the first cutter reached the seahorse key closely followed by the second. it was within an hour of high tide, the ordinary rise and fall of which was two and a half feet. on the key was a light house, and a cottage for the keeper of it; but the former was no longer illuminated, and the house was as dark as the head of the tower. so far as could be discovered there was no one on the key, though the boats did not stop to investigate this matter. the crews still pulled a moderate stroke with their muffled oars, the men were not allowed to talk, and everything was as silent as the inside of a tomb.
the pilot stood up in the stern sheets of the cutter, gazing intently in the direction of the point nearly a mile ahead. the outlines of the buildings could be discerned, and amblen soon declared that he could make out the tops of the 258 masts of several vessels to the westward of the point with which the peninsula terminated. this looked hopeful, and indicated that the information upon which the expedition had been sent out was correct. christy began to think he should have a busy night before him when amblen said there were at least three vessels at the port.
the battery was first to be visited and cared for if there was one, and it was not probable that a place so open to the operations of the blockading force would be without one, especially if the people were actually engaged in loading cotton, as the masts of the vessels indicated, though the hulls could not yet be seen. as the first cutter approached nearer to the place the outlines became more distinct, and soon embodied themselves into definite objects. both officers in the stern sheets watched with the most anxious vigilance for any moving object denoting the presence of life and intelligence.
as the boats came nearer to the shore, a breeze sprang up, and cooled the air, for early as it was in the season, the weather was very warm, and it was not uncommon for the thermometer to rise above ninety. these breezes were usually present 259 to cool the nights, and doubtless the inhabitants slept the sounder for the one which had just begun to fan the cheeks of the officers and seamen of the expedition.
"there is a battery there, mr. passford," said the pilot in a very low tone. "i can make it out now, and it is just where i supposed it would be."
"i can see something that seems like an earthwork at the right of the buildings," added christy. "can you make out anything that looks like a sentinel?"
"i can see nothing that denotes the presence of a man. if there were a sentinel there, he would be on the top of the earthwork, or on the highest ground about it, so that he could see out into the bay, for there can be no danger from the land side of the place," added amblen.
"i can hardly imagine such a thing as a battery without a sentinel to give warning if anybody should try to carry it off. there must be a sentry somewhere in the vicinity."
"i can't say there isn't, though i can't make out a man, or anything that looks like one," replied the pilot.
"very likely we shall soon wake him up, mr. 260 amblen; and in that case it will be necessary for us to find a safer place than in front of the guns of the battery, for i do not feel at liberty to expose the men to the fire of the works, whatever they are."
"all you have to do is to pull around to the other side of the point into the bay, where the vessels are. i am confident there is no battery on that side, and there can hardly be any need of one, for this one commands the channel, the only approach to the place for a vessel larger than a cutter."
"i fancy this battery does not amount to much, and is probably nothing more than an earthwork, with a few field guns behind it. suppose we should wake it up, and have to make for the bay, can we get out of it without putting the boats under the guns of the battery?"
"without any difficulty at all, sir. we have only to pull around the north key, and pass out to the gulf, beyond the reach of any field gun that can be brought to bear on us," replied mr. amblen.
"if they have one or two field batteries here, they may hitch on the horses, and follow us," suggested christy, who, in spite of the audacity with 261 which he had been mildly charged, was not inclined to run into any trap from which he could not readily withdraw his force.
"we shall have the short line, and if they pursue us with the guns, we can retire by the way of the channel, which they will leave uncovered."
"we are getting quite near the shore," continued christy. "how is the water under us?"
"the bottom is sandy, and we shall take the ground before we reach the shore if we don't manage properly. but we can tell something by the mangroves that fringe the land," replied the pilot; "and i will go into the bow of the cutter and look out for them."
mr. amblen made his way to the fore sheets, and asked boxie, who was there, for the boathook, with which he proceeded to sound. when he had done so, he raised both his hands to a level with his shoulders, which was the signal to go ahead, and the men pulled a very slow stroke. he continued to sound, after he had selected the point for landing.
when the first cutter was within three lengths of the shore, he elevated both his hands above his head, which was the signal to cease rowing, though 262 the two bow oarsmen kept their oars in the water instead of boating them as the others did. mr. amblen continued to feel the way, and in a few minutes more, aided by the shoving of the two bow oarsmen, he brought the boat to the shore.
then he gave his attention to the second cutter, bringing it to the land alongside of the first. stepping out on the sand himself, he was followed by all the crew, with cutlass in hand, and revolvers in readiness for use. the men were placed in order for an advance, and then required to lie down on the sand, so that they could not readily be seen if any stroller appeared on the ground.
