CHAPTER XXXV.
Captain Tolley and the Storm King.
The next day furnished with a brief note of introduction, MasterRaymond, with the aid of a skiff, put himself on the deck of the StormKing. Captain Tolley received him with due courtesy, wondering who thestranger was. The Captain was a well-built, athletic, though not verylarge man, with a face naturally dark in hue, and bronzed by exposure tothe southern sun. As Master Raymond ascertained afterwards, he was theson of an English father and a Spanish mother; and he could speakEnglish, French and Spanish with equal facility. While he consideredhimself an Englishman of birth, his nationality sat very loosely uponhim; and, if need be, he was just as willing to run up the French orSpanish colors on the Storm King, as the red cross of St. George.
After reading the note of introduction, Captain Tolley gave a keen lookat his visitor. "Yes, the Storm King is a bird and a beauty," said heproudly. "Look at her! See what great wings she has! And what a hull, tocut the seas! She was built after my own plans. Give me plenty ofsea-room, and a fair start, and I will laugh at all the gun frigates ofthe royal navy."
"She looks to be all you say," said his visitor admiringly--but rathersurprised that not an oath had yet fallen from the lips of the Captain.He had not learned that Captain Tolley, to use his own language, "neverwashed his ammunition in port or in mild weather." When aroused by asevere storm or other peril, the Captain was transformed into adifferent man. Then, in the war of the elements, or of man's angrypassions, he also lightened and thundered, and swore big guns.
"Let us go down into the cabin," said the Captain. Reaching there, hefilled a couple of glasses with wine and putting the decanter on thetable, invited his visitor to be seated. Then, closing the door, he saidwith a smile, "nothing that is said inside this cabin ever is toldanywhere else."
There was that in the speech, bearing and looks of Captain Tolley whichinspired Master Raymond with great confidence in him. "I feel that I maytrust you, Captain," he said earnestly.
"I have done business for a great many gentlemen, and no one ever foundme untrue to him," replied Captain Tolley, proudly. "Some things I willnot do for anybody, or for any price; but that ends it. I never betrayconfidence."
"Do you believe in witches, Captain?"
"Indeed I do."
"Well I suppose that settles it," replied the young man in adisappointed tone, rising to his feet.
"I know a little witch down in Jamaica, that has been tormenting mealmost to death for the last three years. But I tell you she is abeauty--as pretty as, as--the Storm King! She doesn't carry quite asmany petticoats though," added the Captain laughing.
"Oh! That is the kind of witch you mean!" and Master Raymond sat downagain.
"It is the only kind that I ever came across--and they are bad enoughfor me," responded the Captain drily.
"I know a little witch of that kind," said Master Raymond, humoring theCaptain's fancy; "but she is now in Boston prison, and in danger of herlife."
"Ah! I think I have heard something of her--very beautiful, is she not?I caught a glimpse of her when I went up to see Captain Alden, who thebigoted fools have got in limbo there. I could not help laughing atAlden--the idea of calling him a witch. Alden is a religious man, youknow!"
"But it may cost him his life!"
"That is what I went to see him about. I offered to come up with a partysome night, break open the jail, and carry him off to New York in theStorm King."
"Well?"
"Oh, you know the better people are not in the jail, but in the jailer'shouse--having given their promise to Keeper Arnold that they will nottry to escape, if thus kindly treated. And besides, if he runs off, theywill confiscate his property; of which Alden foolishly has a good dealin houses and lands. So he thinks it the best policy to hold on to hisanchor, and see if the storm will not blow itself out."
"And so you have no conscientious scruples against breaking the law, bycarrying off any of these imprisoned persons?"
"Conscientious scruples and the Puritan laws be d----!" exclaimed theCaptain; thinking perhaps that this was an occasion when he might withpropriety break his rule as to swearing while in port.
"Your language expresses my sentiments exactly!" responded the youngEnglishman, who had never uttered an oath in his life. "Captain, I ambetrothed to that young lady you saw when you went to see Captain Alden.If she is ever brought to trial, those Salem hell-hounds will swear awayher life. I mean to rescue her--or die with her. I am able and willingto pay you any reasonable price for your aid and assistance, Will youhelp me?"
The Captain sprang to his feet. "Will I help you? The great God dash theStorm King to pieces on her next voyage if I fail you! See here," takinga letter out of a drawer, "it is a profitable offer just made me. But itis a mere matter of merchandise; and this is a matter of a woman's life!You shall pay me what you can afford to, and what you think right; but,money or no money, I and the Storm King, and her brave crew, who willfollow wherever I lead, are at your service!"
As Captain Tolley uttered these words, in an impassioned, though lowvoice, and with a glowing face and sparkling blue eyes, Master Raymondthought he had never seen a handsomer man. He grasped the Captain'sextended hand, and shook it warmly. "I shall never forget this nobleoffer," he exclaimed. And he never did forget it; for from that momentthe two were life-long friends.
"What is your plan?" said the Captain.
"A peaceable escape if possible. If not, what you propose to CaptainAlden."
"I should like the last the best," said the Captain.
"Why, it would expose you to penalties--and keep your vessel hereafterout of Boston harbor."
"You see that I have an old grudge of my own," replied the Captain."These Puritan rascals once arrested me for bringing some Quakers fromBarbados--good, honest, innocent people, a little touched here, youknow,"--and the Captain tapped his broad, brown brow with his finger."They caught me on shore, fined me, and would have put me in the stocks;but my mate got word of it, we were lying out in the storm, trained twobig guns to bear upon the town, and gave them just fifteen minutes tosend me on board again. That was twenty years ago, and I have not beenhere since."
"They sent you on board, I suppose?"
"Oh, the Saints are not fools," replied the Captain, laughing. "As forbeing shut out of Boston harbor hereafter, I do not fear that much. Thereign of the Saints is nearly over. Do you not see that the Quakers areback, and the Baptists, and the prayer-book men, as they call theEpiscopalians!--and they do not touch them, though they would whip thewhole of them out of the Province, at the cart's tail, if they dared.But there are Kings in Israel again!" and the Captain laughed heartily."And the Kings are always better shepherds to the flock than thePriests."
"You may have to lie here idle for a while; but I will bear the expenseof it," said Master Raymond. "Have the proper papers drawn up, and Iwill sign them."
"No, there shall be no papers between you and me," rejoined the Captainstoutly. "I hate these lawyers' pledges. I never deal with a man, if Ican help it, who needs a signed and sealed paper to keep him to hisword. I know what you are, and you ought to be able to see by this timewhat I am. The Storm King shall lie here three months, if need be--andyou shall pay me monthly my reasonable charges. But I will make out nobill, and you shall have no receipt, to cause any trouble to anybody,hereafter."
"That will suit me," replied Master Raymond, "I shall be in thebar-room of the Red Lion every morning at ten. You must be there too.But we will only nod to each other, unless I have something to tell you.Then I will slip a note into your hand, making an appointment for aninterview. I fear there may be spies upon my movements."
Captain Tolley assenting to these arrangements, Master Raymond and heagain shook hands, and the latter was put ashore in one of the StormKing's boats. It was a little curious that as the young man reached thewharf, ascending a few wooden steps from the boat, whom should he see ata little distance, walking briskly into the town, but one who he thought
was Master Thomas Putnam. He could not see the man's face, for his backwas toward him; but he felt certain that it was the loving and obedienthusband of Mistress Ann Putnam.