Frank Before Vicksburg Part 11

"In short, we all lost our clothing--every thing that we had loaned the countryman--and a more crest-fallen set of midshipmen one never saw. We endeavored to keep the affair a secret, but the commodore told it to the first lieutenant, and from him it soon spread, until the entire ship's company were acquainted with the particulars. We were very careful after that, and never undertook to play any more jokes on the commodore. There are many things objectionable in this custom--for I can call it nothing else--which is so general among young officers, of playing off tricks upon each other; and your jokes are getting a little too practical. If you must indulge in them, I wish you would endeavor to keep them out of the cabin, for I don't like to be bothered. That will do, sir."

Mr. Keys retired, highly pleased with the result of his interview with the captain, and went straight to Frank, to whom he related every thing, and showed him the sham "regulation" in his memorandum-book, which had been the cause of so much merriment.

Mr. French was soon afterward seen to emerge from the cabin, where he had listened to a lengthy lecture, containing advice which, if followed, would in future prevent all difficulty. Of course, all the officers were soon made acquainted with the affair, and many were the inquiries, in Mr. French's hearing, as to what kind of an apology the captain had made. It is needless to say that he was fully convinced that "experience is a hard taskmaster," and that it is well enough, especially on shipboard, to take advice.

A few days after the events which we have just been relating transpired, the Ticonderoga arrived at Yazoo River. In obedience to his orders, Frank reported on board the flag-ship. Owing to a press of business, it was nearly a week before the court of inquiry was convened. Scarcely an hour was pa.s.sed in the examination of the witnesses, during which time the main facts of the case were developed, Frank completely vindicated, and Mr. Howe, who had reported him, was sent on board of ship in disgrace. The same evening the former received his promotion as acting ensign, accompanied by orders to report on board of the Trenton for duty.

"I am very glad, for your sake, Mr. Nelson," said the captain, "to be able to give you this promotion, but very sorry for my own. I regret exceedingly that you are detached from this vessel, but it is something over which I have no control. I am perfectly satisfied with your conduct since you have been with me. If you will attend to your duties in future as well as you have since you have been here, I will answer for your rapid advancement."

CHAPTER X.

New Messmates.

The next morning, immediately after quarters, the second cutter was called away; and Frank, after seeing his luggage safely stowed away in her, shook hands with his brother officers, who had gathered on the quarter-deck to see him off, and started toward his new vessel.

The cutter had made, perhaps, a dozen yards from the Ticonderoga, when Frank observed a commotion among the crew a.s.sembled on the main-deck, and the old mate, mounting one of the boat-davits, shouted:

"Three cheers for Mr. Nelson!"

The cheers were given with a will, and Frank answered them by taking off his cap. It was one of the happiest moments of his life. He knew that while attached to the Ticonderoga he had endeavored to do his whole duty. The shoulder-straps which he wore showed that his services had been appreciated by the captain, and the hearty expression of good feeling which had just been exhibited by the men, afforded abundant proof that he had left no enemies among them.

When he arrived alongside of the Rover, he found the officer of the deck, boatswain's mate, and side-boys standing on the after-guard, and Frank was "piped over the side" with all the ceremony due his rank. It made him feel a little embarra.s.sed at first, for never before had so much respect been shown him. But he knew that he had won the uniform he wore by hard knocks, and was more ent.i.tled to this honor than those who sported ensign's shoulder-straps which had been obtained, not by any skill or bravery of their own, but by the influence of friends at home.

Frank made known his business, and was immediately shown down into the cabin. The captain, who had often met him on board of the Ticonderoga, and who had heard of his exploits, greeted him cordially, and was glad to learn that he had received such an acquisition to his crew. When he had endorsed Frank's orders, he sent for the chief engineer, to whom he introduced him, with a request that he might be made acquainted with the other officers of his mess; after which Frank was shown to his room, whither his luggage was soon conveyed.

Just before supper he was introduced to the officers belonging to the ward-room mess; but when he had seated himself at the table, and listened a few moments to the conversation that followed, he found that some of his new messmates went by names very different from those by which they had been introduced. One of the ensigns, whose name was Andrews, was known as Count Timbertoes, from the very dignified manner in which he always conducted himself, and from his wooden-leg style of progression.

The executive officer, whose name was Short, answered to its opposite--Long; and sometimes, behind his back, he was called "Windy."

