christy understood the character of captain flanger well enough to be confident he meant mischief to him in getting him into the boat. he concluded that this movement was the result of the conference with the mate. he had a suspicion that his terrible enemy intended to drown him, or get rid of him in some other manner.
"may i ask where i am to be taken in the boat, mr. dawbin?" asked the prisoner, suppressing as much as he could the excitement that disturbed him.
"i give you leave to ask, but i cannot answer you," replied the mate.
"if you intend to put me on board of that steamer, it can do no harm to say so, i think," added christy.
"if you will excuse me, mr. passford, i cannot answer any questions. i ask you again to get into the boat," said mr. dawbin.
269 "well, sir, suppose i decline to do so?"
"then i shall be compelled to use force, and tumble you into the boat in the best way i can, with the assistance of my men."
"if you intend to murder me, why can't you do the deed here on deck?" demanded the prisoner.
"i don't intend to murder you."
"that is some consolation. that lighthouse on the great isaac is the only place to which you can convey me, and that is sixteen miles from this steamer. i can't believe you intend to pull me that distance."
"no fooling there!" shouted the captain. "what are you waiting for, mr. dawbin? why don't you obey my order?"
"the fellow wants to talk," replied the mate.
"if he won't get into the boat, pitch him into it like a dead dog!"
christy saw that it was useless to resist, though he had a revolver in his pocket which had not been taken from him, for he had not been searched. the mate and two sailors stood in front of him, and he realized that he could accomplish nothing by resistance under present circumstances. he thought he could do better in the boat after it was 270 beyond the reach of any reinforcements from the steamer. he went over the side, and took his place in the stern sheets.
the mate followed him, and the two men, one of whom was hardly more than a boy, took their places on the thwarts. the boat was shoved off, and the prisoner had an immediate interest in the course it was about to steer. the mate arranged the tiller lines, and then looked about him.
he directed his gaze towards the north, and seemed to be trying to find some object or point. he satisfied himself in some manner, and then resumed his seat, from which he had risen in order to obtain a better view over the waves. the passenger had watched him closely, and found that his vision had been directed towards the rocks awash and the east isaac rock. towards these objects he steered the boat. the chateaugay was at least three miles to the eastward of these rocks.
christy watched the course of the boat long enough to satisfy himself that it was headed for the rocks, which were awash at high tide, though they now looked like a minute island. there could be but one object in visiting this locality: 271 and that must be to leave him on that desolate reef. the wind was still fresh from the north-west, and the spray was dashed over the rocks in a manner which suggested that a human being could not remain long on it after the tide was high without being washed off. it was little better than murder to leave him there, and he knew very well that captain flanger would shed no tears if assured that his troublesome prisoner was no more.
christy decided that he would not be left on the reef, or even on the top of the east isaac, which might be a drier place, though hardly more comfortable. it must have been mr. dawbin who had suggested the idea of landing him on the reef, for there was no other place nearer than the great isaac light. captain flanger had boasted that he sailed a vessel on a peaceful mission, and that the commander of the chateaugay had no more right to capture him than he had to murder him. but the prisoner knew that the snapper was to run the blockade, and was bound to mobile, for the captain had told him so himself.
the commander could now see the folly of his boast. he had not expected to encounter a united states man-of-war in the bahamas. his prisoner 272 was a naval officer, and would be a strong witness against him. upon his testimony, and such other evidence as the cargo and other circumstances might supply, the captain of the steamer in the channel might feel justified in making a prize of the snapper. it was necessary, therefore, to remove this witness against him. as christy had imagined, the captain had not thought of his prisoner as a witness, and the mate had suggested it to him.
"i suppose i need not ask you what is to be done with me, for that is sufficiently apparent now," said christy, more to engage the attention of the mate than for any other reason.
"you can form your own conclusion," replied mr. dawbin.
"you intend to leave me on that reef ahead, and doubtless you expect me to be washed off and drowned, or starved to death there," added the prisoner. "i can't see why you take all this trouble when you could more conveniently blow my brains out."
"the captain has promised not to harm you, mr. passford, and he will keep his word," replied the mate with very ill grace.
"i consider it worse than murder to leave me 273 on that reef, or any of these rocks, mr. dawbin. since i understand your intention, i might as well put a bullet through my own head, and save myself from all the suffering in store for me," said christy, assuming the manner of one rendered desperate by his situation. "have you a revolver in your pocket?"
"i have not a revolver in my pocket; and if i had i should not lend it to you to shoot yourself," replied the mate.
mr. dawbin had no revolver in his pocket, and that was all the prisoner had been driving at. he was equally confident that neither of the sailors was armed, for he had looked them over to see if there was any appearance of pistols in their pockets.
