"i see; but i did not consider that major pierson contemplated any ruffianism," added captain carboneer, as the surgeon urged him to go into his cabin.
christy hastened on deck, and was warmly received by his fellow-officers there. he reported on board to captain breaker without any delay, and was warmly congratulated on his escape. he returned to his duty at once. paul vapoor was inclined to hug him when he met him.
196 "i felt like a prisoner of war," said christy, when he had told his brief story. "the bellevite was disabled, and i supposed it was all up with me."
"a shot from the killbright damaged our rudder, so that we could not steer her; though we repaired the mischief after a considerable delay," replied the engineer. "but we have the prize."
"she was intended for a cruiser, and they call her the yazoo."
"whatever her name, she will not be a cruiser on that side."
the captured vessel was carefully surveyed; she had been considerably damaged in the contest, but she was still seaworthy, and mr. blowitt was appointed prize-master to take her to new york. all the arrangements were speedily completed, and, when the prize had sailed for her destination, christy became the acting second lieutenant.
for the next month the bellevite cruised in search of such craft as the killbright, and then she took her place on the blockade off mobile bay, to which she had been ordered. mr. blowitt and the prize-crew had returned, and all the damage done by the guns of the yazoo had been repaired, so 197 that the bellevite was in as good condition as when she left the navy yard at brooklyn. she captured several schooners, but no very important prize. many of the officers were disgusted with the inactivity of the service.
in a letter from his father, christy obtained the information that the bellevite was likely to be ordered to duty as a cruiser, for which her great speed adapted her better than any other vessel in the navy. this was cheering news to the discontented ones. but before any orders to this effect was received, the ship was ordered to proceed to pensacola, where a very fast steamer was said to be awaiting an opportunity to get to sea.
the position of the steamer was ascertained with no little difficulty; but it was protected by the guns of the forts. captain breaker desired to obtain better information in regard to the teaser, as the negroes said she was called. she was quite small, and carried only a single long gun, and it was suspected that she was a privateer. on the evening of the bellevite's arrival, the weather was rainy, foggy, and thick. it was just the night for a blockade runner, and the captain believed that an attempt would be made to get out at this time.
198 the unionists held fort pickens, and the confederates the forts on the mainland. the negroes said the teaser was anchored at the mouth of the lagoon, or very near it. this was not very definite, even if it were accepted as true. it was very important that the teaser should not be permitted to get out of the bay, for she might do a great deal of mischief to the shipping of the nation.
"i don't believe the stories of the negroes," said captain breaker, as he was discussing the situation with his officers. "i know the port very well, and i have no idea where the mouth of the lagoon is, or even if it has any mouth in pensacola bay."
"wherever the teaser may be waiting her chance, this is a good night for a start," replied mr. dashington.
"of course the officers of fort pickens are on the lookout for the saucy little craft," added mr. blowitt.
"captain westover is still on board, and you are to send him to the fort, are you not, captain breaker?" asked christy.
"yes; as soon as he is ready to go," replied the captain. "he has given all the information he has in regard to the teaser; but he has not seen 199 her to-day, and he does not believe she is in the lower bay, but that she is somewhere in the vicinity of the navy yard."
"if you will excuse me, captain breaker, i don't believe she means to come out by the main channel, for her people know that the eyes of the officers of fort pickens are wide open," suggested christy, with a good deal of diffidence.
"how do you think she will come out, mr. passford?" asked the captain, with a smile.
"by santa rosa sound, sir," replied the third lieutenant.
"possibly you are right, mr. passford, though i do not think you are," added the commander, thoughtfully. "santa rosa sound is about forty miles long, and there is hardly water enough in it, up and down, to float a raft, to say nothing of a steamer."
but later in the day, the captain called christy aside, and had a long talk with him, the charts open before them. it certainly did not look like a very hopeful enterprise to take a steamer through such a sound as that described.
"but we have no correct information in regard to the anchorage of the teaser, and i have decided 200 to obtain it if possible. i propose to send you to look into the matter, mr. passford," added the captain, settling the question in that way. "select your own boat and crew. but if the teaser gets by fort pickens, we may have to chase her to sea, and if on your return you do not find the bellevite, you and your men will remain at fort pickens."
christy was entirely satisfied with this order.
