A portion of
the cotton had either been hoisted out of the hold, or had been left on
deck, to form the hiding-places for the men. The captain must have had
early notice of the approach of the Bellevite and Bronx; but there had
been time enough after the former began to fire at the battery to enable
him to make all his preparations.
Captain Stopfoot was not to be seen, and was probably in the
pilot-house. The officer concluded that there must be as many as four
men in the hold attending to the stowage of the bales, and four more
could be seen tumbling the cargo through the hatches. This accounted for
eight men; and this was the number Christy had figured out as the crew
of the Reindeer, though there was doubtless a man at the wheel. The
force was about equal to his own, not counting the engineers and the
firemen.
Christy stationed his men as he believed Captain Stopfoot had arranged
his force. The cabin was in a deck-house; between the door of it and the
piles of cotton was a vacant space of about six feet fore and aft, which
could not be overlooked from the forward part of the vessel. It was here
that the first movement had been made.
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