the evidence was sufficient to justify the capture of the ionian without a particle of doubt, for she was as really a confederate vessel as though the captain and officers were provided with commissions signed by mr. jefferson davis.
mr. birdwing went to the door and directed the third lieutenant to have captain sawlock conducted to the cabin; and the two seamen who had held him as a prisoner brought him before the first lieutenant of the chateaugay. he appeared to have got control of his temper, and offered no further resistance. mr. carlin came to the door, and his superior directed him to examine all hands forward, in order to ascertain whether they were confederates or otherwise. he gave him the shipping-list to assist him.
"are you an american citizen, captain sawlock?" asked mr. birdwing, as soon as the third lieutenant had departed on his mission.
82 "i am," replied he stiffly.
"where were you horn?"
"in pensacola."
"have you ever taken the oath of allegiance to the united states government?"
"no; and i never will!" protested the captain with an oath.
"i must inform you, captain sawlock, that i am directed by the commander of the united states steamer chateaugay to take possession of the ionian, on finding sufficient evidence on board that she is engaged in an illegal voyage. i have no doubt in regard to the matter, and i take possession of her accordingly."
"it is an outrage!" howled the captain with a heavy oath.
"you can settle that matter with the courts. i have nothing more to say," replied mr. birdwing as he rose and left the cabin, followed by christy and the detective.
"i found ten heavy guns and a large quantity of ammunition at the bottom of the hold," reported mr. carlin, as his superior appeared on deck, and handed back the shipping-list of the vessel. "the three engineers appear to be englishmen, and so 83 declare themselves. i find six americans among the crew, who are provided with protections, and they all desire to enlist in the navy. the rest of the crew are of all nations."
"let the six men with protections man the first cutter. you will remain on board of the ionian, mr. carlin, till orders come to you from the captain," said the first lieutenant. "i shall now return to the chateaugay to report."
christy decided to return to the ship; but the detective wished to remain, though he said there was nothing more for him to do. the six sailors who wished to enter the navy were ordered into the boat, two of the regular crew remaining in it. the recruits were good-looking men, and they pulled their oars as though they had already served in the navy. they supposed the ionian was really bound to wilmington; but they could not explain why they had not enlisted at brooklyn if they desired to do so. the first lieutenant went on board of the ship, and reported to the captain.
mr. gwyndale was at once appointed prize-master, with mr. tompers as his executive officer, and sent on board with the ten seamen who had been put on board of the chateaugay expressly for this 84 duty. several pairs of handcuffs were sent on board of the ionian, for the first lieutenant apprehended that they would be needed to keep captain sawlock and his mate in proper subjection. the papers which had been contained in the tin case were intrusted to the care of mr. gwyndale, with the strictest injunction to keep them safely, and deliver them to the government official before any of the ionian ship's company were permitted to land.
the cutters returned from the prize with all the hands who had been sent from the ship, including mr. gilfleur. the prize-master had a sufficient force with him to handle the steamer, and to control the disaffected, if there were any besides the captain and mate. the engineers and firemen were willing to remain and do duty as long as they were paid. in a couple of hours the ionian started her screw and headed for new york, where she would arrive the next day.
captain chantor directed the quartermaster at the wheel to ring one bell, and the chateaugay began to move again. the events of the day were discussed; but the first business of the ship had been successfully disposed of, and the future was 85 a more inviting field than the past. the captain requested the presence of the two passengers in his cabin, and read to them in full the latest instructions that had been sent off to him.
"our next duty is to look for the dornoch, with her six guns and fifty men, and we are not likely to have so soft a time of it as we had with the ionian," said captain chantor, when he had read the letter.
"the chateaugay is reasonably fast, though she could not hold her own with the bellevite, or even the bronx; and you have a pivot gun amidships, and six broadside guns," added christy.
"oh, i shall be happy to meet her!" exclaimed the commander. "i don't object to her six guns and fifty men; the only difficulty i can see is in finding her. i am afraid she has already gone into st. george's harbor, and she may not come out for a month."
"why should she wait all that time?" asked christy. "her commander knew nothing about the ionian, that she was to take in a valuable cargo for her, and she will not wait for her."
"that is true; but i am afraid we shall miss the ovidio if we remain too long in these waters."
86 "it seems to me that the dornoch has had time enough to reach the bermudas," said christy. "possibly she is in port at this moment."
"that is a harassing reflection!" exclaimed the commander.
