fort could be
seen; but across the point, down the ship channel, it was dense, dark,
and black. The wind was fresh from the south-west, which rolled up the
fog banks, and then rolled them away. Such was the atmospheric condition
near Mobile Point, and Christy believed it was the same at the
southward. He thought it probable that the commander of the Tallahatchie
would wait for a more favorable time than the present appeared to be
before he got under way.

"All hands to the forecastle," he called to the men on the cotton bales.

All of them, knowing his voice as well as they knew their own names,
hastened to answer to the call.

"We have to heave up the anchor with a windlass, Mr. Graines," said he
to the engineer. "We had better get the hang of it while we have time to
do so. Ship the handspikes, my men."

Doubtless all of them had worked a windlass before, for every one of
them was an able seaman, which had been one of the elements in their
selection, and they went to work very handily. A turn or two was given,
which started the vessel ahead, showing that the anchor was not hove
entirely short. Graines went to the bow, and reported a considerable
slant of the cable with the surface of the water. Christy ordered the
six seamen to work the windlass, with French to take in the slack. They
continued to heave over with the handspikes for some time longer.

"Cable up and down, sir," reported Graines.

"Avast heaving!" added the lieutenant; and he had taken the command,
paying no attention to the fact that he was the second mate under the
new order of things, and the engineer did not remind him that he was
the chief officer. "Let off the cable a couple of notches, so that the
anchor will not break out. Make fast to the bitts, French, but don't
foul it with the towline."

"We are all right now," said Graines, as he moved aft from the heel of
the bowsprit.

"What time is it now?" asked the lieutenant. "Bring that lantern
forward, Lines."

"Ten minutes of three," replied the engineer, holding his watch up to
the light.

"The fog is settling down again, and I have no doubt the captain of
the steamer will get under way at about the hour named," said Christy,
putting his hand on the wire towline, and giving it a shake, to assure
himself that it was all clear. "Now, Mr. Graines, or rather, Mr. Balker,
as you are the mate and I am only the second mate, I think you had
better go aft and see that all goes well there."