The Complete Works of Stephen Crane (192 page)

It was at first as if she did not see the
Adolphus
. She was going to pass without heeding this little vagabond of the high-seas. But suddenly a megaphone gaped over the rail of her bridge and a voice was heard measuredly, calmly intoning. “Hello — there! Keep — well — to — the — north’ard — and — out of my — way — and I’ll — go — in — and — see — what — those — people — want — —” Then nothing was heard but the swirl of water. In a moment the
Adolphus
was looking at a high grey stern. On the quarter-deck, sailors were poised about the breach of the after-pivot-gun.

The correspondents were revelling. “Captain,” yelled Shackles, “we can’t miss this! We must see it!” But the skipper had already flung over the wheel. “Sure,” he answered almost at once. “We can’t miss it.”

The cook was arrogantly, grossly triumphant. His voice rang along the deck. “There, now! How will the Spinachers like that? Now, it’s our turn! We’ve been doin’ the runnin’ away but now we’ll do the chasin’!” Apparently feeling some twinge of nerves from the former strain, he suddenly demanded: “Say, who’s got any whisky? I’m near dead for a drink.”

When the
Adolphus
came about, she laid her course for a position to the northward of a coming battle, but the situation suddenly became complicated. When the Spanish ships discovered the identity of the ship that was steaming toward them, they did not hesitate over their plan of action. With one accord they turned and ran for port. Laughter arose from the
Adolphus
. The captain broke his orders, and, instead of keeping to the northward, he headed in the wake of the impetuous
Chancellorville
. The correspondents crowded on the bow.

The Spaniards when their broadsides became visible were seen to be ships of no importance, mere little gunboats for work in the shallows back of the reefs, and it was certainly discreet to refuse encounter with the five-inch guns of the
Chancellorville
. But the joyful
Adolphus
took no account of this discretion. The pursuit of the Spaniards had been so ferocious that the quick change to heels-overhead flight filled that corner of the mind which is devoted to the spirit of revenge. It was this that moved Shackles to yell taunts futilely at the far-away ships. “Well, how do you like it, eh? How do you like it?” The
Adolphus
was drinking compensation for her previous agony.

The mountains of the shore now shadowed high into the sky and the square white houses of a town could be seen near a vague cleft which seemed to mark the entrance to a port. The gunboats were now near to it.

Suddenly white smoke streamed from the bow of the
Chancellorville
and developed swiftly into a great bulb which drifted in fragments down the wind. Presently the deep-throated boom of the gun came to the ears on board the
Adolphus
. The shot kicked up a high jet of water into the air astern of the last gunboat. The black smoke from the funnels of the cruiser made her look like a collier on fire, and in her desperation she tried many more long shots, but presently the
Adolphus
, murmuring disappointment, saw the
Chancellorville
sheer from the chase.

In time they came up with her and she was an indignant ship. Gloom and wrath was on the forecastle and wrath and gloom was on the quarter-deck. A sad voice from the bridge said: “Just missed ‘em.” Shackles gained permission to board the cruiser, and in the cabin, he talked to Lieutenant-Commander Surrey, tall, bald-headed and angry. “Shoals,” said the captain of the
Chancellorville
. “I can’t go any nearer and those gunboats could steam along a stone sidewalk if only it was wet.” Then his bright eyes became brighter. “I tell you what! The
Chicken
, the
Holy Moses
and the
Mongolian
are on station off Nuevitas. If you will do me a favour — why, to-morrow I will give those people a game!”

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 harbour tug but she was now the U.S.S.
Chicken
, by your leave. She carried a six-pounder forward and a six-pounder aft and her main point was her conspicuous vulnerability. The
Holy Moses
had been the private yacht of a Philadelphia millionaire. She carried six six-pounders and her main point was the chaste beauty of the officer’s 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 flag-ship. This was all very well for the captain of the yacht, but it was not so easy for the captain of the tug-boat 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 overside 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 for 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-point-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 gunboats 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 captain of the
Chicken
announced that he saw no difficulties. The squadron would follow the senior officer in line ahead, the
S. O.
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 captain 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
captain 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 cruiser and the gunboats constituting the more important attack. He had no doubt, he said, that he could soon silence the battery by tumbling the earth-works 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-bye, old man, don’t forget to come out all right — —”

When the captains 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.

IV