Free Blockade Runner by Gilbert L. Morris

air.”
    They sang the chorus:
    “Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Maid of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee,
And swallows in the air.”
    Then they sang the other verses:
    “In thy blush the rose was born,
Music when you spake,
Through thine azure eyes the morn,
Sparkling seemed to break.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Birds of crimson wing
Never song have sung to me
As in that sweet spring.
    “Aura Lea! The bird may flee,
The willow’s golden hair
Swing through winter fitfully,
On the stormy air,
Yet if thy blue eyes I see,
Gloom will soon depart;
For to me, sweet Aura Lea,
Is sunshine through the heart.
    “When the mistletoe was green,
Midst the winter’s snows,
Sunshine in thy face was seen,
Kissing lips of rose.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Take my golden ring;
Love and light return with thee,
And swallows in the spring.”
    They sang for two hours—“Dixie,” “Lorena,” “The Wearing of the Gray,” and many others.
    After the party, Belle gave Leah a kiss. “That was very thoughtful of you, Leah. I know it was your idea. No one else knew it was my birthday.”
    “Oh, it was fun making the cake.”
    “When we get to Bermuda, I’ll take you out and buy you a meal at a fine restaurant. They say there’s all sorts of things to do there.”
    As it happened, however, Leah never got the meal that Belle Boyd promised her. Later she thought about how strange it was: life was so uncertain that one could never be sure of even such a simple thing as a meal.

9
The USS Connecticut
    L eah was awakened by shouting on the deck. She started out of a sound sleep, confused by the pounding of feet running outside her cabin. Sitting up straight, she rubbed her eyes and shook her head. Then she heard the captain’s voice yelling commands.
    Quickly she jumped out of bed and hastily dressed. Stepping outside, she saw that the morning was just beginning to dawn. She was joined at the ship’s rail by Belle, who had evidently dressed as hurriedly as she herself. They stared at each other for a moment, then looked over the sea.
    “What is it?” Leah asked.
    “Another Federal warship—just exactly what we didn’t need!” Belle nodded toward the east.
    There, outlined against the gray, milky-looking sky, was the dreaded form of an approaching warship. It had been two days since the
Greyhound
had escaped the first Union ship; now here was another!
    “We’ll outrun them,” Leah said confidently. “The captain knows how to dodge them. We’ll slip away, and they’ll never catch us!” Actually she was not sure of this, but she spoke as if she were.
    Apparently Captain Bier was not sure. He had a worried look on his face. As Lieutenant Mailer stood beside him, he lifted his spyglass and peered through it.
    “What is it, Captain? Can you make ’er out?” the lieutenant asked anxiously.
    “I think it isn’t good news for us.” He would say no more about the warship but added, “Have the hands served breakfast. It may be a long chase, and I want the men in good shape.”
    He began to pace back and forth on the deck, pausing from time to time to look at the horizon. There was a stiffness in his back and a frown on his face.
    By now almost all hands were topside, staring at the enemy ship.
    John Pollard approached Bier, saying, “What is it, Captain?”
    “Federal warship, and a fast one, I’m thinking.”
    Pollard’s brow wrinkled. “They caught us at a bad time. If it was almost dark, we might slip away. Now, we’ll just have to outrun her.”
    “And I’m not sure we can do that,” Captain Bier said calmly. “We’re out of the better grade of coal—and I don’t think we can use the turpentine trick again.” He lifted the spyglass and stared at the approaching ship. “I hope I’m wrong, but that may be the USS
Connecticut.”
    “You know her, Captain?”
    Captain Bier lowered the glass, folded it up, and held it at his side. “I know her,” he said. “She’s the fastest ship the Federals have.”
    “Not faster than