two of the soldiers were placed at the rear of the wagon, one took his place on the hay with percy, while the major and the sergeant seated themselves on the cushion in front. spottswood took the reins; and the officer told him to drive on, without saying a word to the prisoners.
it was quite dark; and christy had not the least idea where he was, or where he was going. he could see that major pierson had sent this party to arrest his brother, as percy seemed to fear that he would do, and had remained and slept away the time in the wagon himself. he had been introduced to the major, and had been treated with "distinguished consideration" by him. in view of the possible relations between him and florry, he did not feel much concerned about his own safety, though he was sorry to have his father and sister worry over his absence.
191 "then, it seems you have been in the army, after all," said he to his fellow-prisoner, after they had gone some distance.
"i never belonged to the army," he replied decidedly.
"did you put your name down?"
"yes, i did; but i supposed i was to be a captain, or something of that sort. when i found i must go as a common soldier, mixed up with all sorts of people, i couldn't stand it. i applied for my discharge; but they would not give it to me, and i went home without it."
"that looks very much like desertion," added christy, and the major went up somewhat in his estimation.
"but it was not desertion; for i applied for my discharge, and all they had to do was to give it to me. they understood it so, for they did not come to the house after me," argued percy. "then, when my father went to nassau, he took me with him. but the surgeon said i was not fit for the army, for i had indications of varicose veins. my father sent the certificate to the authorities, and applied for my discharge."
"was it ever granted?"
192 "i suppose it was, but i don't know."
"if it had been, your brother would know about it."
"will your uncle make you join the army, mr. pierson?"
"no: my uncle has no authority over me, and he cannot make me join the army," replied christy.
"where is your father?"
"he was at my uncle's plantation. i think we have kept up this farce long enough, percy," said christy, laughing. "my father is the owner of the bellevite."
"what did you tell me your name was percy pierson for?" demanded the other prisoner.
"for the same reason that i told you the steamer belonged to the chinese government, and a dozen other things of the same sort."
"what is your name, then?"
"christopher passford; but i am commonly called christy."
"then, you have been fooling me?"
"you knew very well that i had been fooling you."
"then, you are the son of the owner of the bellevite."
193 "i am."
"then, you can get me a place on board of her."
"perhaps i can. we will see about that."
christy doubted if their political opinions would permit them to serve on the deck of the same vessel, but he did not suggest any thing of this kind. he had been introduced to major pierson under his real name, and he was certain to be identified by him as soon as the light permitted him to see his face; and he had made the best of it by telling percy the truth before he found it out himself.
"you haven't told me who the other prisoner is, spottswood," said the major, when they had ridden some distance in silence.
"i don't know who he is," replied the sergeant. "i never saw him before in my life, so far as i know."
"didn't he tell you who he was?"
"he did not, and i did not ask him any questions."
that was all that was said about it; and the major relapsed into silence, and christy concluded that he had gone to sleep again. the wagon continued on the journey, though at a very slow 194 pace, for the road could hardly have been any worse. at the end of about two hours more, the vehicle halted near a sheet of water which looked as though it might be a river, or an arm of mobile bay.
the road appeared to end at a rude sort of wharf; but there was no person in the vicinity, no house, and no craft of any kind in the water, so far as christy could see when he was helped out of the wagon. percy was assisted to the ground also; and the two soldiers at the rear of the wagon, who had gone to sleep, were waked, and ordered to get out.
"we shall not want the wagon any more," said the major. "you can send boyce back to the house with it."
"it is five miles from here, and he will not get back till nearly morning."
"we can wait for him. the leopard will not be here for some time."
"i think we ought to send two men, major," suggested the sergeant.
"why two?"
"for company: one of them may get asleep, and two will get back sooner than one."
