channel
like the back of his hand, but the captain of the San Francisco didn't,
and she grounded. Hampton picked up the survivors and put 'em in irons and
sailed to Nassau, where he unloaded the prisoners and a cargo of tobacco and
stored up on provisions and coal. And then he headed north and proceeded to
burn three of our merchant ships. Well, it was July, right after Read, and the
Navy was hopping mad and they sent three ships after him.
"One
of them found him and engaged battle. What a fight! The Union captain was a
canny one, too, and they dodged each other and swooped in and fired a shot and
then they'd sweep around right quick to miss a broadside. Well, finally Hampton
got the better of him and the Union ship retreated. But Hampton's ship was
badly damaged and he was running low on ammunition, so he starts back to a friendly
port. Only on his way there, he runs into the second ship we got looking for
him!"
"Oh,
no!"
"Oh,
yes. Now the Reb knows that this ain't the time and place for a fight, so he
tries to sneak past them—runs up a British flag and just sails on. But the
second ship sees that one of the masts has been snapped and he looks at her
real close and can see that she's been in a fight. So he flashes to her to
identify herself and explain her condition. Well, Hampton signals back that he
had been mistaken for a Yankee ship by a Confederate raider. 'Which one?'
signals our ship. 'The Artemis,' he signals back—well, that's the name
of his own ship, and of course the Union skipper is hot to go after it and goes
sailing off in the direction Hampton tells him. Hampton would have gotten clean
away if he hadn't had bad luck. One of his engines conked out on him, so he was
just limping to port. And meanwhile, our second ship crosses paths with the
first and realizes that it was the Artemis he'd been talking to. So he
goes tearing out after him and manages to catch him because Hampton was so
slowed. Well, Hampton was the better skipper and he did some fancy maneuvering,
but his ship was crippled and he ran out of shot. And so we got him."
"Bravo!"
said a deep voice behind them, and Katherine and Teddy spun around. Matthew
Hampton stood in the doorway. "You tell it as if you'd been there,
lad."
"I'd
like to have been."
"Well,
I've brought you an errand to run, boy. Mr. MacPherson has grievous need of a
certain sort of nail, and it seems there are none to be found in the
yard."
"A
broadhead, no doubt," Katherine said and sighed. "We've had terrible
trouble getting them since the war started."
"You're
absolutely right. And since Mr. MacPherson thinks they might not sell any to
one of us," he lifted his hands to show his chains and grinned bitterly,
"he wants you to run down some for him."
"All
right." Teddy jumped off his stool and bundled himself into his coat and
woolen cap, eager to spend some time outside instead of cooped up in the
office. He ran out the front door. Hampton closed it behind him, then turned to
face Katherine.
She
felt a sudden twinge of fear. His hard, masculine presence seemed to fill the
room, and she was all alone with him. She forgot that only an hour before, he
had seemed thinner and almost ill to her; now she noticed only that his
rolled-up sleeves revealed well-muscled arms, that he was poised like an animal
about to spring, that his hands were large and strong.
To
hide her apprehension, she said calmly, "Are you the same Hampton that
Teddy was talking about?"
"I
am, and his tale is mostly true." His face was expressionless, but there
was an odd glitter in his gray eyes.
"Hadn't
you better return now? The guards will think you have escaped."
"I'm
not unused to being in disfavor with the guards."
"I'm
sure you're not!" she snapped.
He
laughed, but there was no amusement in his eyes. Slowly he started toward her,
the litheness of his walk marred by the clinking chains. Katherine gulped and
retreated a little.
"Captain
Hampton, my father is in his office; I think it would be
like the back of his hand, but the captain of the San Francisco didn't,
and she grounded. Hampton picked up the survivors and put 'em in irons and
sailed to Nassau, where he unloaded the prisoners and a cargo of tobacco and
stored up on provisions and coal. And then he headed north and proceeded to
burn three of our merchant ships. Well, it was July, right after Read, and the
Navy was hopping mad and they sent three ships after him.
"One
of them found him and engaged battle. What a fight! The Union captain was a
canny one, too, and they dodged each other and swooped in and fired a shot and
then they'd sweep around right quick to miss a broadside. Well, finally Hampton
got the better of him and the Union ship retreated. But Hampton's ship was
badly damaged and he was running low on ammunition, so he starts back to a friendly
port. Only on his way there, he runs into the second ship we got looking for
him!"
"Oh,
no!"
"Oh,
yes. Now the Reb knows that this ain't the time and place for a fight, so he
tries to sneak past them—runs up a British flag and just sails on. But the
second ship sees that one of the masts has been snapped and he looks at her
real close and can see that she's been in a fight. So he flashes to her to
identify herself and explain her condition. Well, Hampton signals back that he
had been mistaken for a Yankee ship by a Confederate raider. 'Which one?'
signals our ship. 'The Artemis,' he signals back—well, that's the name
of his own ship, and of course the Union skipper is hot to go after it and goes
sailing off in the direction Hampton tells him. Hampton would have gotten clean
away if he hadn't had bad luck. One of his engines conked out on him, so he was
just limping to port. And meanwhile, our second ship crosses paths with the
first and realizes that it was the Artemis he'd been talking to. So he
goes tearing out after him and manages to catch him because Hampton was so
slowed. Well, Hampton was the better skipper and he did some fancy maneuvering,
but his ship was crippled and he ran out of shot. And so we got him."
"Bravo!"
said a deep voice behind them, and Katherine and Teddy spun around. Matthew
Hampton stood in the doorway. "You tell it as if you'd been there,
lad."
"I'd
like to have been."
"Well,
I've brought you an errand to run, boy. Mr. MacPherson has grievous need of a
certain sort of nail, and it seems there are none to be found in the
yard."
"A
broadhead, no doubt," Katherine said and sighed. "We've had terrible
trouble getting them since the war started."
"You're
absolutely right. And since Mr. MacPherson thinks they might not sell any to
one of us," he lifted his hands to show his chains and grinned bitterly,
"he wants you to run down some for him."
"All
right." Teddy jumped off his stool and bundled himself into his coat and
woolen cap, eager to spend some time outside instead of cooped up in the
office. He ran out the front door. Hampton closed it behind him, then turned to
face Katherine.
She
felt a sudden twinge of fear. His hard, masculine presence seemed to fill the
room, and she was all alone with him. She forgot that only an hour before, he
had seemed thinner and almost ill to her; now she noticed only that his
rolled-up sleeves revealed well-muscled arms, that he was poised like an animal
about to spring, that his hands were large and strong.
To
hide her apprehension, she said calmly, "Are you the same Hampton that
Teddy was talking about?"
"I
am, and his tale is mostly true." His face was expressionless, but there
was an odd glitter in his gray eyes.
"Hadn't
you better return now? The guards will think you have escaped."
"I'm
not unused to being in disfavor with the guards."
"I'm
sure you're not!" she snapped.
He
laughed, but there was no amusement in his eyes. Slowly he started toward her,
the litheness of his walk marred by the clinking chains. Katherine gulped and
retreated a little.
"Captain
Hampton, my father is in his office; I think it would be
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