Frank on a Gun-Boat

  Produced by Suzanne Shell, Carla Kruger and the Online DistributedProofreading Team.

  FRANK SAVING THE BOAT]

  THE GUN-BOAT SERIES.

  FRANK ON A GUN-BOAT

  BY

  HARRY CASTLEMON,

  AUTHOR OF "THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES," "THE GO-AHEAD SERIES," ETC.

  1892.

  Contents.

  CHAPTER I.

  IN THE NAVY.

  CHAPTER II.

  LEARNING THE ROPES.

  CHAPTER III.

  SQUARING THE YARDS.

  CHAPTER IV.

  A MIDNIGHT ALARM.

  CHAPTER V.

  A DISCOMFITED REBEL.

  CHAPTER VI.

  FRANK'S FIRST EXPLOIT.

  CHAPTER VII.

  ON A GUN-BOAT.

  CHAPTER VIII.

  THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE LINES.

  CHAPTER IX.

  A UNION FAMILY.

  CHAPTER X.

  A SPUNKY REBEL.

  CHAPTER XI.

  FRANK A PRISONER.

  CHAPTER XII.

  THE ESCAPE.

  CHAPTER XIII.

  THE FAITHFUL NEGRO.

  CHAPTER XIV.

  CHASED BY BLOOD-HOUNDS.

  CHAPTER XV.

  THE RESCUE.

  CHAPTER XVI.

  A FRIEND IN NEED.

  CHAPTER XVII.

  THE SCENE AT THE PLANTATION.

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  ALMOST BETRAYED.

  CHAPTER XIX.

  CONCLUSION.

  FRANK ON A GUN-BOAT.

  CHAPTER I.

  In the Navy.

  "Well, Frank, did you bring home the evening's paper?" inquired Mrs.Nelson, as her son entered the room where she was sitting.

  "Yes, ma'am. Here it is!" answered Frank, producing it. "But there isno news in it. The Army of the Potomac has not moved yet. I don't seewhat makes them wait so long. Why don't McClellan go to work and thrashthe rebels?"

  "You must remember that the rebels have about as many men as we have,"answered his mother. "Perhaps, if McClellan should undertake to 'thrash'the rebels, as you say, he would get whipped himself"

  "That makes no difference," answered Frank. "If I was in his place, andthe rebels _should_ whip me, it wouldn't do any good, for I'd renew thebattle every day, as long as I had a man left."

  It was toward the close of the first year of the war, during the "masterlyinactivity" of the Army of the Potomac. For almost eight months McClellanhad been lying idle in his encampment, holding in check that splendidarmy, which, with one blow, could have crushed out the rebellion, andallowing the rebels ample time to encircle their capital withfortifications, before which the blood of loyal men was to be poured outlike water. The people of the North were growing impatient; and "On toRichmond!" was the cry from every part of the land.

  From the time Fort Sumter had fallen, Frank had been deeply interested inwhat as going on. The insults which had been heaped upon the flag underwhich his grandfather had fought and died, made the blood boil in hisveins, and he often wished that he could enlist with the brave defendersof his country. He grew more excited each day, as the struggle went on,and the news of a triumph or defeat would fire his spirit, and he longedto be standing side by side with the soldiers of the Union, that he mightshare in their triumphs, or assist in retrieving their disasters.

  He was left almost alone now, for many of the boys of his acquaintance hadshouldered their muskets and gone off with the others; and that very dayhe had met Harry Butler, who had enlisted as a private, wearing theuniform of a lieutenant, which he had won by his bravery at Fort Donelson.

  He had never said one word to his mother about enlisting, for he was anonly son, and he dreaded to ask her permission. But that mother's quickeye easily read what was going on in her son's mind. She had Puritan bloodin her veins; her ancestors had fought in the war of the Revolution, andshe had resolved that, if Frank wished to go, she would give her fullconsent. A mother's heart alone can tell the struggle it had cost her tocome to this determination.

  "I've got a letter from Archie, also," said Frank.

  His mother took it from his hand, and read as follows:

  Portland, _March_ 18, 1862.

  Dear Cousin:

  I am about to tell you something which you will call strange news. Father has at last given his consent to my going to war, provided you will go too. He says that if I go, I must have you with me, to take care of me, and keep me straight. I suppose he thinks I will never go if I am obliged to wait for you, for he says your mother will not consent to your going. You can ask her, any way. You know you always wanted to have a hand in putting down this rebellion.

  If we go at all, I think the best plan is to enter the navy. It is a much better branch of the service than the army--the discipline is better; there are no long marches to endure; and, wherever you go, your house goes with you.

  Now, be sure and do your best, for now is our chance, if ever. Please write immediately, for I am afraid father will change his mind.

  Yours, in haste, Archibald Winters.

  When Mrs. Nelson had read the letter, she handed it back to her sonwithout saying a word.

  "Well, mother, what do you think of it?" inquired Frank.

  "The matter rests entirely with you, my son," answered Mrs. Nelson,dropping her sewing into her lap. "Do just as you think best."

  "Do you say I may go?" inquired Frank, joyfully.

  "Certainly. You have my full consent to go, if you wish to."

  "Oh, mother," exclaimed Frank, springing up and throwing his arms aroundher neck, "I wish I had known, long ago, that you were willing to have mego."

