CHAPTER X

THE ATTEMPT TO PASS INTO MOBILE BAY

The tug appeared to be one of the craft which had been hastily prepared
for service, and she did not look like a formidable vessel. Captain
Breaker was sure he could blow her out of the water with his heavy guns,
on an emergency; but this would be bad policy, and he did not propose to
do any thing of this kind.

He was not as confident as Captain Passford and his son were that the
plan adopted would be an entire success, with the assistance of Percy;
but there could be no harm in trying it. He intended to pass as near
Fort Gaines as possible, for it was not probable that the works were
yet in the best condition; and two miles from Fort Morgan, which was
doubtless much stronger, would afford a better chance of escaping any
shots fired from it.

As the Bellevite approached the channel, where there could not be more
than a foot of water under her keel, Christie came on deck, followed by
Percy. The latter wore a sort of naval uniform, which his instructor had
borrowed for him from his own stock. It fitted him well; for he was no
larger than the owner's son, though he was two years older.

Percy was to be on duty, on board of the steamer, as a Confederate agent
taking the vessel into the bay for service. He was not a little inflated
by the position which had been assigned to him, though he had no powers
whatever, except in appearance. He had been instructed to conduct
himself boldly, and to insist that the vessel was in his charge, when
she was boarded by officers from the tug or from the fort. His very
nature inclined him to play this part to the best advantage.

The blockade had been established at some of the northern ports of the
seceded States, but not yet at the cities on the Gulf of Mexico; and
the only real obstacle to the passage of the Bellevite into the bay
consisted of the two forts, for the tug-boats were not regarded as of
any consequence to an armed steamer of great speed like the Bellevite,

"We are approaching the shoal water now," said Captain Breaker to Mr.
Vapoor, as the steamer came near the south-eastern end of Pelican
Island. "We may take the ground, for the shoals have an ugly trick of
changing their position. Let her go at about half speed."

"Half speed, sir," replied the chief engineer, as he descended to the
engine-room.

"Is it fully high tide now, Breaker?" asked Captain Passford, who was
watching the movements of the vessel with