Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

by Henry Peterson

  CHAPTER XXXII.

  Why the Plan Failed.

  The reason of the failure of the plan of escape may be gathered from alittle conversation that took place between Squire Hathorne and ThomasPutnam the morning of the day fixed upon by Master Philip English.

  Thomas Putnam had called to see the magistrate at the suggestion of thatnot very admirable but certainly very sharp-witted wife of his. I do notsuppose that Thomas Putnam was at all a bad man, but it is a lamentablesight to see, as we so often do, a good kind honest-hearted man made amere tool of by some keen-witted and unscrupulous woman; in whosegoodness he believes, in a kind of small-minded and yet not altogetherignoble spirit of devotion, mainly because she is a woman. Being awoman, she cannot be, as he foolishly supposes, the shallow-hearted,mischievous being that she really is.

  "Do you know, Squire, how Master English's sailors are talking aroundthe wharves?"

  "No! What are the rascals saying?"

  "Well, Mistress Putnam has been told by a friend of hers in the town,that he heard a half-drunken sailor, belonging to one of MasterEnglish's vessels, say that they meant to tear down the jail some night,hang the jailers, and carry off their Master and Mistress."

  "Ah," said the Squire, "this must be looked into."

  "Another of the sailors is reported to have said, that if themagistrates attempted to hang Mistress English they would hang SquireHathorne, and Squire Gedney, if they could catch him, by the side ofher."

  "The impudent varlets!" exclaimed Squire Hathorne, his wine-red facegrowing redder. "Master English shall sweat for this. How many of hissailors are in port now?"

  "Oh, I suppose there are fifty of them; and all reckless, unprincipledmen. To my certain knowledge, there is not a member of church amongthem."

  "The godless knaves!" cried the magistrate. "I should like to set thewhole lot of them in the stocks, and then whip them out of the town atthe cart's tail."

  "Yes, that is what they deserve, but then we cannot forget that they arenecessary to the interests of the town--unless Salem is to give up allher shipping business--and these sailors are so clannish that if youstrike one of them, you strike all. No, it seems to me, Squire, we hadbetter take no public notice of their vaporing; but simply adopt meansto counteract any plans they may be laying."

  "Well, what would you suggest, Master Putnam? Has Mistress Putnam anyideas upon the subject? I have always found her a very sensible woman."

  "Yes, my wife is a very remarkable woman if I do say it," replied MasterPutnam. "Her plan is to send Master English and his wife off at once toBoston--that will save us all further trouble with them and theirsailors."

  "A capital idea! It shall be carried out this very day," said themagistrate.

  "And she also suggests that the young witch woman, Dulcibel Burton,should be sent with them. That friend of my brother Joseph, is stillstaying around here; and Mistress Putnam does not exactly comprehend hismotives for so long a visit."

  "Ah, indeed--what motive has he?" And Squire Hathorne rubbed his broadforehead.

  "There was some talk at one time of his keeping company with MistressBurton."

  "What, the witch! that is too bad. For he seems like a rather pleasantyoung gentleman; and I hear he is the heir of a large estate in the oldcountry."

  "Of course there may be nothing in it--but Mistress Putnam also heardfrom one of her female cronies the other day, that jailer Foster was atone time a mate on board Captain Burton's vessel."

  "Ah!"

  "And you know how very handsome that Mistress Dulcibel is; and, beingbesides a witch of great power, it seems to Mistress Putnam that it isexposing jailer Foster to very great temptation."

  "Mistress Putnam is quite correct," said Squire Hathorne. "MistressDulcibel had better be transferred to Boston also. There the worshipfulMaster Haughton has the power and the will to see that all these imps ofSatan are kept safely."

  "As the seamen may be lying around and make a disturbance if the removalcomes to their knowledge, Mistress Putnam suggested that it had betternot be done until evening. It would be a night ride; but then, asMistress Putnam said, witches rather preferred to make their journeys inthe night time--so that it would be a positive kindness to theprisoners."

