In the pantry he found a rolling-pin, which the cook must have left there for some other purpose.
This implement he applied to the bow-handle of the fixture on the door.
It would not fit the iron loop, but he whittled it down on one side with his pocket-knife till he made it fit exactly in its place with some hard pressure.

But shaking the door might cause it to drop out, and he completed the job by lashing it to the handle of the door with a lanyard he had in his pocket.

When he had finished his work he was confident the captain could not get out of his room unless he broke down the door, which he lacked the means to accomplish.
"West Wind, ahoy!" shouted some one from the stern of the steamer before the engineer had completed his work in the cabin.
Christy thought that French's voice was a better imitation of Captain Sullendine's than his own, and he directed him to reply to the hail, telling him what to say.
"On board the Tallahatchie!" returned the seaman at the lieutenant's dictation.
"Are you all ready ?" shouted the same officer.
"All ready, sir!" replied French.
"Captain Rombold will get under way in five minutes!" called the speaker on the stern of the steamer.

"Wait for three short whistles, and then heave up your anchor!" "Understood, and all right," added the spokesman of the West Wind.
"Captain Rombold!" exclaimed Christy to himself, as he heard for the first time the name of the commander of the Tallahatchie.
The lieutenant, acting as the servant of the French detective at St.
George's in the Bermudas, had seen Captain Rombold, and had heard him converse for an hour with Mr.Gilfleur, when he was in command of the Dornoch, which had been captured by the Chateaugay, on board of which Christy was a passenger.

He was known to be a very able and brave officer, and his defeat was owing more to the heavier metal of the loyal ship than to any lack of skill or courage on the part of the Confederate commander.