Steel Belt; or, The Three Masted Goleta. A Tale of Boston Bay

by J. H. Ingraham

  He put the polacca before the wind but finding the battery would open upon him if he tried to ran past, he hauled the tacks close aft and run for the green shores on the opposite side of the Bay. The boats continued in pursuit. The polacca grounded the men escaped to the shore by aid of the sunken rocks and by swimming. Nevil remained on board resolved to surrender to the boats. Anita determined not to leave him.

  The boats boarded her and took possession of her. The surprise of the officers on discovering in the Captain of the polacca Walter Nevil, needs no description. He surrendered himself and was taken on board the razee. Dona Anita accompanied him. Nevil made known his history in confidence to his captain, who in reply told him he sympathized with him, but it was his duty to take him home in irons to be tried for the death of the officer; adding,

  `The Spanish authorities, if they knew I had you in my possession, would demand you to be given up. You would be executed as a pirate. It is better you should be tried by the laws of your country!'

  Dona Anita implored to be permitted to share her lover's imprissment. The captain sent her on shore to the house of a friend. Her parting with Nevil was touching and characterised with the most eloquent despair. Yet Anita was not the one to despair. She was courageous and love made her bold in planning and persevering in action. On reaching the shore, instead of going to the house to which she was ordered to be escorted by the midshipman in charge of her, secretly left him and sought the abode of one whom she knew to be Basilio's friend and a friend of her father. The address she had learned from Basilio. This friend, an old Spaniard, received her with open arms and entered fully into her wishes. He told her that it Basilio had escaped he would be there that night.

  That night she embraced her brother in the old Spaniard's mansion!

  CHAPTER X.

  The bold adventure of Don Basilio—The three-masted-schooner— The escape from the harbor— The scenes return to Boston Bay.

  It was an hour after dark the night following the escape of Bazilio and the arrest of Nevil when a band of eleven persons might have been seen standing close to the water, near a ruined wall not far from the public quay. They consisted of Bazilio, Anita (in the disguise of a Spanish youth) and nine men, who had swam with the former to the shore. They were well-armed, and had just arrived at that spot by different ways. They seemed to be waiting for some one. At length a boat approached creeping along the shore. It was filled with men.

  `El torre!' said a low voice in the boat.

  `Libertad!' answered Bazilio.

  The boat appoached and Isidoro sprang ashore.

  `I was fearful you had miscarried in your efforts to get the boat, Isidoro.'

  `Every thing favored me, Don Basilio. I have twenty-eight men with me. Some have fallen and others been taken.'

  `I have nine here. There is room for all of us. Now aboard before the patrol appears and let us pull silently from the shore. This cloudy sky favors us.'

  The long pirogue filled with men and almost level with the surface of the dark water shot swiftly out from the shadow of the wall and with Isidoro at the helm and Don Bazilio at the bow. They steered directly for the Three-masted-schooner, which lay where she had done before; though it was, as Basilio knew, the intention of the Governor to haul her next day into the dock as well for safety as for refitting.

  They came in sight of her and then with but two oars moving, silently approached her quarter. They were alongside before they were discovered and in an instant Basilio stood upon the deck with the sentinel disarmed and beneath his feet. The rest of the guard were secured, gagged and bound and all were thrown into the pirogue, and set adrift. The cable was slipped, the sails set and in five minutes after being boarded the goleta was in motion out of the harbor. Two of her sails were only set that she might be supposed to be only a polacca schooner, and swiftly and unchallenged she passed guard-ship, battery and Moro castle, and once more, tree like her master, she spread all her canvass to the ocean breeze.

  Basilio now embraced Anita and then Isidoro and congratulated his brave companions, whom he thanked with grateful warmth for all they had done for him.

  At the house of the old Spaniard he had heard from Anita's lips the history of Walter Nevil's visit—of her love, of his own, and of his daring efforts to effect his reseue. He was also informed of his present condition as a prisoner in chains about to be taken to his native land to be tried for the death of the officer who was killed in boarding the polacca.

