The fog, which had been coming and going during the whole of the night,
had now lifted so that everything in the vicinity of the 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.