Part 5 (1/2)
Dave retired, and soon brought in a tray from the galley, the dishes from which he arranged on the table. It was an excellent supper, though he had not given any especial orders in regard to its preparation. He seated himself and began to eat in a rather mechanical manner, and no one who saw him would have mistaken him for an epicure. Dave stationed himself in front of the commander, so that he was between the table and the door. He watched Christy, keeping his eyes fixed on him without intermitting his gaze for a single instant. Once in a while he tendered a dish to him at the table, but there was but one object in existence for Christy at that moment.
”Dave,” said the captain, after he had disposed of a portion of his supper.
”Here, sir, on duty,” replied the steward.
”Open the door behind you, quick!”
Dave obeyed instantly, and threw the door back so that it was wide open, though he seemed to be amazed at the strangeness of the order.
”All right, Dave; close it,” added Christy, when he saw there was no one in the pa.s.sage; and he concluded that Mulgrum was not likely to be practising his vocation when there was no one in the cabin but himself and the steward.
Dave obeyed the order like a machine, and then renewed his gaze at the commander.
”Are you a Freemason, Dave?” asked Christy.
”No, sir,” replied the steward with a magnificent smile.
”A Knight of Pythias, of Pythagoras, or anything of that sort?”
”No, sir; nothing of the sort.”
”Then you can't keep a secret?”
”Yes, sir, I can. If I have a secret to keep, I will give the whole Alabama River to any one that can get it out of me.”
Christy felt sure of his man without this protestation.
CHAPTER VI
A MISSION UP THE FOREMAST
Christy spent some time in delivering a lecture on naval etiquette to his single auditor. Probably he was not the highest authority on the subject of his discourse; but he was sufficiently learned to meet the requirements of the present occasion.
”You say you can keep a secret, Dave?” continued the commander.
”I don't take any secrets to keep from everybody, Captain Pa.s.sford; and I don't much like to carry them about with me,” replied the steward, looking a little more grave than usual, though he still wore a cheerful smile.
”Then you don't wish me to confide a secret to you?”
”I don't say that, Captain Pa.s.sford. I don't want any man's secrets, and I don't run after them, except for the good of the service. I was a slave once, but I know what I am working for now. If you have a secret I ought to know, Captain Pa.s.sford, I will take it in and bury it away down at the bottom of my bosom; and I will give the whole state of Louisiana to any one that will dig it out of me.”
”That's enough, Dave; and I am willing to trust you without any oath on the Bible, and without even a Quaker's affirmation. I believe you will be prudent, discreet, and silent for my sake.”
”Certainly I will be all that, Captain Pa.s.sford, for I think you are a bigger man than Jeff Davis,” protested Dave.
”That is because you do not know the President of the Confederate States, and you do know me; but Mr. Davis is a man of transcendent ability, and I am only sorry that he is engaged in a bad cause, though he believes with all his heart and soul that it is a good cause.”
”He never treated me like a gentleman, as you have, sir.”