  Don Basilio's grateful and generous nature was deeply moved by what he heard of the young American and he pledged himself to his sister that if he could recover his goleta he would save him from an ignominious death. All his energies were then directed to this end. The success of his plans have been witnessed. The goleta was once more his.

  He now detailed his project in full to Isidoro. Anita being already acquainted with it.

  `Isidoro, my brave friend,' he said `to this young stranger, `not forgetting your own part also, I owe my present liberty and the possession of this vessel again with you by my side and surrounded by my brave companions. In the attempt to restore me to liberty this noble youth has lost his own. He lies in chains on board the razee. He is charged with piracy and murder. He will be taken to his own land and there tried for his life. He may perish ignominiously. He must be saved. I owe him my life. Fortune has smiled on us to-night. Let Nevil share with us our happiness, which so long as he is in chains can never be complete.

  `I swear, senor, to devote myself with you to effect his liberation.'

  `Thanks, good Isidoro!' exclaimed Anita fervently.

  `We all swear to obey you, noble captain,' cried his crew. `We have seen Don Waltero and know he is a brave man and a true sea-man. He must be rescued, for we love him who risks his life for Don Basilio.

  `Hear then my purpose!' said Basilio. `By means of a spy I have learned that the razee sails for Boston in New England in the ebb to-night. Diego, a man who lives in Havana when ashore, and to whom I have shown favors and who also owes his life to this very American officer who rescued him three years ago from an assassin in the strects of the city, this Diego has by my order, got himself shipped on board the razee as a steward, speaking English fluently. He has entered fully into my plans and will prepare the way for senor de Nevil's escape by the time the razee reaches her port. To this port is my own destination. I shall lay off here till the frigate comes out and then keep ahead of her if possible. She is a fast sailer but we can out sail her. As she leaves to-night she will not have heard of the capture of the goleta and its appearance in Boston Bay will not draw suspicion upon us. Once there and with Diego's good aid the escape of this brave young American may be effected. At all risks, it becomes us to make the attempt.'

  The goleta lay off about a league from the Moro, until after midnight ebb, when Basilio beheld a large ship standing out. With his glass, as she came nigher, he made her out to be a frigate of the largest class and no doubt the razee that he was expecting. To make sure, he lay by until she came within half a mile, when he could no longer be deceived. It was the sixty gun frigate. Having satisfied himself of the fact, he gave orders to make all sail and stand Northward. At sunrise the frigate was nearly hull down astern. Convinced of his superior sailing, Basilio kept his own distance from her, sometimes ahead, sometimes hovering on the horizon to windward, and the next day as far off to leeward. In this way he watched her, scarcely losing sight of her until the day before they came in sight of Cape Cod lights, when the goleta shot freely ahead and the next day entered Beston Bay before her. The passage of the two vessels up the harbor, the anchorage of the razee and the subsequent mysterious movements of the goleta in her neighborhood have already been noticed. The reader has also visited Nevil in his confinement and witnessed an interview between him and Diego, which had been interrupted by the entrance of the sentry, just as the faithful Spaniard was about to inform of the presence of the goleta in the harbor.

  After the sentry had returned, Die
go reentered the port and proceeded to explain to Nevil the reason of his visit.

  `You must know senor, that you have friends stronger than I am who are at hand to serve you. For this I bade you hope. You see after you were taken, and Don Basilio escaped to the shore!'

  `Did he escape?' asked Nevil earnestly.

  `Yes safely. Hear me senor and you shall learn all. He got to land and nine good men men with him, besides those that leaped from the polacca after she struck when you run her upon the rocks. He took to the bosque and there hid 'till night; and favored by the darkness made his way to the city to the house of a friend, where he met Dona Anita?'

  `Dona Anita! What news of her? How heard you this! Speak! What know you of this lady?'

  `That she is safe, senor.'

  `Safe! I have not dared to think of her lest I should go mad! For her sake I have done all this and yet she is lost to me forever! If I could behold her once more, Diego, I would not care for these chains! Her presence would make a dungeon a palace! Tell me more! You are a messenger from Heaven! What more of Dona Anita. Till this moment I have been left in darkness and doubt as to her fate and that of Don Basilio her brother!'

