The man who had hailed us from the forecastle, and had fired without further warning, now stood at the starboard gangway, where a hanging companionway trailed in the water. He wore a shabby uniform, such as I had seen some of Dunmore's officers wear when doing their so-called patrol duty on the river. He was short and stout, with a red face, his shifty, fishy eyes looking like two little gray dots on either side of a nose that much resembled a boil.
As we drew alongside he bawled out orders, the men hauled flat the head sheets, and instantly the schooner began to forge ahead. Some one threw a line and a man in the boat caught it, making her fast at the companionway, up which the officer in charge of us scrambled to the main deck. We were quickly sent aboard, followed by the boat's crew, and were lined up in the gangway between a file of soldiers, while the small boat was dropped astern to tow in the vessel's wake.
CHAPTER V
We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations. No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear. I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose. He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind. Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze. Finally the Captain spoke.
"Mr. Rose," he said, in a thick, raucous voice, "are these the men who fired on us?"
"Yes, sir," replied our thin faced captor, holding the handkerchief containing our valuables in one hand, while he saluted with the other.
"Then what d'ye mean by bringing them aboard this vessel, sir?" he roared. "Haven't I told you, sir, to shoot every rebel caught with arms on him? Hey! Answer me that, sir! Answer, or I'll break you sir!"
"They claim to be gentlemen, Captain Cahill," said our captor, meekly.