Frank was not long in discovering why it was that such a name had been given him, for he was certainly the most talkative man he had ever met; and when asked the most simple question, instead of answering it by a plain Yes or No, he would "beat about the bush," and deliver a regular oration on the subject. He had a great command of language, and seemed desirous of making every one whom he met acquainted with the fact.

The paymaster went by the name of Young Methuselah. He was a man about twenty-seven years of age, but the account kept by one of the engineers, who messed in the steerage, made him about two hundred and eighty years old. There was scarcely a trade or profession in the world that, according to his own account, he had not followed for five or ten years.

He had been a shoemaker, a painter, a grocer, a horse-jockey, and an editor; had practiced medicine, traveled in Europe, and, when a mere boy, had been master of as fine a vessel as ever sailed out of Boston.

He was a "self-made man," he said, and early in life had started out with the intention of seeing the world. This was the reason he gave for following so many different occupations.

Unlike the rest of the officers, he disliked very much the name they had given him, and had often complained to the caterer of the mess, and finally to the captain. The former took no measures to correct it, and the latter "didn't want to be troubled with mess affairs," and so the paymaster was compelled to bear his troubles, which he did with a very bad grace, that only made matters tenfold worse. It was a noticeable fact, however, that, whenever any of the officers were in need of money, he was always addressed as _Mr._ Harris, but as soon as the money had been obtained, or the safe was empty, he was plain Methuselah again.

The chief-engineer's name was Cobbs, but he went by the name of Gentleman Cobbs, from the fact that he was always dressed in the height of fashion, sported his gold-headed cane and patent-leather boots about decks, and had never been known to "do a st.i.tch of work" since he had been on board the vessel.

These names were, of course, applied only in the mess-room, for the captain was a regular naval officer, a very strict disciplinarian, and any such familiarity on deck would have brought certain and speedy punishment on the offender. On the whole, Frank was very well pleased with his new messmates; they seemed to be a set of generous, good-natured men, and, aside from the grumbling of the paymaster, which was kept up without intermission from morning until night, but which received no attention from the other members of the mess, every thing pa.s.sed off smoothly. The ward-room was kept scrupulously clean and neat, and the manner in which all the delicacies of the season were served up bore testimony to the fact that, although Gentleman Cobbs was very much averse to work, he well understood the business of catering, and was fond of good living.

After dinner, the officers belonging to both the steerage and ward-room messes congregated on the main-deck, under the awning, to smoke. During the conversation the carpenter, who went by the name of "Chips,"

remarked, as he wiped the big drops of perspiration from his forehead:

"This boat is intolerable. I would like to be where I was six years ago this summer."

"Where was that?"

"I was in a whale-ship, off the coast of Greenland. I was tired enough of it then, but now I'd like to have just one breath of air off those icebergs."

"So would I," said the paymaster. "It would be so refreshing."

At this, a little, dumpy man, who had sat lolling back in his chair, with his hat pushed down over his eyes, and his cigar, which he had allowed to go out, pointing upward toward his left cheek, started up, and carelessly inquired:

"Were you ever there, sir?"

"Yes, when I was a youngster. I went up there just to see the country. I spent five years on the voyage."

The dumpy man made no answer, but there was a roguish twinkle in his eye, as he drew a little memorandum-book from his pocket, and, after deliberately placing it on his knee, proceeded to make the following entry, on a page which was headed "Chronological Tables," and which was covered on one side with writing, and on the other by a long column of figures:

Paymaster spent on voyage to Greenland 5 years.

After adding up the column of figures, he closed the book and returned it to his pocket. Then, turning to the paymaster, he quietly remarked:

"Four hundred and eighty-five years old! That's doing well-extremely well. You don't look as old as that, sir. You won't find one man in five hundred hold his age as well as you do."

The effect of this speech on the officers sitting around was ludicrous in the extreme, and had the party been in the mess-room the dumpy man might possibly have been obliged to "run a race" with a boot-jack, or any other missile that came handy to the paymaster; but as it was, the latter was compelled to choke down his wrath, and leave the deck.

