the planning of an expedition
the bronx continued on her course indicated in the verbal order of the flag-officer. christy felt that he had had a narrow escape from death, or at least a severe wound, at the hands of the desperado who had invaded his cabin. flanger had escaped, after he had been put on board of the flag-ship, with the assistance of galvinne; and he appeared not to have taken the trouble to render the same service to his confederate. the ships' companies of the two steamers were inclined to converse, giving and receiving the news; and doubtless the prisoner had taken advantage of the confusion to slip on board of the bronx and secrete himself.
his scheme, which must have been devised after he obtained admission to the cabin, was born of nothing less than madness, and could hardly have succeeded under any circumstances, though it 302 might have ended in killing or disabling the commander. christy felt that a kind providence had saved him, and he rendered devout thanks for the merciful interposition, as it seemed to him.
while he was still considering the subject, he heard the call for "all the port watch!" on deck, and mr. camden came below to wake the third lieutenant, for the routine was hardly in working order on board of the steamer. the commander went into his stateroom, and soon returned with the sealed envelope in his hand. he was deeply interested in its contents, for he hoped his vessel was ordered to take part in the mississippi expedition, which was to attack forts jackson and st. philip, and capture the city of new orleans. eight bells had been struck, indicating midnight, which was the hour at which he was directed to break the seal. the first lieutenant was quite as much interested in ascertaining the destination of the bronx as the commander. christy had invited him to his cabin.
"midnight is rather an odd time for the opening of the envelope containing the orders," said mr. flint, as he seated himself at the table. "but i suppose it was chosen for a purpose."
303 "undoubtedly; headed to the south-west the ship would be off the passes of the mississippi at eight bells in the forenoon. if we are sent to lake pontchartrain or ship island, we should be a long way off our course at that time," added christy, as he broke the seal of the envelope. "neither lake pontchartrain nor the mississippi. we are ordered to barataria bay, where a steamer is loading with cotton."
"i did not believe a little vessel like the bronx would be sent up the river," said mr. flint, when the commander had read the paper. "barataria bay—that locality is noted for something in history, isn't it, captain?"
"perhaps you have never read 'lafitte, the pirate of the gulf;' but this bay was his famous resort," said christy, smiling. "it was formerly quite as noted as a resort for smugglers, and lafitte was more a smuggler than a pirate in this region. he was six feet two inches in height, a well educated and handsome man, so that he was a first-class hero for a novel of the dime class," added christy.
"i believe your late passenger in the cabin knows something about barataria bay and its surroundings, 304 for i think i heard the russian say that he had done some smuggling in this quarter," said mr. flint. "as you are doubtless aware, by a series of lakes, bayous, and a canal which comes out near carrollton, just above new orleans, water communication is open to the mississippi river for small vessels."
"do you say that captain flanger has been a smuggler in these waters?"
"i think the russian said so."
"in that case, probably mike was with him, and he may be a useful man to us as a pilot," replied christy. "the commodore says the western gulf squadron had no steamer that was suitable for this service, for there is only nine feet of water on the bar of barataria at low water. for this reason he had been requested to send the bronx, not only on account of her light draft, but of her speed."
the commander read his orders through. it was believed that vessels were loading with cotton there, towed down in flatboats by small steamers, and that a steamer of four hundred tons was fitting out in the bay as a privateer. it might not be practicable for the bronx to go into the bay; but she was to do what she could to capture the 305 cotton vessels and the steamer when they came out.
mr. flint went to his stateroom, and turned in; but christy spread his chart of the gulf of mexico, and using his parallel ruler, he found that the present course of the bronx would take her to the pass à loutre, the most northerly entrance of the mississippi river. he went to the bridge at once, and directed the officer of the deck to make the course south-west by south. everything was going well on deck, and mr. pennant had proved that he was a competent officer.
by this time the commander began to feel that sleep was a necessity for him, for he had hardly rested at all the night before, and he turned in at two bells. he dropped asleep almost instantly, and did not wake till he heard eight bells in the morning. it was quite light in his stateroom, and he realized that it was eight o'clock, instead of four, as he at first supposed.
dressing himself hastily, christy hastened on deck, and to the bridge, where he found mr. flint, who informed him that the bronx was off the south pass of the mississippi. the fleet of the flag-officer of the western gulf squadron had 306 gone up the river, with the exception of a single vessel, which had not been able to get over the bar. there were a few sail in sight.
