major lindley pierson was plainly very much disturbed when the owner of the bellevite was pointed out to him by the commander. he had practically retreated from the position he had taken with his brother, and had apparently given up the idea of sending him to the fort to be made a soldier.
from the point which the steamer had reached, just north of little pelican island, captain breaker had directed mr. dashington to head the vessel to the eastward, through sand island channel; and she was now moving towards the main ship-channel, which passed under the very guns of fort morgan.
the tug had picked up the boat from the fort on the other side of the bay, and was following the bellevite, though she had fallen a long way 136 behind her in a very short time. it was about two miles to the more formidable fort, and the steamer was going at full speed, so that it could not be long before a shot would interrupt the harmony of her movements.
in the mean time the commander of fort gaines was really a prisoner on board of the bellevite, for captain breaker had started her screw before he could get any of his force on board. but the major was not half so much disturbed by this fact as he was by the consciousness that he had behaved in a very rude, brutal, and tyrannical manner in the presence of colonel passford's brother, who had thus far spoken not a word to him.
"captain breaker, may i ask you to present me to the owner of the steamer?" said major pierson, after he had looked about him for a time, and perhaps considered how he should atone for his rudeness.
"certainly, if you desire it," replied the commander, who was as polite as though he had been brought up in paris, though he was hardly an exception to all naval officers.
"will you excuse me if i say that you are 137 running at great speed, sir, and a shot from fort morgan cannot be much longer postponed," added the major, as he glanced at the fort on the right.
"i did not willingly start the steamer, sir; but it was my duty to protect the agent in whose charge the steamer comes into port. if you say that he shall suffer no further annoyance, either on your own part or that of your people, i will stop the screw and wait your pleasure," said the commander.
"i have had some difficulty with my brother, and it looked incredible to me that he had come into mobile bay in charge of this fine vessel. i apologize to you and the owner for my rudeness, and assure you that i will not trouble percy again while he remains on board," continued major pierson, with no little embarrassment in his manner.
"i accept the apology, and your explanation is entirely sufficient. what happens to mr. percy after he leaves the steamer does not concern me," answered captain breaker with a polite bow, as he went to the quarter and rang the bell to stop her.
when he had done this, he conducted major 138 pierson to the quarter-deck, where captain passford and christy were seated, and formally presented him to both of them.
"i am most happy to make your acquaintance, captain passford," said the commander of fort gaines, as he extended his hand to the owner, which was taken, though the expression of the gentleman from the north did not indicate that he was very well pleased with him.
to christy he was as polite as to his father, and to both he was almost obsequious. it was rather difficult for father or son to realize that this was the man who had threatened to send his own brother to the fort as a soldier, to say nothing of the abusive language he had used.
"i am very glad to see you in the state of alabama, captain passford, and especially at this time," the major began; and it looked as though the cordiality of his welcome was to compensate for former rudeness.
"i am not a total stranger here," added the owner rather coldly.
"it affords me a degree of pleasure i cannot express to see you come here, as events are getting big all around us, and with such a fine 139 steamer. i am sure the government will regard you as one of its greatest and truest benefactors," continued major pierson.
"it is my intention to serve the good cause with whatever measure of ability i may possess; but i do not care to say any thing at all about my purpose till i have talked with my brother. i hope i shall find my brother homer in full sympathy with me in my views," added the owner, though it was not a pleasure to him even to deceive an enemy.
"colonel passford!" exclaimed the major. "have you any doubt about him?"
"hardly any, though i prefer to talk with him before i say much on my own account."
"colonel passford is not a very demonstrative man, but no one in the vicinity of glenfield has any doubt as to how he stands on the great question."
"i think no one will have any doubt as to how i stand, as soon as i take my position."
"certainly, sir, you will give no doubtful sound."
"i hope not."
"i came on board to examine this steamer 140 before we permitted her to pass the forts," continued major pierson. "i find her in charge of my brother, in the absence of any letter from my father or other confederate agent. i humbly apologize for the rudeness of which i was guilty, though i assure you i have had abundant provocation for it."
"that is a family affair with which we have nothing to do beyond the proper protection of the young agent in charge of the steamer."