  "Very true! very well thought of!" replied Squire Hathorne, with a grimsmile. "And no doubt they will be very thankful that we furnish themwith horses instead of broomsticks. Though as for Mistress Dulcibel, Isuppose she would prefer her familiar, the black mare, to any otheranimal."

  "That was very marvelous. Abigail Williams says that she is certain thatthe mare, after jumping the gate, never came down to earth again, butflew straight on up into the thundercloud."

  "And it thundered when the black beast entered the cloud, did it not?"said the magistrate in a sobered tone. He evidently saw nothingunreasonable in the story.

  "Yes--it thundered--but not the common kind of thunder--it was enough tomake your flesh creep. The minister says he is only too thankful thatthe Satanic beast did throw him off. He might have been carried off tohell with her."

  "Yes, it was a very foolish thing to get on the back of a witch'sfamiliar," said the magistrate. "It was tempting Providence. And MasterParris has cause for thankfulness that only such a mild reproof as aslight wetting, was allowed to be inflicted upon him. These are periloustimes, Master Putnam. Satan is truly going about like a roaring lion,seeking what he may devour. Against this chosen seed,--this littleremnant of God's people left upon the whole earth--no wonder that he istearing and raging."

  "Ah me, my Christian friend, it is too true! And no wonder that he is sobold, and full of joyful subtlety. For is he not prevailing, in spite ofall our efforts? You know there are at least four hundred members ofwhat rightly calls itself the Church of England--for certainly it is notthe church of Christ--in Boston alone! When the royal Governor made thetown authorities give up the South Church--even our own Church, builtwith our own money--to their so-called Rector to hold their idolatrousservices in, we might have known that Satan was at our doors!"

  "Oh, that such horrible things should happen in the godly town ofBoston!" responded Squire Hathorne. "But when the King interferedbetween Justice and the Quakers, and forbade the righteous disciplinewe were exercising upon them, of course a door was opened for all otherlatitudinarianism and false doctrine. Why, I am told that there are nowquite a number of Quakers in Boston; and that they even had theassurance to apply to the magistrates the other day, for permission toerect a meeting-house!"

  "Impossible!" exclaimed Master Putnam. "They ought to have been whippedout of their presence."

  "Yes," continued the worthy Magistrate irefully; "but when the Kingordered that the right of voting for our rulers should no longer berestricted to church-members; but that every man of fair estate and goodmoral character, as he phrases it, should be allowed to vote, even if heis not a member at all, he aimed a blow at the very Magistracy itself."

  "Yes, that is worse than heresy! And how can a man possess a good moralcharacter, without being a member of the true church?"

  "Of course--that is self-evident. But it shows how the righteous seed isbeing over-flooded with iniquity, even in its last chosen house; how ourCanaan is being given up to the Philistines. And therefore it is,doubtless, that Satan, in the pride of his success, is introducing hisemissaries into the very house of the Lord itself; and promising greatrewards to them who will bow down and sign their names in his red book,and worship him. Ah! we have fallen on evil times, Master Putnam."

  And so the two worthy Puritans condoled with each other, until, MasterPutnam, bethinking himself that he had some worldly business to attendto, Squire Hathorne proceeded to give the necessary directions for theremoval of the three prisoners from Salem to Boston jail.

  This was accomplished that very night, as Mistress Putnam had suggested;Deputy Marshall Herrick and a constable guarding the party. Dulcibeloccupied a pillion behind jailer Foster; Master English and his wiferode together; while Master Herrick and th
e constable each had a horseto himself.

  The original plan was for Dulcibel to ride behind Master Herrick; butupon jailer Foster representing that there might be some danger of arescue, and offering to join the party, it was arranged that he shouldhave special charge of Mistress Dulcibel, whom he represented to Herrickas being in his opinion a most marvelous witch.

  Uncle Robie's true reason for going, however, was that the jailer inBoston was an old friend of his, and he wished to speak a secret word tohim that might insure Dulcibel kinder treatment than was usually givenin Boston jail to any alleged transgressor.