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Galvinne presented himself, for probably he did not feel bound to obey the orders of the bogus captain with especial promptness. However, he came after a quarter of an hour, and seated himself familiarly in an arm-chair at the table. He had the bearing of the superior officer, to which Corny made no objection. "We are all right so far," said Corny.
As an epitome of the whole scene, I may add that I propose to do what my friend Galvinne undertook with that cousin of yours: I intend to take the Bronx into Pensacola Bay, and have her used in the service of the righteous cause in which the people of the South are engaged," continued Captain Flanger, as though he believed in all he was saying.
"We have four of them here made fast to the rail, and Galvinne complains of his treatment; he says he is cold." "I should think he might be, for the night air is very chilly," replied Christy. "I should have preferred to get rid of these men before we went into any enterprise, for they are dangerous persons to us."
Flint at the head of the stairs prepared to execute the part of the work assigned to him, which was to fall upon Mr. Galvinne; but he did not appear to be in a favorable position for the attack. "What are you waiting for, Mr. Flint?" asked Christy in a whisper, as he joined the second lieutenant. "He has gone into the waist," replied the officer in waiting. "He will be back in a moment."
"It was wise on the part of the Yankee commodore to make his orders secret; for information might have been sent by telegraph or otherwise to St. Andrew's, which would have enabled our people to get the steamer mentioned out of the way, or to prepare a successful resistance to the gunboat sent to capture it," Mr. Galvinne explained in the tone of one who enlightens an ignorant person.
"You may depend upon it that we shall be under the guns of Fort Barrancas, or farther up the bay, before daylight," replied the actual commander. "What am I to do, Mr. Galvinne?" asked Corny. "Nothing at all; you can turn in as soon as you like and sleep through the whole, for there will be nothing at all to disturb you.
Christy thought that Corny was becoming somewhat nervous when the vessels of the squadron were made out in the distance. "There appear to be only three steamers in sight," said the captain, who had come into the waist to observe the fleet. "That is the flag-ship, I think, anchored the farthest from the shore," replied Mr. Galvinne, to whom the remark had been addressed.
The cabin was to be occupied by Corny, though his cousin had no doubt that Mr. Galvinne was the real leader in the adventure of capturing the steamer. Both of them would be obliged to keep up appearances for the present.
The prisoner on the forecastle thought his cousin looked very complacent, and his return indicated that his plot had not miscarried, and that the flag-officer had not challenged the identity of the future commander of the Bronx. Corny's first movement on board of the Vernon was to take the hand of Mr. Galvinne, whom he appeared to be congratulating on a promotion or appointment.
Galvinne. "But Christy has disappeared all the same; and where do you suppose he is?" "I have no doubt he is concealed on board of the Vernon, with the intention of returning to New York, where he has plenty of influential friends to fight his battle for him. But I must go on deck, or something may go wrong in my absence."
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