It's good for five-mile shots." "This is her midship gun, you say ?" "Midship gun, sir; 'n I heard 'em say it flung a shot nigh on to a hundred pounds," added Bokes.
Both Christy and Graines asked the man other questions; but he had not made good use of his opportunities, and knew very little about the armament of the Tallahatchie; yet he remembered what he had heard others say about her principal gun.

The lieutenant knew all about the Armstrong piece, for he had in his stateroom the volume on "Ordinance and Gunnery," by Simpson, and he had diligently studied it.
"Mr.Passford," said one of the hands at the head of the companion ladder.
"On deck," replied Christy.
"Steamer on the port bow," added the seaman.
"That must be the Bellevite," said the lieutenant.
"Now you may go on deck, Bokes," added Graines, as he drove the boozer ahead of him, and followed his superior.
He instructed the men in the waist to keep an eye on Bokes, and sent him forward.

Then he took the precaution to lock the doors at the companion-way, and joined Christy on the quarterdeck.
"That's the Bellevite without a doubt," said Christy, as he directed the spy-glass he had taken from the brackets, and was still looking through it.

"But she is farther to the eastward than I expected to find her." "I suppose her commander knows what he is about," replied Graines.
"Certainly he does; and I do not criticise his action." All the steamers on the blockade except the Bellevite and the one in the west had been sent away on other duty, for it was believed that the former would be enough to overhaul anything that was likely to come out of Mobile Bay at this stage of the war.

Sure of the steamer of which he was the executive officer, Christy directed his glass towards the one on the other side of the channel.