CHAPTER XXVII.

THE CONSPIRACY ON BOARD THE MIDDY.

“Swing round the guns!” said Captain Bankhead; and when the rebels advanced, they were confronted by the black muzzles of the twenty-four-pounders.

“There! what do you think of that, my beauties?” added Tom Longstone, who stood with the lock-string in his hand, ready to scatter the iron hail among the conspirators.

“Silence!” commanded the captain.

The rebels, seeing what kind of a trap they had fallen into, began to retreat.

“Halt!” shouted the captain in a voice of thunder. “If a man of you moves, I will give the order to fire!”

There was no mistaking this insinuating request; and the party stood in dumb amazement before the frowning guns. It was impossible for them to help seeing, that, if they made any movement, it would result in the certain destruction of half their number. Their plans had certainly been well laid; and nothing but the discovery of them interfered with their success. Expecting an easy victory, they were confounded to find the whole project suddenly ruined.

Dunnett looked savagely discontented with the result; and Captain Bankhead was afraid he would be rash enough to rush upon the guns, and sacrifice his party. It would have been a terrible necessity to him to give the order for the destruction of so many human beings as must have followed the discharge of the twenty-four-pounders, especially as the engineers and two seamen were also exposed to the fire.

“You understand the matter now,” said Captain Bankhead, after the rebels had stared at the guns long enough to understand the situation. “It only remains for you to surrender.”

“Never!” yelled Dunnett, stamping his foot with rage.

“Very well: you can take your choice.”

The villain looked behind him, glancing at the shore ahead of the steamer. He evidently had something to hope for; as the rebels had the wheel and engine in their power, and could take the Middy where they pleased. Captain Bankhead then nipped this hope in the bud by sending Mr. McBride, with Jack Somers and two marines, to recover the wheel-house.

Unfortunately, the rebels who had captured Mr. Deane, the pilot, had taken his pistols from him; and the two men at the wheel were thus supplied with weapons. The lieutenant and his men were equally well armed, it is true; but the capture of the rebels involved the loss of some life, which a prudent officer should always avoid if possible. There was no other way, however; for the Confederates at the wheel, beginning to understand the state of affairs below, were putting the steamer about, probably with the intention of running her under the guns of some battery in the vicinity.

Mr. McBride ordered the marines to advance, and take the men at the wheel. They obeyed; but the rebels were prompt and decided in their resistance, and one of the marines fell. The other, intimidated by the fall of his companion, discharged his musket, and retreated. Jack, seeing how matters were going, climbed upon the top of the pilot’s stateroom,--which was a continuation of the wheel-house,--and advanced towards the scene of action.

“Shoot them, Somers!” said Mr. McBride, fearful that Jack might attempt to compromise the matter.

“Ay, ay, sir!” replied our sailor-boy, lying down upon his stomach, and creeping forward, with his revolver in his hand.

The lieutenant then approached the wheel-house with the marine, ready to take advantage of the panic which the other movement might occasion; though they did not show themselves to the enemy. Jack had now reached a point where he could see the rebels; for, as the reader remembers, the roof of the wheel-house had been blown off by the shot from the battery on shore. The two men were crouching behind the door, pistols in hand, ready to repel an assault in that direction. Jack took deliberate aim at the man who had one hand on the wheel, and fired. The wretch uttered an oath, and let go his hold, which caused the wheel to roll over; for the steamer was in the act of coming about. His companion, dismayed by this unexpected assault, turned to see whence it came, and to be in readiness to repel it. As he did so, Mr. McBride fired his pistol, but missed his aim.

The rebel, finding himself attacked in front and in flank, and not knowing from what direction the next assault might come, crouched down in the corner of the wheel-house, and cried for “quarter.” Jack Somers then dropped into the apartment from the broken roof, and grasped the wheel, while Mr. McBride and the marine seized the discomfited rebel. Mr. Deane, who had been thrust into the pilot’s stateroom for safe keeping, was called out; and the Middy, which had nearly run into the bank of the river during the affray, was again headed down stream.

The steamer was now a “house divided against itself,” having a Union pilot and a rebel engineer. The latter soon manifested his opposition to the dominant power in the wheel-house by stopping the engine. Mr. McBride, after the wounded rebel and the wounded marine had been placed in the pilot’s room, left the hurricane-deck to report to the captain on the quarter.

While these events were transpiring, Captain Bankhead had been parleying with Dunnett, endeavoring to prevent the scene of bloodshed which must follow more decided operations. When the rebel engineer stopped the engine at a signal from the chief conspirator, it was plain that no further temporizing must be allowed.

“I give you two minutes to surrender!” said the captain sternly. “At the end of that time, we shall fire upon you!”

“And blow your boat all to pieces!” sneered Dunnett, who evidently did not believe Captain Bankhead would put his threat into execution, except in self-defence.

“Whatever happens, we shall fire!” said the captain, taking out his watch.

Dunnett waited with compressed lips and glaring eyes until the captain announced that the time had nearly expired.

“Lie down, boys!” shouted the rebel leader; and, suiting the action to the words, he threw himself flat upon the deck, and the others followed his example.

Without any orders from the Captain, Tom Longstone and Raymond depressed the muzzles of the guns till they pointed into the midst of the two groups in the passageways.

“Those who wish to surrender, come aft!” said Captain Bankhead in a loud tone, so that all the rebels could hear him.

Before Dunnett could counteract the effects of this invitation upon his party, the miserable rebels began to crawl aft; for it was not in the nature of man to face the muzzles of those terrible guns, which at any instant might tear them in pieces. It was folly and madness to stand up or lie down in range of such savage persecutors.

