Oliver Optic

“ I can't trust you with the wheel if you don't do better than you have; for I have no time to explain what I am about, and I should not do it if I had."
"It would not have taken over half an hour to tell me there was an engineer in the engine-room," growled Percy.
"That is not the way to do things on board of a vessel, and I object to the method. I don't know what there is before us, and I don't mean to give an order which is not likely to be obeyed till I have explained its meaning."
"I will do as you say, Christy," said Percy rather doggedly. "Did Spikeley agree to run the engine?" ”

“ The question I put to myself is this: can I justify myself, before God and my country, if I permit the finest steamer in the world, as you state it, to be transferred to the Yankee navy, to be used in killing, ravaging, and destroying within the free South? The steamer is here, and within my reach. After all you have said, she would be the lawful prize of any tug-boat in the bay that could capture her. I begin to realize that I should be guilty of treason to my country in letting her go. ”

“ Of course, being a private yacht, she is not armed?"
165 Homer paused and looked at his brother as though he expected an answer to this question; but the owner of the steamer made no reply.
"Do you say that the Bellevite is armed, Horatio?" repeated Homer.
"I do not say any thing about it. I find that I am in the presence of an enemy, though he is my own brother."
"Do not assume that tone to me, Horatio: it wounds me to the heart," said Homer, in a deprecatory tone. "If we are enemies because you choose to oppress our people, I cannot help it; but we will still be brothers." ”

“ The Leopard held her course as steadily as though the sick captain were still at the wheel; and the major was entirely satisfied with the qualifications of the new master, after he had watched him for a while.
"Spottswood, how is the captain?" called the major from the pilot-house.
"Just the same: he don't seem to be any better," replied the sergeant.
"He ought to have a doctor; for the poor fellow may die here, away from any proper attendance," said the major, with more feeling than the new captain supposed he possessed. ”

“ I don't believe we shall want you on board of the Bellevite, if that is the way you do your duty."
"I don't want to be shot by my own people," pleaded Percy. "Has the shot ruined the vessel?"
"Don't you see that she is going along the same as ever? No harm has been done to her so far as any further use to us is concerned," replied Christy. "But, Captain Pecklar, as things are now, we are running right into the fire." ”

“ There shall be no persuasion or intimidation."
"Beg pardon, Captain Passford; but there isn't a man here that would go to the mainmast if he knew that the forecastle would drop out from under him, and let him down into Davy Jones's locker the next minute if he staid here," responded Boxie, with a complaisant grin on his face, as if he was entirely conscious that he knew what he was talking about.
"Every man must act on his own free will," added the owner.
"That's just what we are all doing, your honor; and every one of us would rather go than have his wages doubled. ”

“ Percy's," answered Captain Breaker.
"He is; but I can hardly understand how he happened to send my brother home in charge of this fine steamer," said the major, glancing at his brother.
"Going into the army is not all the duty a man has to do for his country," said Percy warmly.
"May I ask where this vessel came from?" inquired the commander of the fort.
"From New York before she went to Bermuda and Nassau; before that, from England," replied the commander evasively.
"If you are really in charge of the steamer, Percy, I have nothing more to say," continued Major Pierson. ”

“ At this point he was interrupted by a volley of cheers, for Christy was a universal favorite on board, as Florry had always been; and the ship's company regarded her as a sort of mundane divinity, upon whom they could look only with the most profound reverence.
"In view of the danger and the irregularity of the enterprise, I shall not persuade or urge any person on board to accompany me; and the tug will take on shore all who prefer to leave the vessel, with my best wishes for their future. Those who prefer to go on shore will go aft to the mainmast," continued Captain Passford. ”

“ Christy had not heard the name of Spikeley before; but he concluded that he must be one of the soldiers, probably one of the two who had come on board with Lieutenant Dallberg.
"I don't think I do," replied the man addressed, in a tone quite as loud as that of the military officer.
"You are not to start the engine under any circumstances," continued the major, in a louder tone than before, as if the man had failed to hear him. ”

