Les forceurs de blocus. English Read online

  Chapter V

  THE SHOT FROM THE _IROQUOIS,_ AND MISS JENNY'S ARGUMENTS

  Until now the navigation of the _Dolphin_ had been very fortunate. Notone ship had been signalled before the sail hailed by the man on watch.

  The _Dolphin_ was then in 32 deg. 51' lat., and 57 deg. 43' W. longitude. Forforty-eight hours a fog, which now began to rise, had covered theocean. If this mist favoured the _Dolphin_ by hiding her course, italso prevented any observations at a distance being made, and, withoutbeing aware of it, she might be sailing side by side, so to speak, withthe ships she wished most to avoid.

  Now this is just what had happened, and when the ship was signalled shewas only three miles to windward.

  When James Playfair had reached the cross-trees, he saw distinctly,through an opening in the mist, a large Federal corvette in fullpursuit of the _Dolphin_.

  After having carefully examined her, the Captain came down on deckagain, and called to the first officer.

  "Mr. Mathew," said he, "what do you think of this ship?"

  "I think, Captain, that it is a Federal cruiser, which suspects ourintentions."

  "There is no possible doubt of her nationality," said James Playfair."Look!"

  At this moment the starry flag of the North United States appeared onthe gaff-yards of the corvette, and the latter asserted her colourswith a cannon-shot.

  "An invitation to show ours," said Mr. Mathew. "Well, let us show them;there is nothing to be ashamed of."

  "What's the good?" replied James Playfair. "Our flag will hardlyprotect us, and it will not hinder those people from paying us a visit.No; let us go ahead."

  "And go quickly," replied Mr. Mathew, "for, if my eyes do not deceiveme, I have already seen that corvette lying off Liverpool, where shewent to watch the ships in building: my name is not Mathew, if that isnot the _Iroquois_ on her taffrail."

  "And is she fast?"

  "One of the fastest vessels of the Federal marine."

  "What guns does she carry?"

  "Eight."

  "Pooh!"

  "Oh, don't shrug your shoulders, Captain," said Mr. Mathew, in aserious tone; "two out of those eight guns are rifled, one is asixty-pounder on the forecastle, and the other a hundred-pounder ondeck."

  "Upon my soul!" exclaimed James Playfair, "they are Parrott's, and willcarry three miles."

  "Yes, and farther than that, Captain."

  "Ah, well! Mr. Mathew, let their guns be sixty or only four-pounders,and let them carry three miles or five hundred yards, it is all thesame if we can go fast enough to avoid their shot. We will show this_Iroquois_ how a ship can go when she is built on purpose to go. Havethe fires drawn forward, Mr. Mathew."

  The first officer gave the Captain's orders to the engineer, and soonvolumes of black smoke curled from the steamer's chimneys.

  This proceeding did not seem to please the corvette, for she made the_Dolphin_ the signal to lie to, but James Playfair paid no attention tothis warning, and did not change his ship's course.

  "Now," said he, "we shall see what the _Iroquois_ will do; here is afine opportunity for her to try her guns. Go ahead full speed!"

  "Good!" exclaimed Mr. Mathew; "she will not be long in saluting us."

  Returning to the poop, the Captain saw Miss Halliburtt sitting quietlynear the bulwarks.

  "Miss Jenny," said he, "we shall probably be chased by that corvetteyou see to windward, and as she will speak to us with shot, I beg tooffer you my arm to take you to your cabin again."

  "Thank you, very much, Mr. Playfair," replied the young girl, lookingat him, "but I am not afraid of cannon-shots."

  "However, miss, in spite of the distance, there may be some danger."

  "Oh, I was not brought up to be fearful; they accustom us to everythingin America, and I assure you that the shot from the _Iroquois_ will notmake me lower my head."

  "You are brave, Miss Jenny."

  "Let us admit, then, that I am brave, and allow me to stay by you."

  "I can refuse you nothing, Miss Halliburtt," replied the Captain,looking at the young girl's calm face.

  These words were hardly uttered when they saw a line of white smokeissue from the bulwarks of the corvette; before the report had reachedthe _Dolphin_ a projectile whizzed through the air in the direction ofthe steamer.

  At about twenty fathoms from the _Dolphin_ the shot, the speed of whichhad sensibly lessened, skimmed over the surface of the waves, markingits passage by a series of water-jets; then, with another burst, itrebounded to a certain height, passed over the _Dolphin_, grazing themizzen-yards on the starboard side, fell at thirty fathoms beyond, andwas buried in the waves.

  "By Jove!" exclaimed James Playfair, "we must get along; another slaplike that is not to be waited for."

  "Oh!" exclaimed Mr. Mathew, "they will take some time to reload suchpieces."

  "Upon my honour, it is an interesting sight," said Crockston, who, witharms crossed, stood perfectly at his ease looking at the scene.

  "Ah! that's you," cried James Playfair, scanning the American from headto foot.