"we are all right on the course, mr. flint; now make it west," said christy to the executive officer; and then went to his cabin for his breakfast, directing the officer of the deck to report to him when the steamer was off the south west pass.
when he had finished his morning meal, he proceeded to study his chart again. he had never been to the westward of the mouths of the mississippi; but he had a chart of the entrance to barataria bay. he examined it with the greatest care, and made himself familiar with the bearings and distances. in about an hour after he left the deck, a messenger came to the door of the cabin to inform him that the south west pass was in sight, bearing due north.
"make the course west north-west," said he to the first lieutenant, as he joined him on the bridge.
"west north-west, sir," repeated the executive officer, as he gave it to the quartermaster at the wheel.
"we shall soon be where our operations begin; but i am afraid we are to have a lazy time of it," 307 added christy, as soon as the vessel's head had been pointed in the direction indicated.
"why so, captain passford?" asked mr. flint.
"barataria bay makes a big hole in the state of louisiana, and most of it is shoal water. at the south of it is the isle grande terre, on the western end of which is a fort, which commands the entire channel," replied the captain.
"that's bad," added mr. flint, shaking his head.
"i have no idea of its strength; but i do not care to have the bronx knocked to pieces by the big guns of a fort. the bar of barataria and the shoal water of the entrance to the bay extend out about two miles into the gulf. at low water, two miles from the fort, we should bury our keel in the mud. it looks just now as though we should have to put the bronx under the guns of the fort, or simply blockade the entrance to the bay. that makes it look like a quiet time in these waters."
"of course the confederates on the lower mississippi are using all their resources to strengthen fort jackson and fort st. philip; and they can make a better use of big guns and artillerymen than in defending an opening like this one," replied mr. flint.
308 "this is not a cotton-growing region, but is given up to sugar raising," added christy. "they have to bring the cotton a long distance in order to ship it here."
"for these reasons, i do not believe this fort is of much account."
"perhaps not; but i should not care to have the bronx sunk by a columbiad in the attempt to find out the strength of the fort."
"it is possible that the russian knows something about this region," suggested mr. flint.
"i will have a talk with him," replied the commander, as he left the bridge.
seating himself on the quarter-deck, he sent for michael bornhoff, who presently reported to him. this man had proved himself to be entirely faithful and reliable; and christy had no doubts in regard to his loyalty, for his race guaranteed that.
"do you know where we are bound, mike?" asked christy.
"i know what all the crew know, for word has been passed around that we are bound to barataria bay," replied the russian with a cheerful smile.
"were you ever there, mike?"
309 "was i ever there, captain? i lived there a year!" exclaimed the contraband. "i was in the fishing business at that time," he added with a significant smile on his face.
"what do you mean by that?"
"we had the magnolia over here then, and i used to go out fishing in her about every night," chuckled mike. "sometimes i did not catch any fish, and sometimes i caught five hundred boxes of havana cigars. i often caught other kinds of fish."
"you did not always eat the fish you caught," suggested christy.
"no, sir; but i used to drink some of them."
"precisely so; west india rum and wines."
"cigars mostly, sir, was the kind of fish we caught. captain flanger brought them outside the grand pass: i took them up to fort lafitte, and the captain's brother worked them into new orleans and other places. they did a big business before the custom-house folks broke it up."
"very likely; and i dare say you know all about this region."
"no doubt of that, sir."
"what do you know about the fort?"
310 "not much, captain, for in our business we did not have anything to do with forts and such things," chuckled mike. "the old quarters of the mechanics and laborers used to be on the gulf shore, but they moved them up north of the fort, on the grand pass. about a mile east of the fort there is a big plantation."
"that is all for the present, mike," added christy.
the contraband touched his cap, for he had been rigged out in a new suit of seaman's clothes. the commander retired to his cabin, and again devoted himself to the study of the chart of the locality. his first purpose must be to obtain accurate information in regard to the strength of the fort, and the position of the steamer, if there were such a craft in the bay. he decided to approach the entrance by the east channel, though it would not be possible for the bronx to reach the grand pass from that direction, for there were hardly more than six feet of water at low tide; and the rise and fall was less than a foot and a half.
he had decided upon his method of operations, and then wished again that he was not in command of the steamer; for the expedition he intended 311 to send out was one he would have been glad to command in person, instead of remaining inactive on board of the bronx. as soon as he had arranged his plan, he went on deck. to the astonishment of the first lieutenant, he changed the course of the steamer to the north, and at noon let go the anchor in four fathoms of water. the vessel remained there till it was dark, and then proceeded to the westward, sounding all the time.