“ He rang the gong again; but Christy understood why the screw did not turn, though he deemed it wise to keep his own counsel for the present. Percy was rousing himself to a passion at the neglect of the engineer to heed his bell.
"Keep cool, Percy," interposed Christy. "Don't say a word to your brother that you have learned to steer a steamer; and you may have a chance to surprise him, and show that you are a good deal more of a fellow than he takes you to be." ”

“ You have proved that you are all right, Captain Pecklar, and I don't mind telling you now that the Bellevite is heavily armed. Captain Breaker was a lieutenant in the navy, and he knows how to handle a ship," replied Christy.
"Then, if we escape the Dauphine, we shall be all right."
"The Dauphine will come down, and throw a few men on board of us; boarding us, in fact, as we have no force with which to help ourselves," added Christy, as he took a small American flag from his pocket. ”

“ What do you think, Christy? She holds still now, and I believe I can hit her every time."
"Decidedly not: she is disabled for the present, and that is all I care for. We are not in war trim," replied Christy, as he turned his attention in the direction of the other vessels.
"As I told you, the Dauphine is fast; and she will be down upon us in less than five minutes more," said Captain Pecklar.
"I wonder that she don't fire upon us," added Christy.
"I doubt if she has any guns on board, though she may have a field-piece or two."
"The Bellevite is waking up, I think," said Christy. ”

“ The events of the night, and the information obtained on shore, to say nothing of the specific request from Colonel Passford to "manage the business," imposed upon him the duty of capturing the Bellevite; and he was all ready to do it. But the Leopard might as well have been without an engine as without a pilot; for all the men on board were from the interior of the country, and not one of them, not even the officers, knew how to steer the boat.
The marks and figures on the chart of the bay, which Christy had put on the shelf in front of the wheel, were all Greek to them. ”

“ I hope I shall find my brother Homer in full sympathy with me in my views," added the owner, though it was not a pleasure to him even to deceive an enemy.
"Colonel Passford!" exclaimed the major. "Have you any doubt about him?"
"Hardly any, though I prefer to talk with him before I say much on my own account."
"Colonel Passford is not a very demonstrative man, but no one in the vicinity of Glenfield has any doubt as to how he stands on the great question."
"I think no one will have any doubt as to how I stand, as soon as I take my position." ”

“ Now, in common with all the rest of us, you are hurled into the presence of mighty events; and in a single day from a boy you must become a man. You are my nearest representative on board; and if any thing should happen to me, in the midst of the perils of this expedition, a responsibility would fall upon you which you cannot understand now. I wish to prepare you for it," said Captain Passford, as he went down into the cabin.
The commander was already seated at the table, waiting for the owner; and Captain Passford and Christy took places near him. ”

“ Everybody that knows him says he is a genius. He was my teacher. But he told me that all the theory in the world would not make me an engineer: I must have the experience; and for 270 weeks together I took the place of one of the assistant engineers. That's how I happen to know something about an engine; and I have been on board of all sorts of steamers with Paul, for the purpose of studying the engines, from a launch up to the biggest ocean-steamers."
"Did you take any lessons of the cook on board of the Bellevite, Christy?" asked Percy, laughing. ”

“ I will not allow any man to suffer from any reproach or indignity on account of what he does in this matter, if by any means I can prevent it," continued Captain Passford, looking over his audience again, to discover, if he could, any evidence of faltering on the part of a single one.
Still officers and men were as immovable as a group of statuary; and not a face betrayed an expression indicating a desire to leave the vessel, or to falter in what all regarded as the allegiance they owed to the owner and his family. ”

“ Percy?"
"I am sure I don't know: he is only talking to the men," answered the young man, who had evidently been put there to act as a lookout.
At that moment a voice was heard from farther aft, and Percy went towards the stern of the boat. A few minutes later he ascended to the pilot-house. On the sofa abaft the wheel was Lieutenant Dallberg, where he had dropped asleep as he finished his report of what he had learned on shore.
"Mr. Dallberg!" shouted Percy; but the lieutenant did not show any signs of life till the messenger had shaken him smartly. "Major Pierson wants you down below." ”