leaving the force in charge of mr. flint, christy and amblen walked towards the battery, crouching behind such objects as they could find that would conceal them in whole or in part. the earthwork was semicircular in form, and was hardly more than a rifle pit. no sentinel could be discovered, and getting down upon the sand, the two officers crept cautiously towards the heaps of sand which formed the fort.
christy climbed up the slope with some difficulty, for the dry sand afforded a very weak foothold. on the top of it, which was about six feet 263 wide, they found a solid path which had evidently been a promenade for sentinels or other persons. behind it, on a wooden platform, were four field guns, with depressions in the earthwork in front of the muzzles.
christy led the way down the slope on the inside to the pieces, which were twelve-pounders. at a little distance from the platform was a sort of casemate, which might have been constructed for a magazine, or for a place of resort for the gunners if the fort should be bombarded. not a man could be seen, and if there was any garrison for the place, they were certainly taking things very comfortably, for they must have been asleep at this unseemly hour for any ordinary occupation.
not far from the battery was a rude structure, hardly better than a shanty, which christy concluded must be the barracks of the soldiers if there were any there. he walked over to it; but there was not a human being to be seen in the vicinity. it was half past one at night, when honest people ought to be abed and asleep, and the first lieutenant of the bronx concluded that the garrison, if this shanty was their quarters, must be honest people.
264 christy walked very cautiously to the side of the building, for the entrance was at the end nearest to the fort, and found several windows there, from which the sashes seemed to have been removed, if there had ever been any. the bottom of each opening was no higher than his head, and he went to one of them and looked in.
extending along the middle of the interior was a row of berths. it was very dark inside, and he could not make out whether or not these bunks were occupied. the windows on the other side of the shanty enabled him to see that there were two rows of berths, each backing against the other. there were two in each tier, and he judged that the barrack would accommodate forty-eight men.
he retained his place at the window in order to discover any movement made by a sleeper that would inform him whether or not the berths were occupied. if there were any soldiers there, they were as quiet as statues; but while he was watching for a movement, he heard a decided snore. there was at least one man there, and he continued to hear his sonorous breathing as long as he remained at the window, which was the first on the side of the shanty.
illustration of quoted scene
christy walked the whole length of the shanty.
265 christy decided to push the investigation still farther, and he went to a window in the middle of the building. he regarded the berths with attention for a few minutes, but he could perceive no movement. he could hear two snorers who seemed to be competing with each other to see who could make the most noise.
if the berths were all occupied, three snorers were not a very great proportion in forty-eight. he was very anxious to ascertain if this was the number of soldiers in the place, but it was too dark in the shanty for him to determine whether or not the bunks were all in use. it was too many for him to encounter with his force of twenty men and three officers in the open field.
christy returned to the end of the building, and tried the door. it was not locked, and he decided to make use of a little of the audacity of which he was accused of having a good deal. taking off his shoes, and passing his sword to mr. amblen, he entered the barrack on tiptoe.
the boards of the floor began to creak under his weight; he stooped down and felt till he found the nail holes; then he knew that he was on a timber, and he walked the whole length of the shanty, 266 returning on the opposite side, counting the occupied berths, for he passed within three feet of all of them. the count gave seventeen men as the number of sleepers, though this might not be all the force at the place.
he had ascertained all he wished to know, and he walked back to the shore where the men were concealed. apart from the men, he had a conference with flint and amblen, giving them the details of what he had discovered. then he stated his plan, and the men were marched silently to the battery, and were posted behind the breastwork. not a man was allowed to move, and christy and flint went to the casemate, which looked like a mound of sand.
it was locked, but taking a bar of iron they found with some tools for digging, they tore off the padlock. a lantern had been brought from the steamer, which was lighted. the structure was found to be for the protection of the artillerists in the first instance; but the apartment was connected with the magazine, the lock of which was removed.
amblen was sent for ten men, and all the ammunition they could carry was removed. the 267 rest of it was thrown into a pool of water made by recent rains. the powder, solid shot, and shells were carried to the boats. the rest of the men drew the four guns to the shore, where one was placed, with its carriage, in each of the cutters, and the other two put where they could be carried to the bronx, or thrown overboard in deep water, as occasion might require.
the seventeen soldiers, reinforced by any that might be in the town, were thus deprived of the power to do any mischief except in a hand-to-hand fight. if the place was not actually captured, it was practically lost to the enemy. the next business of the expedition was to examine the bay, and ascertain what vessels were at the landing place. the boats shoved off, and pulled around the point.
