Within The Enemy's Lines by Oliver Optic (great books of all time .TXT) 📗

The Blue and the Gray Series TAKEN BY THE ENEMY
WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES
ON THE BLOCKADE   In Press Lee and Shepard Publishers Boston

The Blue and the Gray Series WITHIN
THE ENEMY’S LINES BY OLIVER OPTIC AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES," "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD,"
"THE GREAT WESTERN SERIES," "THE WOODVILLE STORIES," "THE
STARRY FLAG SERIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE
ONWARD AND UPWARD SERIES," "THE YACHT-CLUB
SERIES," "THE LAKE-SHORE SERIES," "THE
RIVERDALE SERIES," "THE BOAT-
BUILDER SERIES," "TAKEN
BY THE ENEMY," ETC. BOSTON 1890
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS 10 MILK STREET NEXT "THE OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE"
NEW YORK CHAS. T. DILLINGHAM
718 AND 720 BROADWAY Copyright, 1889,
By Lee and Shepard. All rights reserved. WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES. A MON JEUNE AMI, (QUE JE N'AI JAMAIS VU, ET QUE JE NE CONNAIS PAS,) Monsieur Lucien Bing, DE PARIS, FRANCE, En Reconnaissance de la Bonté de son Père,
Cette Historiette de la Guerre Civile en Amerique
Est affectueusement Dédié. 7 PREFACE

"Within the Enemy's Lines" is the second volume of "The Blue and the Gray Series." Like its predecessor, of course, its scenes are connected with the war of the Rebellion; and perhaps the writer ought to be thankful that he is not required in such a work to rise to the dignity of history, but he believes that all his events were possible, and that every one of them has had its parallel in the actual occurrences of the historic period of which he writes. In fact, some of the experiences of the actors in the terrible drama of a quarter of a century ago would pass more readily for fiction than for reality, and detailed on the pages of a story would be deemed impossible by the conservative reader.

The nation has passed out of its ordeal of fire, and an excellent spirit on the part of both parties to the great strife is still growing and strengthening, 8 in spite of an occasional exhibition of folly on both sides on the part of those who have not outlived the bitterness of the past, and who probably will not outlive it. The time will certainly come when the memories of the conflict, the repetition of the stories of the war, and even the partisan praise bestowed upon the heroes of both sides, will excite no more ill feeling than does an allusion to the War of the Roses in England.

In this country the advocate of either side will tell his story, relate his history, and jingle his verse in his own way, and from his own standpoint. Those upon the other side will be magnanimous enough to tolerate him, at least in silence. Histories, romances, poems, and plays relating to the war, are produced in greater numbers as the gap between the days of battle and the days of peace widens; but the old fires are not rekindled, the old bitterness still slumbers, and the Great United Nation still lives on in perfect peace.

The author hopes he has done nothing on these pages to impair the growing harmony between the two sections which have happily become one, or to impregnate the minds of those who have been born since the strife ended with any of its 9 bitterness. He has endeavored to make as high-toned men on the one side as the other, with the same moral sentiment in the one party as the other, and to exhibit their only difference in the one great question of Union or Disunion.

Dorchester, May 2, 1889.

"He saw Two Men making their way through the Grove."—Page 28.

11 CONTENTS page CHAPTER I. An Unexpected Visitor 15 CHAPTER II. A Difference of Opinion 27 CHAPTER III. The dignified Naval Officer 37 CHAPTER IV. Corny Passford plays Another Part 48 CHAPTER V. Captain Carboneer and his Party 59 CHAPTER VI. The Cabin of the Florence 70 CHAPTER VII. Midshipman Christy Passford 81 CHAPTER VIII. Arranging the Signals 92 CHAPTER IX. The Approach of the Vampire 103 CHAPTER X. 12 A Shot from the Long Gun 114 CHAPTER XI. The Battle alongside the Bellevite 125 CHAPTER XII. The Prisoner of War 136 CHAPTER XIII. After the Battle 146 CHAPTER XIV. The Beginning of a Chase 157 CHAPTER XV. A Chase off the Bermudas 168 CHAPTER XVI. The Confederate Steamer Yazoo 179 CHAPTER XVII. A Satisfactory Order 190 CHAPTER XVIII. Lieutenant Passford in Command 201 CHAPTER XIX. Some Trouble on Board the Teaser 212 CHAPTER XX. Coming to the Point 223 CHAPTER XXI. 13 On a Dark and Foggy Night 234 CHAPTER XXII. A Variety of Night Signals 245 CHAPTER XXIII. Another Night Expedition 256 CHAPTER XXIV. Lieutenant Passford on a Mission 206 CHAPTER XXV. Christy becomes a Victim 278 CHAPTER XXVI. The Action on the Deck of the Teaser 289 CHAPTER XXVII. A Visit from Colonel Homer Passford 300 CHAPTER XXVIII. An Enterprise for a Dark Night 311 CHAPTER XXIX. The New Mate of the Cotton Schooner 322 CHAPTER XXX. The Prize-Master of the Judith 333 15 WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES CHAPTER I AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

"Cornelius!" exclaimed Captain Passford, as a young man of nineteen was shown into the library of the magnificent dwelling of the millionnaire at Bonnydale, on the Hudson.

"Cornelius Passford, Uncle Horatio," replied the young man, as the captain rushed to him and extended his hand.

"I think there can be no mistake about it; and I should have been no more surprised if Mr. Jefferson Davis had been ushered into my library at this moment," continued Captain Passford, still retaining the hand of his nephew. "I understood that you were a soldier in the Confederate army."

"I was a soldier; but I am not one just now," replied the visitor, with some embarrassment in 16 his manner, though the circumstances were strange enough to account for it.

"How are your father and mother and Miss Gerty, Corny?" asked the uncle of the visitor, giving the young man the name by which he was generally called both at home and in the family of his uncle.

"They were all very well when I left them," replied Corny, looking on the floor, as though he was not altogether satisfied with himself.

"Of course, you brought letters from your father and Gerty?"

"No, sir; I brought no letters," replied Corny, and, more than before, he looked as though he was not enjoying his present visit.

"No letters!" exclaimed Captain Passford, evidently surprised beyond measure at the apparent want of kindly feeling on the part of members of his brother's family in the South.

"Not a letter, Uncle Horatio," answered Corny, bracing himself up, as though he realized that he was not presenting a demeanor such as he thought the occasion required of him.

"This is very strange," added Captain Passford, with a cloud playing on his fine features.

17 "It is war between the North and the South, Uncle Horatio, and I suppose my father did not feel like writing any letters. Gerty never writes any letters if she can help it," Corny explained.

"But Gerty used to write to Florry about once a week."

"Did she? I didn't know it. She never would write to me when I was away from home," said Corny, who seemed to be very anxious not to say anything that was not consistent with the present situation, whatever it was.

"When I parted with my brother on board of the Bellevite, both of us shed tears as we realized that war made enemies of us; but each of us promised to do all he could for the other in case of need. I am very sure that there was not the slightest unkind feeling between us. Of course, I did not expect him to write me the war news, but I think he could have written a few lines without any allusion to the war," said Captain Passford, pained at this want of filial affection on the part of his brother.

At that moment the bell for tea rang, and the captain invited his nephew to the table with him. The host was saddened by the absence of news from 18 his brother, of any kindly expression from one