University of Virginia Library

III

THE Chancellorville lay all night watching off the port of the two gunboats, and soon after daylight, the lookout descried three smokes to the westward, and they were later made out to be the Chicken, the Holy Moses, and the Adolphus, the latter tagging hurriedly after the United States vessels.

The Chicken had been a harbor tug, but she was now the U.S.S. Chicken, by your leave. She carried a 6-pounder forward and a 6-pounder aft, and her main point was her conspicuous vulnerability. The Holy Moses had been the private yacht of a Philadelphia millionnaire. She carried six 6-pounders, and her main point was the chaste beauty of the officers' quarters.

On the bridge of the Chancellorville, Lieutenant-Commander Surrey surveyed his squadron with considerable satisfaction. Presently he signalled to the lieutenant who commanded the Holy Moses and to the boatswain who commanded the Chicken to come aboard the flagship. This was all very well for the captain of the yacht, but it was not so easy for the captain of the tugboat, who had two heavy lifeboats swung fifteen feet above the water. He had been accustomed to talking with senior officers from his own pilot-house through the intercession of the blessed megaphone. However, he got a lifeboat over-side and was pulled to the Chancellorville by three men—which cut his crew almost into halves.

In the cabin of the Chancellorville, Surrey disclosed to his two captains his desires concerning the Spanish gunboats, and they were glad of being ordered down from the Nuevitas station, where life was very dull. He also announced that there was a shore battery, containing, he believed, four field-guns—three-decimal-twos. His draught—he spoke of it as his draught—would enable him to go in close enough to engage the battery at moderate range, but he pointed out that the main parts of the attempt to destroy the Spanish gun-boats must be left to the Holy Moses and the Chicken. His business, he thought, could only be to keep the air so singing about the ears of the battery that the men at the guns would be unable to take an interest in the dash of the smaller American craft into the bay.

The officers spoke in their turns. The commander of the Chicken announced that he saw no difficulties. The squadron would follow the flagship in line, ahead the flagship would engage the batteries as soon as possible, she would turn to starboard when the depth of water forced her to do so, and the Holy Moses and the Chicken would run past her into the bay and fight the Spanish ships wherever they were to be found. The commander of the Holy Moses, after some moments of dignified thought, said that he had no suggestions to make that would better this plan.

Surrey pressed an electric bell; a marine orderly appeared; he was sent with a message. The message brought the navigating officer of the Chancellorville to the cabin, and the four men nosed over a chart.

In the end Surrey declared that he had made up his mind, and the juniors remained in expectant silence for three minutes while he stared at the bulkhead. Then he said that the plan of the Chicken's commander seemed to him correct in the main. He would make one change. It was that he should first steam in and engage the battery, and the other vessels should remain in their present positions until he signalled them to run into the bay. If the squadron steamed ahead in line, the battery could, if it chose, divide its fire between the flagship and the vessels constituting the more important attack. He had no doubt, he said, that he could soon silence the battery by tumbling the earthworks on to the guns and driving away the men, even if he did not succeed in hitting the pieces. Of course, he had no doubt of being able to silence the battery in twenty minutes. Then he would signal for the Holy Moses and the Chicken to make their rush, and of course he would support them with his fire as much as conditions enabled him. He arose then, indicating that the conference was at an end. In the few moments more that all four men remained in the cabin, the talk changed its character completely. It was now unofficial, and the sharp badinage concealed furtive affections, academy friendships, the feelings of old-time ship-mates, hiding everything under a veil of jokes. "Well, good luck to you, old boy! Don't get that valuable packet of yours sunk under you. Think how it would weaken the navy. Would you mind buying me three pairs of pajamas in the town yonder? If your engines get disabled, tote her under your arm. You can do it. Good-by, old man; don't forget to come out all right."

When the commanders of the Holy Moses and the Chicken emerged from the cabin they strode the deck with a new step. They were proud men. The marine on duty above their boats looked at them curiously and with awe. He detected something which meant action, conflict. The boats' crews saw it also. As they pulled their steady stroke they studied fleetingly the face of the officer in the stern-sheets. In both cases they perceived a glad man, and yet a man filled with a profound consideration of the future.