  "It is me, Captain," replied the American, undisturbed. "I have come tosee how these brave Federals fire; not badly, in truth, not badly."

  The Captain was going to answer Crockston sharply, but at this moment asecond shot struck the sea on the starboard side.

  "Good!" cried James Playfair, "we have already gained two cables onthis _Iroquois_. Your friends sail like a buoy; do you hear, MasterCrockston?"

  "I will not say they don't," replied the American, "and for the firsttime in my life it does not fail to please me."

  A third shot fell still farther astern, and in less than ten minutesthe _Dolphin_ was out of range of the corvette's guns.

  "So much for patent-logs, Mr. Mathew," said James Playfair; "thanks tothose shot we know how to rate our speed. Now have the fires lowered;it is not worth while to waste our coal uselessly."

  "It is a good ship that you command," said Miss Halliburtt to the youngCaptain.

  "Yes, Miss Jenny, my good _Dolphin_ makes her seventeen knots, andbefore the day is over we shall have lost sight of that corvette."

  James Playfair did not exaggerate the sailing qualities of his ship,and the sun had not set before the masts of the American ship haddisappeared below the horizon.

  This incident allowed the Captain to see Miss Halliburtt's character ina new light; besides, the ice was broken, henceforward, during thewhole of the voyage; the interviews between the Captain and hispassenger were frequent and prolonged; he found her to be a young girl,calm, strong, thoughtful, and intelligent, speaking with great ease,having her own ideas about everything, and expressing her thoughts witha conviction which unconsciously penetrated James Playfair's heart.

  She loved her country, she was zealous in the great cause of the Union,and expressed herself on the civil war in the United States with anenthusiasm of which no other woman would have been capable. Thus ithappened, more than once, that James Playfair found it difficult toanswer her, even when questions purely mercantile arose in connectionwith the war: Miss Jenny attacked them none the less vigorously, andwould come to no other terms whatever. At first James argued a greatdeal, and tried to uphold the Confederates against the Federals, toprove that the Secessionists were in the right, and that if the peoplewere united voluntarily they might separate in the same manner. But theyoung girl would not yield on this point; she demonstrated that thequestion of slavery was predominant in the struggle between the Northand South Americans, that it was far more a war in the cause of moralsand humanity than politics, and James could make no answer. Besides,during these discussions, which he listened to attentively, it isdifficult to say whether he was more touched by Miss Halliburtt'sarguments or the charming manner in which she spoke; but at last he wasobliged to acknowledge, among other things, that slavery was theprincipal feature in the war, that it must be put an end to decisively,and the last horrors of barbarous times abolished.

  It has been said t
hat the political opinions of the Captain did nottrouble him much. He would have sacrificed his most serious opinionbefore such enticing arguments and under like circumstances; he made agood bargain of his ideas for the same reason, but at last he wasattacked in his tenderest point; this was the question of the trafficin which the _Dolphin_ was being employed, and, consequently, theammunition which was being carried to the Confederates.

  "Yes, Mr. James," said Miss Halliburtt, "gratitude does not hinder mefrom speaking with perfect frankness; on the contrary, you are a braveseaman, a clever merchant, the house of Playfair is noted for itsrespectability; but in this case it fails in its principles, andfollows a trade unworthy of it."

  "How!" cried James, "the house of Playfair ought not to attempt such acommercial enterprise?"

  "No! it is taking ammunition to the unhappy creatures in revolt againstthe government of their country, and it is lending arms to a bad cause."

  "Upon my honour, Miss Jenny, I will not discuss the right of theConfederates with you; I will only answer you with one word: I am amerchant, and as such I only occupy myself with the interests of myhouse; I look for gain wherever there is an opportunity of getting it."

  "That is precisely what is to be blamed, Mr. James," replied the younggirl; "profit does not excuse it; thus, when you supply arms to theSoutherners, with which to continue a criminal war, you are quite asguilty as when you sell opium to the Chinese, which stupefies them."

  "Oh, for once, Miss Jenny, this is too much, and I cannot admit--"

  "No; what I say is just, and when you consider it, when you understandthe part you are playing, when you think of the results for which youare responsible, you will yield to me in this point, as in so manyothers."

  James Playfair was dumfounded at these words; he left the young girl, aprey to angry thoughts, for he felt his powerlessness to answer; thenhe sulked like a child for half an hour, and an hour later he returnedto the singular young girl who could overwhelm him with convincingarguments with quite a pleasant smile.

  In short, however it may have come about, and although he would notacknowledge it to himself, Captain James Playfair belonged to himselfno longer; he was no longer commander-in-chief on board his own ship.

  Thus, to Crockston's great joy, Mr. Halliburtt's affairs appeared to bein a good way; the Captain seemed to have decided to undertakeeverything in his power to deliver Miss Jenny's father, and for this hewould be obliged to compromise the _Dolphin_, his cargo, his crew, andincur the displeasure of his worthy Uncle Vincent.