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"I found this on my desk when I went to my office," said he, opening a cable message, and placing it before Christy. "'Mutton, three veal, four sea chickens," Christy read from the paper placed before him, laughing all the time as he thought it was a joke of some sort. "Signed 'Warnock. It looks as though somebody was going to have a dinner, father.
They are Otis, Barnes, and Wilson, and you know them all. They have been captains or mates in my employ; and they know all about a vessel when they see it." "I know them all very well, and they are all good friends of mine," added Christy. "Warnock is Captain Barnes, and this message comes from him. Captain Otis signs himself Bixwell in his letters and cablegrams, and Mr.
Of course I understand it, for if I could not, it would not have been sent to me," replied Captain Passford, assuming a very serious expression. "You know Warnock, for he has often been at Bonnydale, though not under the name he signs to this message. My three agents, one in the north, one in the south, and one in the west of England, have each an assumed name.
"'Four' means some, a few, no great number; in other words, rather indefinite. Very likely Warnock could not obtain exact information. 'C' stands for Confederate, and 'sea' is written instead of the letter. 'Chickens' means officers. 'Four sea chickens, translated means 'some Confederate officers."
Christy sat for some minutes watching the expression of Mulgrum as he read the letter he was to copy. Like a careful man, he was evidently taking a glance at it as a whole. The interested observer could see that he fixed his gaze upon the last part of the letter, the extract from the missive of Warnock, relating to the twelve loyal American seamen and their officer.
The flag also indicated that she was not a blockade runner in the ordinary sense of the word, but a Confederate man-of-war. Warnock reported that she had taken her armament on board from another vessel at some point south of England, and the colors also assured Christy that the steamer was one of the pair expected.
The first thing to be ascertained is whether or not the steamer goes to Wilmington." "Then we can make short work of her." "My information in regard to this treason comes from Warnock you know who he is?"
"Seven sartainly, every priest must know them, or how could they lay the divil, if he'd, spake to them in a tongue they couldn't understand, Phaddhy?" "Ah, I declare, Briney, I see it now; only for that, poor Father Philip, the heavens be his bed, wouldn't be able to lay ould Warnock, that haunted Squire Sloethorn's stables." "Is that when the two horses was stole, Phaddhy?"
"It is all Greek to me; and I wonder why Warnock, whoever he may be, has spent his money in sending you such a message, though I suppose you know who is to eat this dinner." "The expense of sending the cablegram is charged to me, though the dinner is prepared for the Confederate States of America.
The scullion presented his tablet to the captain with a very deferential bow. "There is an error in the copy of the letter you gave me in the extract. If you will give me the original letter from Mr. Warnock, I will correct the mistake," Christy read on the tablet.
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