"Very well, Captain Pecklar; then you shall run the engine, and I will keep the run of what is going on around us," said Christy, as he walked towards the stern of the tug. "There is a new danger off in the north-west."

"What's that?" asked the captain.

"There is another steamer coming in this direction, and I suppose she hails from Mobile. There she is."

Christy was somewhat disturbed to find that the approaching steamer was overhauling the tug very rapidly. It looked as though she would prove to be a more important factor in the immediate future than he had supposed.

If he could only get on board of the Bellevite, he was sure that she could run away from any thing that floated. But there was not another moment to be lost, and he hastened on deck to have the Leopard started.

He found Percy still engaged with his problems in steering, going through all the forms as though the boat were actually under way.

"Now you may do it in earnest, Percy," said he. "We are all ready to go ahead. Strike your gong."

"It will be no use to strike it while you are up here," replied the pilot, looking at Christy with interest.

"We have not a second to spare; strike your gong, and we will talk about it afterwards," continued Christy impatiently.

"But I am not a fool, Christy, and I don't"--

"But I do!" interposed the acting captain sharply, as he reached over and pulled the bell.

"I don't like to have a fellow fool with me when I am in earnest. What good will it do to ring the bell while you are in the pilot-house, Christy?"

But before the captain could answer the question, if he intended to do so, the boat began to shake under the pressure of the engine, and the tug moved ahead at half speed. Percy was so much astonished that he could hardly throw over the wheel, and Christy took hold of it himself.

"I don't understand it," said he, as he took hold of the spokes, and looked ahead to get the course of the boat.

"You will never make a sailor till you mend your ways," added Christy.

"There must be some one in the engine-room," said Percy.

"Of course there is."

"Why didn't you say so, then? I did not suppose the boat could go ahead while you were up here."

"I told you to ring the gong, didn't I?"

"What was the use of ringing it when you were in the pilot-house?"

"What was the use of ringing it when I did?" demanded Christy, who had but little patience with this kind of a sailor.

"You knew there was some one in the engine-room."

"But the engine would have started just the same if you had rung the gong."

"Well, I didn't know it; and if you had only said you had an engineer, I should have understood it."

"You will never make a sailor, as I said before," added Christy.

"What is the reason I won't?"

"Because you don't obey orders, and that is the first and only business of a sailor."

"If you had only told me, it would have been all right."

"If the captain, in an emergency, should tell you to port the helm, you could not obey the order till he had explained why it was given; and by that time the ship might go to the bottom. I can't trust you with the wheel if you don't do better than you have; for I have no time to explain what I am about, and I should not do it if I had."

"It would not have taken over half an hour to tell me there was an engineer in the engine-room," growled Percy.

"That is not the way to do things on board of a vessel, and I object to the method. I don't know what there is before us, and I don't mean to give an order which is not likely to be obeyed till I have explained its meaning."

"I will do as you say, Christy," said Percy rather doggedly. "Did Spikeley agree to run the engine?"

"No, he did not; he is locked up in the forecastle. Captain Pecklar is at the engine; but he is all ready to take the wheel when I say the word."

"I can keep the wheel, for I think I understand it very well now."

"I did not wish to take you away from the wheel, for I saw that you liked the work; and I said so to Captain Pecklar. If you have learned the first lesson a sailor has to get through his head, all right; if not, Captain Pecklar will take the wheel."

"I understand the case better now, and I will do just what you tell me,"

protested Percy.

"And without asking any questions?"

"I won't ask a question if the whole thing drops from under me."

Percy steered very well, and Christy had enough to do to watch the steamer astern and the boat ahead.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE POST OF DUTY AND OF DANGER

The long-boat, with the increased experience of its crew, was doing very well, and it would soon be within hailing-distance of the Bellevite. But Major Pierson could hardly help discovering that the Leopard was under way, though he seemed to give his whole attention to the boat and the steamer ahead of him.

Christy went aft to ascertain the situation of the steamer from the north-west, and with the gla.s.s he satisfied himself that she was not exactly a river steamer, such as he had seen on the Alabama; or, if she was, she had been altered to fit her for duty on the bay.

He could see that she had bra.s.s guns on her forward deck, and a considerable force of soldiers or sailors. But she was a nondescript craft, and he was unable to make her out accurately, though by this time she was not more than half a mile distant. No immediate danger was to be apprehended from her, unless she opened fire with the field-pieces on her deck. As the Leopard was in the service of the forts, she was not likely to do this till she knew more of the present situation on board of her.

Christy had made up a new course for the tug when he saw the change in the working of the long-boat, and the approaching steamer had an influence in his calculations. He had directed the new pilot to head her directly for the Bellevite, only taking care to give the long-boat a sufficiently wide berth to prevent the soldiers from boarding her, and with steam it would be an easy thing to keep out of its way.

Christy went below to the engine-room to ascertain the condition of Captain Pecklar. He found him eating his breakfast, which he took from a basket he had evidently brought with him from the sh.o.r.e the day before.

He seemed to have an appet.i.te; and, from the food he consumed, the acting captain did not believe he could be in a desperate situation.

"How do you get on, Captain Pecklar?" asked Christy, as he glanced at the engine, and judged that it was moving more rapidly than at any time before.

"I am a good deal better, Christy: in fact, the thought of getting out of this country is almost enough to cure me; for I have come to the conclusion that I had rather die at home than live here," replied the captain, as he put an enormous piece of beef into his mouth, which his companion thought would be almost enough for his breakfast.