"i wish to say that i am entirely satisfied, captain passford, and i am heartily delighted to learn that you are about to make your residence in this section of the country," said the major, who seemed to have assured himself on this point without much assistance from those most deeply concerned.
the owner looked at him, and tried to ascertain what was passing in his mind; and it was not a very difficult enterprise to accomplish his purpose. the hint he had received about the frequent visits of major pierson at glenfield seemed to explain the present operations of his mind. florry passford was a beautiful young lady of eighteen, and any young man of twenty-six could easily have 141 been excused for making his visits very often at the mansion in which she resided.
though the fond father was not disposed to interfere unnecessarily with the choice of his daughter, even the hint that she might be entangled more than a thousand miles from her home had given him a positive shock. now that he had seen the young man, and observed his conduct on board of the bellevite, he most earnestly hoped that she was not in any degree committed to him. he had an additional inducement to get her away from the home of his brother, and the thought of it nerved him to increased exertion. what he had seen of the commander of fort gaines, though he appeared to be a faithful, patriotic, and energetic young man, as he understood his duty to his country, assuredly he was not the person he would have chosen for florry. but his brother could tell him more about it, and how far the matter had gone, when he saw him.
by the time captain passford had settled his conclusions as far as he could, the tug came up to the steamer, towing the boat from the fort, percy felt that he had won a victory over his brother, and a bantam rooster could not have 142 made a wider spread on the deck. he seemed to feel that he was in command of the steamer, though he did not venture to interfere with any thing on board.
"i am very sorry to have given you any annoyance, captain passford," said the major, as the tug came up to the gangway. "i think we should have understood each other better if your steamer had not got aground."
"we have suffered little or no inconvenience, sir."
"whether you have or not, you shall suffer no more. the tug has come alongside, and i will see that you are not delayed a moment after i can get to fort morgan, which will certainly fire upon you if i do not interfere; and i will go to it in the tug," continued the major, who was still struggling to make all the atonement in his power for his former conduct.
"you are very kind, major pierson, and i am under obligations to you. i have not seen my daughter for nearly six months, or my brother; and the sooner i meet them, the better i shall like it," replied the owner.
"i have had the pleasure of meeting your 143 daughter several times, as your brother's plantation is next to my father's. it is possible that, if the exigencies of the coming war permit, i may desire to address a communication to you at no distant day," said major pierson, with considerable embarrassment in his manner.
captain passford made no reply to this remark; for he thought it was entirely out of place under present circumstances, and hoped matters had not gone far enough even to think of future formalities. the major shook hands with the owner and his son, and then with the commander, and went over the side. as he did so, he requested captain breaker not to advance till he reached the fort, or at least not to attempt to pass it.
the tug-boat went off on its course, but it was nearly half an hour before it got near enough to the fort to allow the bellevite to start her screw. as there was nowhere less than three fathoms of water, and captain breaker knew every inch of bottom, he directed mr. vapoor to hurry the engine, so that no one should have time to change his mind. the steamer shot by the fort as though she did not like the looks of 144 it, and in another half an hour she was out of the reach of its guns.
the commander had piloted the steamer to her present destination before; and there was plenty of water till she nearly reached the wharf, where the planter could load small vessels with cotton. it was not within the city of mobile, though it was not far from it; and it was a sort of low-ground paradise, which money and taste had made very beautiful.
"what am i to do now, mr. pierson?" asked percy, when the steamer had come to her moorings alongside the wharf.
"that will be for you to decide, mr. percy: but you had better take that uniform off before you live any longer, for i am afraid some one will mistake your character if you wear it on shore," replied christy.
"i don't know that i shall go on shore," replied the agent doubtfully. "i got by my brother very nicely, thanks to captain breaker; for i should have been sent to the fort if he had not started the screw."
"do you think you are in any danger here?" asked christy.
145 "i know i am. my father's house is over in that direction about half a mile. my brother can leave the fort any time he likes; and he will either do so, or send some of his men up here in the fast tug to catch me."
"why don't you go into the army, if your brother is so anxious about it, percy?"
"that is just what i want to do, but my father positively forbid my doing so," replied the volunteer agent. "i should like to get back to nassau; for i know i shall be forced into the army, in spite of my father, if i stay here."
"my boy," called his father, "i am going on shore now, and i should like to have you go with me to see your uncle."
christy was glad to do so; and he departed with the owner, leaving percy in charge of the commander.
