Part 15 (1/2)
”Is the damage very serious?” asked the captain anxiously.
”Far from it; she has broken a bolt which disables her, and she ought to have had one to replace it without more than five minutes' delay, but it appears that they have not one on board; at least none could be found when it was wanted, and they were at work forging one when the Bronx came alongside.”
”All right; repair the damage as soon as possible. I heard a scuffle in the engine room just as we were running alongside the Ocklockonee,” said the captain, looking inquiringly at the engineer.
”Yes, sir; there was a scuffle there. Pink Mulgrum was rus.h.i.+ng down the ladder when I stopped him. He tried to push by me when I made signs to him to return to the deck. Then he gave a spring at my throat, and as I saw that he had a revolver in his hand, I did not hesitate to hit him on the head with a bar of iron I had in my hand. He dropped on the deck.
I put his revolver in my pocket, and stretched him out on the sofa.
He did not move, and I left him there.”
”I will send the surgeon to him,” added the captain, as he went on board of the prize, followed by Sampson.
The first lieutenant had been busy on the deck of the vessel, but he had been able to accomplish but little in the absence of definite instructions from the captain. All the seamen were held in the forward part of the deck, and there were twenty-four of them, including the petty officers, but not the stokers, as the firemen were called. The engineers and all connected with their department remained below so far as could be learned. Two officers remained seated on the quarter deck; but they did not appear to be so thoroughly cast down as the captain, doubtless because they were not called upon to bear the responsibility of the capture.
”Have you set a sharp lookout, Mr. Flint?” asked the captain.
”The lookout remains the same on board of the Bronx, though I have cautioned the quartermaster on the fore yard to keep his eyes wide open; and I have stationed four men on board of the Scotian.”
”Very well; we are all right so far; but if the other vessel is as well armed as this one she is capable of giving us a great deal of trouble,”
replied the captain.
”I only hope we may find her,” added Flint heartily.
”We shall look for her at any rate. But we must get things regulated on board of both vessels at once, for I judge that the Arran cannot be far off, for the officers hailed us as the Arran when we were approaching, which shows that they were confident in regard to her ident.i.ty, or they would not have given themselves away so readily.”
”We have made a lucky hit, and I hope we shall be able to reap the full benefit of it,” added Flint.
”We must provide for the immediate future without any delay,” continued Christy. ”Our first duty will be to search for the Arran, and we can use the Ocklockonee, which the captain says is her present name, to a.s.sist in the chase, for we have force enough to man both vessels, though we are not oversupplied with officers.”
”There are two more quartermasters who are nearly as good men as Baskirk,” replied the first lieutenant.
”I ask no better officer than Baskirk has proved himself to be. I shall retain him on board of the Bronx, and for the present I shall ask you to take command of the Ocklockonee; and you may select your own officers.
The probability is that, if we find the Arran, we shall have a fight with her.”
”Then I shall make McSpindle my first lieutenant, and Luffard my second,” added Flint, evidently pleased with the idea of having even a temporary command.
”I shall appoint Baskirk in your place on board of the Bronx; but I need one more.”
”I recommend Amblen, though he is not as well qualified as the others I have named.”
”Send for these men at once,” added the captain.
One of them was on the topsail yard of the Bronx, but all of them soon appeared in the waist of the prize. They were informed of the honor which had been conferred upon them, and were immediately a.s.signed to duty. The crew of the Ocklockonee were divided between the two steamers, and were put under guard below.
CHAPTER XVI
CAPTAIN Pa.s.sFORD'S FINAL ORDERS