195 "they might as well all of them go, for they can do nothing here," added the major with a terrific yawn.
two men were sent away with the wagon. the most of the hay in it was taken out; and with it the superior officer made a bed for himself, and was soon asleep again. the sergeant and the remaining soldier took their knapsacks from a tree where they had put them before, and it was decided that one of them might sleep while the other kept guard over the prisoners. spottswood was the first to take his turn, and his companion stretched himself on the planks of the wharf.
the sergeant brought out the knapsacks of the two absent soldiers, and gave the blankets to christy and percy, both of whom were sleepy enough to follow the example of the others. spottswood assisted them very kindly, spreading out the blankets for them, and covering them afterwards; for, as their hands were tied behind them, they were almost helpless.
the two prisoners soon dropped asleep; and they knew nothing more till after daylight, when christy was waked by the hissing of steam at the 196 rude wharf. the two soldiers who had been sent away with the wagon were asleep on the planks, though neither had a blanket. the major had not been disturbed by the noise, for he was farther from it than the others.
with some difficulty christy got upon his feet, and looked about him. a tug-boat lay at the wharf, with the steam escaping from her pipe. there was nothing else to be seen in the vicinity. the sheet of water, which was apparently half a mile wide, had a bend some distance from the wharf, so that he could not see any farther; but he had no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that the water was an arm of the bay.
on board of the leopard, for the name was on the front of the pilot-house, he could see only two men, one of whom came out of the engine-room; and he judged that they were the pilot and engineer. doubtless the former was also the captain of the craft.
while one of the two men seated himself on the rail, the other came on shore. he was a man of very small stature, and looked as though his health was very poor. indeed, his step was quite feeble, and he seemed to have hardly strength 197 enough to handle his frame. as the tug had just come in, doubtless he had been on duty the whole or a portion of the night, which may have explained his exhausted condition.
"good-morning, captain pecklar," said the sentinel on duty at the wharf.
"good morning, tubbs. where is major pierson?" asked the captain of the leopard, in a very faint voice.
"he is still asleep, and he has his bed at the foot of that tree yonder," replied the sentinel, pointing at it. "how do you find yourself this morning? any better?"
"about the same; i am about used up for this world," replied captain pecklar, continuing his painful walk towards the tree indicated.
"is that the captain of the leopard?" asked christy.
"yes, poor fellow! he came down here two years ago from somewhere north, almost gone in consumption. he got a little better; but he is worse again, and i don't believe he will last much longer," replied the sentry.
"has he been out all night on the steamer?" inquired christy, who felt that it was his duty to 198 obtain all the information he could in regard to this steamer, as it was in the service of the commander of fort gaines.
"i don't know where he has been; but i suppose he has been on duty all night, and that don't agree with him at all. we came up here yesterday afternoon—well, never mind what we have been about. i forgot that you were a prisoner; and you may be a yankee, for aught i know."
before christy had time to make any reply, the sentinel walked away, and the major was seen coming from his bed with captain pecklar. they went to the wharf together, where they seated themselves on a box which lay there. the prisoner turned away from them; and the major took no notice of him, and did not appear to see him, or he would certainly have identified him.
christy's bed was just behind them, when they had seated themselves; and he dropped down on his blanket, rolled it about him as well as he could, and then pretended to be asleep, as percy was still, in spite of the noise of the escaping steam on board of the boat.
"what have you done with your men, captain pecklar?" asked the major.
199 "i have just told you that the steamer had changed her position," replied the captain.
"i did not understand you," returned the major. "do you mean that she has left the wharf?"
"i do: she was out at least two miles from the shore," added captain pecklar.
"two miles from the shore!" exclaimed major pierson. "what does that mean?"
"i don't know, sir. lieutenant dallberg did not know what to make of it; and he decided to take his two men to the shore, and investigate the matter. he directed me to report this to you."
"but when did the bellevite leave the wharf?" asked the major, evidently very much puzzled at what he regarded as the singular conduct of the owner of the steamer.
"i don't know, sir. it was after ten o'clock in the evening when we first saw her out in the bay."
"was she at anchor?"
"i think not. i was ordered not to go very near her, and i could not tell."
"do you know whether or not captain passford is on board of her?"
"of course i do not. in fact, i know nothing at all about her, except that she has left the 200 wharf and come out into the bay. i think i heard her screw in motion, though i am not sure; and that makes me think that she is not at anchor. mr. dallberg thought he ought to go on shore, visit colonel passford, and obtain further information if he could."
the major ordered the captain to embark the party at once.