  `Soon, senor, all will be made clear. While I am talking with you let me be engaged in filing this band of iron round your ancle. After I leave you you can complete it!'

  `What means this Diego?'

  `That friends are near and ready to aid your escape!'

  `Shall I escape, and thus give an air of truth to the charge of piracy? Do I fear to meet my destiny? No, Diego, I will not escape. I will encounter my fate like a man it I must die I will die like one! no; I am no crimnal that I should escape!'

  `Senor, you have not heard me out. I will file here while I speak It will do no harm!' and Die go began to work away with his file at the iron shackle upon his leg. `I told you Don Basilio had met Dona Anita. She told him of all you had done and had suffered, and a good deal more about her attachment to you and yours to her, begging your pardon, Don Waltero! Well he swore like a brave man and true friend to try and get you free. But he must first have his goleta in his possession, for he could do nothing without her, not he! So he got together his men, met Isidoro and got his party together and the night after you were taken they got a boat and seized the three masted schooner at her anchors?'

  `Recovered the goleta!'

  `Si, senor! They set the soldiers adrift in a boat and made sail, and before a fair wind run out of the harbor! I knew what they intended and was in the fore shrouds of the frigate watching for her; and saw her pass with only her fore and mizzen set, looking like a polacca; but I know her in that disguise; and I saw her more than once at sea after that!'

  `Seen her at sea?'

  `Si, senor!'

  `But Dona Anita? Did Basilia leave his sister in the Havana with his friends,' demanded Nevil eagerly.

  `No, senor, he took her on board with him! This iron is as hard as if it had been steeled to make razors of!'

  `And where did they go from Havana?'

  `They steered North and kept us company; for you know we sailed just after midnight the same night!'

  `Tell me, Diego! Is my sudden suspicion right? Has the goleta followed the frigate from Havana?' he cried taking him by the arm and earnestly grasping it as he spoke.

  `You have guessed it, senor. She has hovered round us like a hawk the whole passage, now ahead now abeam, but always just under the horizon so that no body could make her out or suspect her to be always the same vessel. But I knew her as far as I could see her.

  `And when did you see her last?'

  `This afternoon, when coming into the harbor she was only a mile ahead of us!'

  `Can this be possible?'

  `It is, senor!'

  `And Donna Anita on board?'

  `She is, Don Waltero.'

  `And they have come thus far to endeavor to effect my escape!'

  `They have, senor. And it would be ungrateful for you to disappoint them. I shipped on board her, by Don Basilio's orders, to serve you. I have nearly filed off the ring.'

  `And where is the goleta now?' demanded Nevil, agitated with joy and hope, and hardly able to realise that he had heard truly; that it was not a dream.

  `She is not half a cable's length from the Razee, lying about two and a half points off under her quarter, waiting for my signal!'

  `Can this be real?'

  `As real as that you are free from your irons, senor,' said Diego, as he softly removed the shackles from his limb, and noiselessly laid them down by the side of the gun carriage.

  `Diego, I am in your hands! Anita's presence is an argument for my attempting to regain my liberty that I am incapable of resisting. I will abide by your directions!'

  `Love always makes a man reasonable, senor, ' answered Diego, smiling. `I knew on would not object after you had learned who was near you!'

  `This is wonderful. The goleta's arrival here the same night and now is miraculous! '

  `She outsails the Razee; and having the same winds was able to measure her time and distance. She has, moreover, been a lucky vessel, senor.'

  `Noble Basilio! devoted Anita! What is your signal, Diego?

  `It was agreed upon in Havana, that if the goleta reached here when the Razae did, that she should anchor near her, and that I should free you from your irons, whethe by day or night. If in the day that you should disguise your head in a cap, and jump from the port, when I was to sing out—`a man overboard,' and jump over, as if to rescue you. That you should swim for a boat, in which would be Basilio and two of his men, who would take you in and pull for the goleta, which would be already under sail. Basilio trusted to his good fortune to get out of reach with you before your absence would be discovered.'