The movement soon became general; and, as the rebels came aft, they were disarmed and secured by the seamen.

“Cowards!” yelled Dunnett. “Will you desert me? Will you put your necks into a halter?”

The words hissed from his mouth in the fearful rage he exhibited when he saw himself deserted by nearly all his party. He was a desperate man, and evidently had no regard for his own life or the lives of his men. He had risen from his recumbent posture when the stampede of his forces became general. Finding his words had no effect upon his frightened followers, he began to flourish his bowie-knife, and threatened to take the life of anyone who accepted the captain’s offer.

The force of example was potent; and apparently there were not more than half a dozen who were willing to stand by him in his reckless measures. The battle among the rebels themselves had actually commenced; and the desperado had stabbed two or three of his miserable crew, when Captain Bankhead considered it time for him to interfere. He ordered six marines to advance with bayonets, under the direction of Mr. Dickey, to be supported by half the crew with cutlasses and pistols.

Mr. Dickey, with his sword drawn, advanced valiantly to the charge. Dunnett, and the half-dozen rebels who still adhered to his failing fortunes, retreated to the bow of the steamer, passing over the wounded and frightened ones who had been vainly striving to escape the fury of their own leader.

“Come on, my men!” shouted Mr. Dickey, who led the way ten feet ahead of the marines, when the rebels fled from the heavy force sent to capture them.

He rushed forward, flourishing his sword in the air exactly as he had seen the weapon displayed in pictures of such desperate affrays. Dunnett probably inspired with a supreme contempt for this puny antagonist, and more likely with a desire to wreak his vengeance upon the authors of his discomfiture, advanced upon him; and the captain trembled for the fate of his little officer. But Mr. Dickey parried the blow of the bowie-knife with the trusty blade, which had hitherto been only an ornament in his hand; and, stepping back a pace or two, he drew his pistol, and fired. Dunnett fell. The marines then charged upon the others who supported him. Disheartened by the fate of their chief, they gave way, and, throwing down their knives, were made prisoners. The battle was ended, and the Middy still remained in possession of the original officers and crew.

“Mr. Dickey, you have done nobly!” said Captain Bankhead, when the gallant tars had given the cheers which are almost irrepressible after a victory.

“Hurrah!” shouted the crew, as the captain took the hand of his second-lieutenant.

“Thank you, sir. I have only endeavored to do my duty,” replied Mr. Dickey.

“You have done it bravely; and I thank you for your valuable services, which, I assure you, I shall not fail to embody in my report to the flag-officer.”

“I am very grateful to you, sir, both for the opportunity you afforded me of serving the cause, and for your kind appreciation of my humble endeavors to do my duty,” added Mr. Dickey.

“But there is another man on board who ought to be remembered at this time,--one who ferreted out this plot, and gave me the information in time to prevent its execution. Where is Somers?”

“Somers again!” exclaimed Mr. Dickey, facetiously repeating the captain’s words on a former occasion.

“I am here, sir,” said Jack, who, after the engine started, had come down from the wheel-house to witness the exciting events transpiring on the main-deck,--“I am here, sir; but----”

“Hurrah!” shouted the crew.

“The credit does not belong to me, Captain Bankhead,” continued Jack. “It was Tom Longstone----”

“Vast heavin’, my darling!” interposed that veteran. “It was Jack Somers, your honor. Don’t believe a word he says about me, sir.”

“It was Longstone who first found out about it, sir. He told me when he came up to relieve the wheel, at dinner-time.”

“Hurrah!” shouted the crew, swinging their caps in honor of the veteran quartermaster.

“Silence, my lads!” said the captain.

“Who climbed up the wind-sail, and heard what the lubbers had to say?” persisted Tom stoutly.

“We owe our safety to both of you; and both of you have behaved very handsomely during the affair.”

“Somers certainly has,” added Mr. McBride, who now reported the events which had taken place at the wheel-house.

“Somers again!” added Mr. Dickey.

Jack blushed, and was glad when the orders were given to dispose of the rebel prisoners. Dunnett was the only man killed during the exciting affray; the ball from Mr. Dickey’s pistol passing through his head. The marine wounded on the hurricane-deck was in a critical condition. The ball from Jack’s pistol had passed through the rebel’s shoulder; but his wound was not mortal. Three of the desperadoes, stabbed by Dunnett and his immediate supporters, appeared not to be dangerously hurt. All of these sufferers were placed in the cabin, and the surgeon was already attending to them.

When the usual order and quiet of the steamer had been restored, Captain Bankhead examined the prisoners in relation to the desperate enterprise they had undertaken. It was ascertained that Dunnett was a lieutenant in the light-battery which had fired upon the Middy in her passage up the river, and that the men were, most of them, members of the company. Dunnett had suggested the plot, and selected the men to carry it out. Knowing that the steamer would soon be beaten back by the heavy battery above, he had awaited her return, and hailed her under cover of a flag of truce. They had been provided with bowie-knives, which they had concealed about their persons, though they had not expected to be deprived of their guns and pistols. The wariness of Captain Bankhead had prevented the earlier execution of the treacherous scheme, which could hardly have failed of ultimate success if the suspicions of Tom Longstone and the investigations of Jack Somers had not disclosed it in season to prevent its accomplishment.

The Middy reached the Mississippi at dark, and joined the fleet which was blockading the mouth of the Red River. The next day, she reported to the flag-officer at Baton Rouge, and was ordered to New Orleans for repairs.