Frank also found that these strange cognomens were common in the steerage; one, in particular, he noticed. It was a master's mate, who went by the name of "Nuisance." He was as "green" as he could possibly be, and, although he seemed to try hard to learn his duty, was continually getting himself into trouble. He had a room off the quarter-deck, (the same that Frank was to occupy,) but seemed to prefer any other room than his own; for, when off watch, he would take possession of the first bunk that suited his fancy; and, not unfrequently, boots, neck-ties, collars, etc., which had been missed, were found upon his person. It was not his intention to _steal_ them, for the articles were always returned after he had worn them to his satisfaction. If an officer went into his room to write, or to engage in any other business at which he did not wish to be disturbed, the mate was sure to be on hand, and hints were of no avail; nothing but a direct "Clear out--I don't want you in here," would have the desired effect. It was this habit that had given him the name he bore. One would suppose that after receiving so many rebuffs he would cease to trouble his brother officers; but he seemed to be very dull of comprehension. The executive officer scolded him continually. Finding that it did no good, the officers were obliged, as a last resort, to keep their rooms locked.

Had the mate been of a surly, unaccommodating disposition, he would not have got off so easily; but no one could have the heart to report him, for every one liked him. He was always cheerful, ready to do any one a favor, and was generous to a fault. Frank at once took a liking to his new room-mate, but, having been duly instructed by the others, he took particular pains to keep all his wearing apparel, when not in use, safely locked in his trunk.

CHAPTER XI.

A Good Night's Work.

Frank's past history soon became known to every one on board the Trenton, for several of the crew had acquaintances on board of the Ticonderoga, and when they were allowed liberty, had taken pains to inquire into the character of their new officer. He was scarcely allowed time to become settled down in his new quarters, before he was given an opportunity to establish his reputation among his messmates. Information was received that the rebels were intending to cross a large body of cavalry about twenty miles above the Yazoo River, and the Trenton was ordered up the Mississippi to prevent it, if possible.

For several days they patrolled the river near the suspected point, but nothing unusual was seen; neither could any intelligence of the contemplated move be obtained from the people on sh.o.r.e. There were several houses on the beat, and in one of them lived a Frenchman, who, as he said, having claimed the protection of his own country, was not compelled to bear arms; neither was he at all interested in the war. It was near his house, however, that the crossing of the cavalry was to take place, and the captain of the Trenton thought that this neutral Frenchman would bear watching.

Although there were several white women on the premises, he was the only man who had been seen; and he seemed to be in constant anxiety lest the rebels should confiscate a large drove of cattle he had at a pasture back in the country, and was in the habit of riding out twice each week to "see to them," as he said. There was something suspicious in this, for persons as much in want of provisions as the rebels were reported to be--as they had gathered up all the stock in the country for miles around Vicksburg--would not be likely to respect such property, although it did belong to a neutral.

The captain and his officers mingled freely with the people, who appeared to be eager to communicate all the plans of the rebels with which they had become acquainted. Frank, as usual, was on the watch; and if he sometimes paid a visit to the house, he was more frequently seen questioning the negroes--of whom there were about half a dozen on the plantation, the others having been compelled to leave their master to work on the fortifications--who were either profoundly ignorant of what was going on, or else were true rebels. There was one negro, in particular, in whom the young officer was interested. He was a tall, muscular fellow, black as midnight, about whom there was a kind of sneaking, hangdog look that Frank did not like. He always accompanied his master on his trips to attend his cattle, and Frank felt confident that if any one about the plantation knew of any thing suspicious going on, it was this negro; but, in spite of his efforts, he could not find an opportunity to talk with him, for the negro was generally in the company of his master, and, when alone, seemed to take particular pains to avoid the young officer. This was enough to arouse his suspicions, and he determined to watch him closely. He reported the matter to the captain, who readily granted his request that he might be allowed to spend his time, when off watch, on sh.o.r.e.

A week pa.s.sed, but nothing had been developed. At length, one morning the Frenchman prepared to pay his usual visit to the country. The negro was to accompany him, and as Frank saw them about to move off, he inquired, carelessly:

"Haven't you got another horse? If you have, I should like to go with you."

"O, no," answered the man, quickly, "I have no other horse; and if I had, it wouldn't do for you to go, for you would certainly get captured."

This set Frank to thinking. The Frenchman had often told him that there were no rebels in that section of the country, and now his excuse for not wanting company was that Frank would be captured. There was something suspicious in this. After seeing the man depart, he hailed the ship for a boat, and as soon as he arrived on board, sought an interview with the captain.

"I do not believe, sir," said he, "that this Frenchman owns any stock in the country. It is my opinion that he goes out there to hold communication with the rebels. He's a sort of spy and messenger-boy, and relies on his nationality to protect him from suspicion."