"i don't see that there is any help for it," added christy. "you cannot go into the port of st. george's to see if she is there."
"why not?" asked mr. gilfleur, speaking for the first time. "i spent a winter there when i was sick from over-work and exposure; and i know all about the islands."
"that will not help me, mr. gilfleur," said the captain, with a smile at what he considered the simplicity of the frenchman.
"but why can you not go in and see if the dornoch is there?" inquired the detective.
"because if i learned that she was about to leave the port, the authorities would not let me sail till twenty-four hours after she had gone."
"you need not wait till she gets ready to leave," suggested the frenchman.
"she might be ready to sail at the very time i arrived, and then i should lose her. oh, no; i 87 prefer to take my chance at a marine league from the shore," added the captain, shaking his head.
"perhaps i might go into hamilton harbor and obtain the information you need," suggested mr. gilfleur, looking very earnest, as though he was thinking of something.
"you!" exclaimed captain chantor, looking at him with amazement. "how could you go in without going in the ship?"
"you know that i have a boat on deck," replied the detective quietly.
"but you are not a sailor, sir."
"no, i am not a sailor; but i am a boatman. after i had worked up the biggest case in all my life in paris,—one that required me to go to london seven times,—i was sick when the bank-robbers were convicted, and the excitement was over. the doctors ordered me to spend the winter in martinique, and i went to the bermudas in an english steamer, where i was to take another for my destination; but i liked the islands so well that i remained there all the winter. my principal amusement was boating; and i learned the whole art to perfection. i used to go through the 88 openings in the reefs, and sail out of sight of land. i had a boat like the one on deck."
"your experience is interesting, but i do not see how it will profit me," said the captain.
"i can go to the bermudas, obtain the information you want, and return to the chateaugay," replied mr. gilfleur rather impatiently.
"that would be a risky cruise for you, my friend," suggested captain chantor, shaking his head in a deprecatory manner.
"i don't think so. i have been outside the reefs many times when the wind blew a gale, and i felt as safe in my boat as i do on board of this ship," said the detective earnestly.
"how would you manage the matter?" asked the commander, beginning to be interested in the project.
"you shall run to the south of the islands, or rather to the south-west, in the night, with all your lights put out, and let me embark there in my boat. you will give me a compass, and i have a sail in the boat. i shall steer to the north-east, and i shall soon see gibbs hill light. by that i can make the point on the coast i wish to reach, which is hogfish cut. i have been through it 89 twenty times. once inside the reefs i shall have no difficulty in reaching hamilton harbor. then i will take a carriage to st. george's. if i find the dornoch in the harbor, i will come out the same way i went in, and you will pick me up."
"that looks more practicable than i supposed it could be," added captain chantor.
"while i am absent you will be attending to your duty as commander of the chateaugay, for you will still be on the lookout for your prize," continued the versatile frenchman. "you can run up twenty or thirty miles to the northward, on the east side of the islands, where all large vessels have to go in."
"how long will it take you to carry out this enterprise, mr. gilfleur?"
"not more than two days; perhaps less time. do you consent?"
"i will consider it, and give you an answer to-morrow morning," replied captain chantor.
"won't you take me with you, mr. gilfleur?" asked christy, who was much pleased with the idea of such an excursion.
"i should be very happy to have your company, mr. passford," replied the detective very promptly, 90 and with a smile on his face which revealed his own satisfaction.
"are you in earnest, lieutenant passford?" demanded the commander, looking with astonishment at his passenger.
"of course i am: i see no difficulty in the enterprise," replied christy. "i have had a good deal of experience in sailboats myself, and i do not believe i should be an encumbrance to mr. gilfleur; and i may be of some service to him."
"you would be of very great service to me, for you know all about ships, and i do not," the detective added.
"just as you please, mr. passford. you are not under my orders, for you are not attached to the ship," said the captain.
the commander went on deck, and the two passengers retired to christy's stateroom, where they discussed the enterprise for a couple of hours. in the mean time the chateaugay was making her best speed, for captain chantor did not wish to lose any of his chances by being too late; and he believed that the dornoch must be fully due at the bermudas. before he turned in that night he had altered the course of the ship half a point 91 more to the southward, for he had decided to accept the offer of mr. gilfleur; and he wished to go to the west of the islands instead of the east, as he had given out the course at noon.
for two days more the chateaugay continued on her voyage. at noon the second day he found his ship was directly west of the southern part of the bermudas, and but fifty miles from them. he shaped his course so as to be at the south of them that night.