“ The bare announcement of a new series of books by Oliver Optic will delight boys all over the country. When they farther learn that their favorite author proposes to 'personally conduct' his army of readers on a grand tour of the world, there will be a terrible scramble for excursion tickets—that is, the opening volume of the 'Globe Trotting Series.' Of one thing the boys may be dead sure, it will be no tame, humdrum journey, for Oliver Optic does not believe that fun and excitement are injurious to boys, but, on the contrary, if of the right kind he thinks it does them good. ”

“ Both of them came on deck at an unusually early hour on the morning that the Sand Island light was made out; for there was more commotion than usual on board, and even in the cabin, where the owner and commander discussed the situation.
"Here we are, my Chinese friend," said Percy, as he joined Christy on deck, and made out the tall tower in the distance. "I wish I was on the Island of Nassau, instead of here."
"Why, Mr. Percy, this is your own, your native land; and in China we always used to have a warm affection for our own country," replied Christy. ”

“ Don't you touch that shovel again."
310 "But things are looking very badly indeed for us, Christy," said the captain, bracing himself up as if for a renewed effort. "The Belle is almost up with the boat, and she will take Major Pierson and his party on board; and she is nearer to us than the Bellevite."
"Is that so? I have not looked astern for some time," replied Christy, rather startled by the information.
"The Bellevite is not sailing as fast as she has some of the time, and both the Belle and the Dauphine are nearer to us than she is," added Captain Pecklar. ”

“ Vapoor, at a later period, Captain Passford is in a great hurry to reach Bermuda, where we are bound, at the earliest possible moment," the captain began. "Our ordinary rate of speed is fourteen knots when we don't hurry her."
"That is what I make her do when not otherwise instructed," replied the chief engineer.
"You assisted as a volunteer in building the engine of the Bellevite, and you were in the engine-room during the whole of the trial trip, three years ago," continued Captain Breaker with a smile on his face; and a smile seemed to be a necessity in the presence of the young man. ”

“ There was an abundant supply of coal and provisions on board, for the vessel was hardly three days from Bermuda when she came up with Sandy Hook; and the commander gave the order to weigh anchor as soon as the tug cast off her fasts.
"I suppose we are bound somewhere, Captain Passford," said Captain Breaker, as soon as the vessel was fully under way. "But you have not yet indicated to me our destination."
"Bermuda. The fact is that I have been so absorbed in the tremendous news that came to us with the pilot, that I have not yet come to my bearings," replied the owner with a smile. ”

“ Do you think I would bring a vessel into this bay if she were not all right?" inquired Percy with becoming indignation.
"I suppose you have heard there is going to be a war, and it is necessary to find out what vessels go into the bay," said the captain of the tug, when he had brought his craft quite near the steamer. "That is a very fine vessel."
"It is the fastest and strongest steamer that floats, and she will give a good account of herself when the trouble begins in earnest."
"Here comes the boat from the fort, and I see that Major Pierson is in the stern sheets. ”

“ The Bellevite had been among the islands of the Atlantic, visiting the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and was now coming from Bermuda. She had just taken a pilot fifty miles from Sandy Hook, and was bound to New York, for the captain's beautiful estate, Bonnydale, was located on the Hudson.
As usual, the pilot had brought on board with him the latest New-York papers, and one of them contained the startling news which appeared to have thrown the owner of the Bellevite entirely off his balance; and it was quite astounding enough to produce this effect upon any American. ”

“ It is you who are the coward and the poltroon, to do so," continued Percy, boiling over with rage.
Whatever provocation the major had had for his savage treatment of his brother, the owner of the Bellevite thought his conduct was unjustifiable. The young man was under age; and whether or not his father was less a patriot than his older son, the latter was certainly unkind, ungenerous, and even brutal. ”