  "Where are you going, Frank?" inquired Julia, who had a vague suspicion ofwhat was going on.

  "I'm off to the war," answered her brother. "I am going into the navy withArchie."

  "Oh, Frank," she exclaimed, bursting into tears, "you must not go. There'senough in the army without you. You will certainly get shot."

  "I'll never be shot in the back," said Frank; "you may rely on that. Butyou don't suppose that every one who goes to war gets shot, do you? I maybe one of the lucky ones; so don't cry any more."

  But Julia could not control her feelings. The thought that her brother wasto be exposed to the slightest danger was terrible; and Frank, seeing thatit would do no good to talk to her, left the room, and went into hisstudy, where he wrote to Archie, stating that he would start for Portlandthe next day. He spent the forenoon in wandering about the house andorchard, taking a long and lingering look at each familiar object. Helocked the museum, and gave the key to Julia, who was close at his sidewherever he went. Even Brave seemed to have an idea of what was going on,for he followed his master about, and would look into his face and whine,as though he was well aware that they were about to be separated.

  Immediately after dinner, the carriage which was to convey Frank and hisbaggage to the Julia Burton drew up before the door. The parting time hadcome. "Good-by, mother," said Frank, as he stood at the door, ready to go.

  "Good-by, my son," said Mrs. Nelson, straining him to her bosom, andstruggling hard to keep back a sob. "We may never see you again, but Ihope I shall never hear that you shrunk from your duty."

  Frank could not reply--his breast was too full for utterance: and hastilykissing his sister, and shaking Hannah's hand, he hurried down the walktoward the gate. He had not gone far before Brave came bounding after him.

  "Go back, old fellow," said Frank, caressing the faithful animal; "youcan't go with me this time. It will be a long while before you and I willgo anywhere together again. Go back, sir."

  Brave understood his master perfectly; and h
e turned and trotted towardthe house, looking back now and then, and whining, as if urging his masterto allow him to go too. Frank did not stop to look back, but sprang intothe carriage, and the driver closed the door after him, and mounted to hisseat and drove off. He had scarcely time to get his baggage on board thesteamer before she moved off into the stream. And Frank was glad it wasso, for the longer he remained in sight of the village, the harder grewthe struggle to leave it. But, at length, every familiar object was leftbehind, and being surrounded by new scenes, Frank gradually recovered hisusual spirits.

  In two days he arrived at Portland, and as he was getting off the cars, hewas seized by Archie, who had come to the depot to meet him.

  "I'm glad to see you," said the latter; "it is lucky that you wrote justas you did, for father has said a dozen times that I can't go. But I guesshe will not refuse me, now that you are here."

  "I hope not," said Frank; "we can go as well as any one else. If every onewas to stay at home, we shouldn't have any army at all."

  "That's just what I told father; but he didn't seem to see it. He saysthere are some who ought to go, for they are of no earthly use here; buthe thinks that boys like you and me ought to stay at home until we knowenough to take care of ourselves."

  But Mr. Winters did not raise many objections when he found that Frank hadobtained his mother's consent; and, on the next day but one after Frank'sarrival, he accompanied the boys on board the receiving-ship, where theywere speedily examined and sworn in. Each was then supplied with a bagand hammock, and two suits of clothes; and, when they were rigged out intheir blue shirts and wide pants, they made fine-looking sailors. At Mr.Winters' request they were granted permission to remain on shore until araft of men was ready to be sent away. The boys were allowed to do prettymuch as they pleased while they remained, for, as they were to leave sosoon, Mr. Winters could not find it in his heart to raise any objectionsto the plans they proposed for their amusement. Besides, he knew thatArchie was in good hands, for Frank was a boy of excellent habits, andpossessed sufficient moral courage to say _no_, when tempted to dowrong; and, as he had great influence over his cousin, Mr. Winters knewtheir conduct would be such as he could approve.

  At length, one morning, when they went on board the receiving-ship toreport as usual, they were ordered to present themselves at the depot attwo o'clock that afternoon, with their bags and hammocks, in readiness totake the train for the West. The boys were a good deal disappointed whenthey heard this, for the idea of serving out their year on the MississippiRiver was not an agreeable one. They had hoped to be ordered to the coast.But, as Archie remarked, it was "too late to back out," and they wereobliged to submit. When Archie came to bid farewell to his parents, hefound it to be a much more difficult task than he had expected. The tearswould come to his eyes, in spite of himself, as he embraced his mother;and, as soon as he could disengage himself from her arms, he seized hisbag and hammock, and rushed out of the house to conceal his emotion. Whenthey reached the depot, they found that the draft to which they belongednumbered nearly two hundred men, some of whom were old sailors, whileothers, like themselves, were entirely unacquainted with the life theywere about to lead.

  The journey to Cairo--which was then the naval depot of the Westernrivers--was a long and tedious one. They were treated with the greatestkindness by the officers who accompanied them, and at almost every stationthe people would flock around the cars with baskets of provisions, whichwere freely distributed.

  Early on the fifth morning they reached their destination, and wereimmediately marched on board a small steamer which lay alongside of thenaval wharf-boat, and carried to the receiving-ship, which lay anchored inthe middle of the river.