Taken by the Enemy | Page 8

said Christy, glancing at the journal in his hand.
"The President has issued a proclamation to this effect, but there has
hardly been time to enforce it to any great extent yet. But of these
matters I have nothing to say yet. The important point now is that I
shall go in the Bellevite to Mobile Bay, and by force or strategy I shall
bring off my daughter and the family of my brother."
"Then I suppose Christy and I are to be sent on shore in the tug
alongside," suggested Mrs. Passford.
"That is precisely what I wanted the tug for," added the husband.
"I should be willing to go with you, and share whatever dangers you
may incur," said the lady, who had by this time come to a full
realization of what war meant.
"I should be a heathen to allow you to do so. A woman would be more
of a burden than a help to us. You had better return to Bonnydale, Julia,
where I am sure you can render more service to your country than you
could on board of the steamer. All that I am, all that I have, shall be at
the service of the Union; and I wish you to act for me according to your
own good judgment."

"I shall do whatever you wish me to do, Horatio," added the lady.
"My mission will be a dangerous one at best, and the deck of the
steamer will be no place for you, Julia."
"Very well; Christy and I will take the tug as soon as you are ready to
have us leave you."
"Am I to go on shore, father?" demanded Christy, with a look of
chagrin on his handsome face, browned by exposure to the sun on the
ocean. "I want to go with you; and I am sure I can do my share of the
duty, whatever it may be."
"You are rather young to engage in such an enterprise as that before me,
Christy," added his father, as he gazed with pride at the face and form
of his son, who had thrown back his head as though he felt the
inspiration of all the manliness in his being.
"If there is to be a war for the Union, I am a Union man, or boy, as you
like; and it would be as mean and cowardly for me to turn my back to
the enemy as it would be for you to do so, sir," replied Christy, his
chest heaving with patriotic emotion.
"I am willing you should go with me," added Captain Passford, turning
from the young man to his mother.
There was a tear in the eyes of the lady as she looked upon her son. It
was hard enough to have her husband leave her on such a mission: it
was doubly so to have Christy go with him.
"Christy might be of great service to me," said his father. "I look upon
this war as a very solemn event; and when a man's country calls upon
him to render his time, his comfort, even his life, he has no moral right
to put himself, his father, his brother, or his son in a safe place, and
leave mere hirelings, the thoughtless, reckless adventurers, to fight his
battle for him."
"I am ready to go, sir," added Christy.

"He may go with you, if you think it best," said the mother with a
quivering lip. "I shall miss him, but I am sure you would miss him
more."
"My first mission is hardly in the service of my country; at least, it is
not directly so, though I hope to be of some use to her during my
absence. As I said before, I think my first duty--a duty committed to me
by the Almighty, which takes precedence over all other duties--is,
within reasonable limits, to my own family. I will not spare myself or
my son, but I must save Florry and my brother's family."
"I think you are right, Horatio."
"On my return I shall present the Bellevite to the Government, which is
in sore need of suitable vessels at the present time, and offer my
services in any capacity in which I can be useful," continued Captain
Passford. "Captain Breaker," he called to the commander.
"Here, sir."
"Pipe the entire ship's company on the forecastle, and see that no one
from the tug is near enough to hear what is said there."
Captain Breaker had formerly been a lieutenant in the navy, and the
forms and discipline of a man-of-war prevailed on board of the
steam-yacht. In a minute more the pipe of the boatswain rang through
the vessel, and all hands were mustered on the forecastle. The tug was
made fast