University of Virginia Library

V

THEY on the Chancellorville sometimes could see into the bay, and they perceived the enemy's gunboats moving out as if to give battle. Surrey feared that this impulse would not endure, or that it was some mere pretence for the edification of the townspeople and the garrison, so he hastily directed that signals be made ordering in the Holy Moses and the Chicken. Thankful for small favors, they came on like charging horsemen. The battery had ceased firing. As the two auxiliaries passed under the stern of the cruiser, the megaphone hailed them: "You—will— see—the—en—e—my—soon—as—you—round—the—point. A—fine— chance. Good—luck."

As a matter of fact, the Spanish gunboats had not been informed of the presence of the Holy Moses and the Chicken off the bar, and they were just blustering down the bay over the protective shoals to make it appear that they scorned the Chancellorville. But suddenly from around the point there burst into view a steam yacht, closely followed by a harbor tug. The gunboats took one swift look at this horrible sight, and fled screaming.

Lieutenant Reigate, commanding the Holy Moses, had under his feet a craft that was capable of some speed, although before a solemn tribunal one would have to admit that she conscientiously belied almost everything that the contractors had said of her originally. Boatswain Pent, commanding the Chicken, was in possession of an utterly different kind. The Holy Moses was an antelope; the Chicken was a man who could carry a piano on his back. In this race Pent had the mortification of seeing his vessel outstripped badly.

The entrance of the two American craft had a curious effect upon the shores of the bay. Apparently every one had slept in the assurance that the Chancellorville could not cross the bar, and that the Chancellorville was the only hostile ship. Consequently the appearance of the Holy Moses and the Chicken created a curious and complete emotion. Reigate on the bridge of the Holy Moses laughed when he heard the bugles shrilling, and saw through his glasses the wee figures of men running hither and thither on the shore. It was the panic of the china when the bull entered the shop. The whole bay was bright with sun. Every detail of the shore was plain. From a brown hut abeam of the Holy Moses some little men ran out waving their arms and turning their tiny faces to look at the enemy. Directly ahead, some four miles, appeared the scattered white houses of a town, with a wharf and some schooners in front of it. The gunboats were making for the town. There was a stone fort on the hill overshadowing, but Reigate conjectured that there was no artillery in it.

There was a sense of something intimate and impudent in the minds of the Americans. It was like climbing over a wall and fighting a man in his own garden. It was not that they could be in any wise shaken in their resolve; it was simply that the overwhelmingly Spanish aspect of things made them feel like gruff intruders. Like many of the emotions of war-time, this emotion had nothing at all to do with war.

Reigate's only commissioned subordinate called up from the bow gun, "May I open fire, sir? I think I can fetch that last one."

"Yes."

Immediately the 6-pounder crashed, and in the air was the spinning wire noise of the flying shot. It struck so close to the last gun-boat that it appeared that the spray went aboard. The swift-handed men at the gun spoke of it: "Gave 'em a bath that time anyhow. First one they've ever had. Dry 'em off this time, Jim."

The young ensign said: "Steady." And so the Holy Moses raced in, firing, until the whole town, water-front and shipping was as plain as if it had been done on paper by a mechanical draughts-man. The gunboats were trying to hide in the bosom of the town. One was frantically tying up to the wharf, and the other was anchoring within a hundred yards of the shore. The Spanish infantry, of course, had dug trenches along the beach, and suddenly the air over the Holy Moses sang with bullets. The shore-line thrummed with musketry; also some antique shells screamed.