"you are making altogether too much fuss over this little matter, mr. passford. the captain desires you to remain on one of these rocks till he gets through his business with the commander of that steamer in the channel, which is now headed for the snapper," the mate explained. "when that is finished we will take you off and proceed on our voyage."
"you had better put a bullet through my head."
"i don't think so. it is no great hardship for 274 you to stay a few hours on that rock. you have had your dinner, and you will not starve to death. i don't think you will have to stay there long, for that steamer draws too much water to come in among these reefs, and she will be hard and fast on one of the shoals before she goes much farther."
"possibly her captain knows what he is about as well as you do," suggested christy.
"i don't believe he does. there isn't a fathom of water on some of these shoals."
but the chateaugay kept on her course, though she proceeded very slowly. when she was off the gingerbread cay she stopped her screw, and she was near enough for the observer to see that she was lowering at least two boats into the water. in a few minutes more they were seen pulling towards the snapper, whose boat was now very near the reef which had been selected as the prisoner's abiding-place. a few minutes later the keel ground on the coral rock.
"jump ashore, both of you, and take the painter with you, my men," said the mate, when the boat stuck about six feet from the top of the ledge.
the two sailors waded to the highest part of the reef, and began to haul in on the painter; but they 275 could not get it anything less than three feet from the rock.
"we can't get the boat any nearer, mr. passford; but you are a vigorous young man, and you can easily leap to the rock," said mr. dawbin.
"do you think you could leap to the ledge?" asked christy, looking him sharp in the eye.
"i know i could."
"let me see you try it, mr. dawbin," replied christy, with his right hand on his revolver.
"come, come! mr. passford. no fooling. i have no time to spare," growled the mate.
"i am not fooling. as you consider it no hardship to pass a few hours on that rock, i am going to trouble you to take my place there."
"no nonsense! i am not to be trifled with!"
"neither am i," added the prisoner, as he drew out his weapon, and aimed it at the head of the mate. "you can take your choice between the rock and a ball from my revolver, mr. dawbin."
"do you mean to murder me?" demanded the mate.
"i hope you will not compel me to do so harsh a thing as that. but no fooling! i have no time to spare. jump on the rock, or i will fire before 276 you are ten seconds older!" said christy resolutely.
"come back into the boat, men!" shouted the officer.
"the first one that comes any nearer the boat is a dead man!" added the prisoner, "five seconds gone, mr. dawbin."
the mate did not wait for anything more, but made the leap to the rock. he accomplished it so hastily that he fell when he struck the ledge; but the impetus he had given the boat forced it from the rock, and sent it a considerable distance. christy restored the revolver to his pocket, and, taking one of the oars, he sculled towards the chateaugay, which was now much nearer than the snapper. the two boats from the man-of-war took no notice of him, and perhaps did not see him.
taking out his white handkerchief he attached it to the blade of one of the oars, and waved it with all his might in the direction of the steamer. he set it up in the mast-hole through the forward thwart, and then continued to scull. but his signal was soon seen, and a boat came off from the steamer.
illustration of quoted scene
"jump on the rock or i will fire before you are ten seconds older." (page 276)
"boat ahoy!" shouted the officer in charge of the cutter.
277 "in the boat!" replied christy, turning around as he suspended his labor with the oar.
"lieutenant passford!" exclaimed mr. hackling, the second lieutenant of the chateaugay. "is it possible that it is you?"
"i haven't any doubt of it, mr. hackling, if you have," replied the late prisoner, heartily rejoiced to find himself in good company again.
"but what does this mean? how do you happen to be here?" demanded the astonished lieutenant of the ship.
"i happen to be here because i have just played a sharp game. i was a prisoner on that steamer yonder, on my way to a rebel prison. but i think it is necessary that i should report immediately to captain chantor in regard to the character of the snapper, which is the name of the vessel you have been chasing."
the snapper's boat was taken in tow, and the crew of the cutter gave way with a will. in due time christy was received with the most unbounded astonishment by the commander on the deck of the chateaugay.
"where is mr. gilfleur? i hope that no accident has happened to him," said the captain with deep anxiety on his face.
278 "none that i am aware of; but if you will excuse me from explanations for the present, i will state that the steamer on the bank is the snapper, captain flanger, bound for mobile; and the captain told me that he intended to run the blockade."
"mr. hackling, take charge of the second cutter, and give mr. birdwing my order to make a prize of that steamer, and bring her off to the deep water."
it was quite dark when this order was executed.