  `This would have been rash and dangerous. Yet it might have succeeded.'

  `I am positive it would. Don Basilio always succeeds, except there is treachery in the way, as at Havana, when he was taken prisoner. But we have nothing to do now with that. It is night now; and our plan for the night was ior you to let yourself down from the port into the water, and swim for the goleta with the tide; to get the advantage of which the goleta was to take up a particular position. If you were seen I was to cry out a man overboard, and throw over half a dozen tarpaulin hats, which I was to collect for the purpose, and at the same time take to the water myself. The hats would look like men in the water, and under cover of the confusion we could reach the schooner! This now my plan, senor! You are freed from your irons The tide will soon serve. Here is a rope to lower you without noise into the water! Look out of the port, and you will see the goleta not a pistol shot distance off! Hearts true and devoted are on board waiting for you!'

  `What was your signal?'

  `When you were safe down in the water, I was to discharge one of the carronades with my cigar, as if by accident!

  `This would be dangerous and needless, even if you could do it undiscovered. I will drop into the water and swim to the goleta.— You can follow me. The night is too dark to apprehend discovery!'

  `This will be the safest, to be sure, senor. But I thought the discharge of the piece at night would create a confusion in the midst of which your escape would be sure!'

  `There is no need, good Diego. Go down into the water. I will follow you!'

  `Go first, senor. I must see you in safety out of the ship before I leave her.'

  With a light hoart and spirits buoyant with hope the young officer threw his weight upon the rope and lowered himself into the water. He was instantly followed by Diego. Together they struck out, swimming below the surface and only rising to take air, until they had got half way to the goleta, when they were discovered by Basilio, who had kept his eyes steadily fixed in the direction of the frigate. He instantly called to the young Spanish youth who was sleeping upon the mat on the deck, who was none other than Donna Anita herself.

  `There two dark objects on the water!— They approach us!' said Basilio.

  `It may be Diego with
Don Waltero,' said Isidoro.

  `But we have had no signal!' answered Basilio.

  `It is painly two men swimming towards us,' said Anita, breathless. `I can hear them pant!'

  `Yes! they are men!' cried Don Basilio, with intense emotion. `Let us throw them ropes. If they are enemies, we need not fear two!'

  The two swimmers came nigher still, and Diego raising his arm from the water said, distinctly,

  `Don Basilio, he is safe.'

  `It is Diego,' exclaimed Basilio with joy.

  `And Walter?' gasped Anita.

  `He is with him!'

  The next moment they had caught the ropes thrown to them, and Nevil was just drawn on board Anita with a glad cry flung herself into his arms, dripping as he was.

  `The sea gave you to me just, and the sea has now restored you to me, dear Walter!' she said with joy. `This is Basilio my brother? '

  `Don Waltero, let me embrace you also! I owe you my life. Friend and brother with happiness indiscribible I clasp you in my arms and to my heart!'

  Nevil returned his embrace, while Diego received scarcely a less ardent welcome than himself. Isidoro without waiting to welcome them had first thought of duty; and scarcely had they touched their feet to the deck before the line which secured the goleta to the cable of the Kennebec sloop was severed, and the Steel Belt moving on her way through the water, each moment with increasing speed. Soon the Razee was lost to sight hid by the intervening vessels, past which one after another the goleta glided running at the rate of five and a half knots on a bowline. The towers of the city grew dim in the distance, castle Independence with its white walls glistening in the moon beams was swiftly passed; island after island was left behind; the light houses in the bay were approached and thrown astern; and broad and blue before them spread the ocean.

  The ensuing morning when Captain Eben Pinkham of the Polly Ann on weighing anchor discovered fifty fathoms of line fastened to his cable with a double turn and two half-hitches, he was not a little puzzled to guess how it came there. But in an hour or two afterwards he heard of the escape of the prisoner from the razee and that the three masted schooner had been seen hovering about her in the night, and was supposed to have carried him off on board of her, he was no longer at a loss to account for the line being fastened to his cable.