University of Virginia Library

8. CHAPTER VIII.
THE LEAPER.

When the young buccaneer captain had ended this part of his narrative, he
remained a little while deeply moved by his feelings; and then proceeded:

`Thus was I avenged! I and my sister, for the great wrongs we had received
at the hands of this man. As circumstances and not choice had led me to
embrace the life of a pirate, I now resolved to quit the career I had entered upon,
and on my vessel reaching Cuba, I resigned the command to my lieutenant
and took passage in a merchantman for Virginia, determined henceforward to
dwell on my paternal estate with my sister.

At first I kept private, but gradually ventured abroad into society, and made
myself known. But I first sent to the governor the written confession made
by Whanley, and received from him the assurance that I should not be molested
as he had been long satisfied that I was innocent of the crime alleged
against me, and that no secret society had been organized for liberating the
slaves. I did not of course tell the governor that I had hanged Whanley. I
represented to him that I had made him confess, and that after the confession
he had left the country.

`Rumors, however, soon became rife that Whanley had been dealt foully
with, and murdering him, that I might possess the property. The excitement
against me grew each day stronger; but as I knew his death could not be
proved against me, I resolved to brave it out. One evening with this spirit, I
attended a public assembly at Richmond, when I was recognised by a gentleman
present as having boarded, with my schooner, a vessel in which he was
passenger, and plundered her. He openly charged me with piracy and drew
upon me the indignation of all present; for already suspected, it was easy for
men to believe any thing against me. Officers were sent for to arrest me, and
I had to fight my way out of the hall to escape.

`I now knew that as the supposed murderer of Whanley, and as a recognized
pirate, I should be hunted down and that the old story of my conspiracy against
my native State would be revived, and that under all these charges I
should be crushed. So I spurred to my sister's abode, briefly told her of my
danger, collected what money and valuables I could, resumed my sailor's garb
and left the house by one gate, just as my pursuers rode into the yard by
another. I galloped along the river-road for several leagues until I fell in
with a brig just getting underweight from a tobacco plantation landing. The
brig was bound for Mobile. I turned my horse loose and was received on
board of her as a seaman.

The eighth day out as we were passing the `Double-Headed Shot Keys' a
schooner hove in sight to windward and bore down upon us. As she came
nearer our captain felt alarmed and said he feared she was a buccaneer; for
at that period as well as now there were many such vessels cruising in these
waters and about Cape St. Antonio. This remark drew my attention towards
her more particularly and borrowing the glass from the mate, I looked at her
and confirmed a suspicion I had already conceived. As she came nearer and
before she hoisted a green flag, I saw that she was my schooner. She fired a
gun over us and finding he could not escape the Captain hove to. The schooner
was laid along side and my lieutenant who was a young Spaniard of a noble
family, at the head of a score of men leaped on board, cutlass in hand, shouting
upon all to submit. I met him and called him by name. He started back
with surprise and pleasure, and then dropping his cutlass embraced me. In
a few words I told him why I was there. He insisted on my resuming the
command, and as I was once more a wanderer and an outlaw, I yielded to his
wishes and the intreaties of the men, and resumed my command. Going on
board I dressed myself in an uniform I had left behind me; and when I came on
deck thus attired, and resuming authority over the pirate crew, the completion
of the astonishment of the captain and people of the brig may be conceived.

`Instead of being plundered and their vessel burned, I gave the captain permission
to go on his voyage unharmed; for this was the condition upon which
I consented to accept the command.

`I was now once more an outlaw! I neither defend nor palliate my course.
Persecutions and unmerited disgrace had rendered me indifferent to results.
I knew that the world looked upon me as a conspirator and as a murderer!'

`And did you not hang Whanley?' asked lieutenant Wordley with a look
of surprise.

`Yes. But I regard not that act as a dishonorable one. It was a just act of
retribution upon one who had shortened my father's days, poisoned his mind against
me, exiled me from my native state, and wrested from me my rightful
possessions and good name! It was no murder—it was justice! The laws
of the land could not reach him; and rather than he should live, I slew him!
I do not regret it! Whanley is dead, but I was only the instument of justice
human and divine in punishing him! But I care not now to excuse any thing
I have done;' he added with a gloomy air. `I am willing to abide the issue!'

`The day after I took command of the schooner, we fell in with a vessel
bound to Cadiz. We boarded her, were resisted, and many were killed on both
sides. She was very richly laden and after I had taken out her specie, I let
her go on her way. But, instead of proceeding on her voyage, she put back
to Havana and reported what had happened. Three armed vessels were immediately
despatched in three different directions, and by one of them I was
captured, and taken into port. My schooner was anchored under the guns of
the Moro, and my lieutenant and I were thrown into one of its dungeons,

while my men were placed in the city Carcel. We were brought to trial and
Alvaro and myself were condemned to be shot with forty three of my men, the
ensuing morning. We were conducted from the citadel to the place of execution.
It was a level green plateau overhanging the harbor. The height was
forty feet. My schooner lay anchored so near we could have conversed with
any one upon her decks. As we approached the verge to stand in line, we
were unbound and told to form in front of a double file of soldiers. As I found
myself free from the cords, I bounded suddenly forward, and leaped out into
the air beyond the precipice. The waters closed over me, and being a good
swimmer, I continued to move rapidly beneath the surface towards the schooner
and rose to take breath some distance from the spot. When I did so, I saw
the air filled with the bodies of men, flying and plunging around me into the
flood. Animated by my example Alvaro had followed me; and the men seeing
this, broke from the line of death, and in a body rushed to the precipice and
made the leap after him. For a moment the soldiers were confounded by this
movement, but recovering their self-possession they began to pour in their fire
upon the last of the number, so that out of the leapers three struck the water
dead men. The air now rung with the shouts of the officers, and the ringing
of musketry. As I looked up, I saw the verge of the cliff lined with the troops
who were firing into the water in vollies. Raising my voice, I encouraged my
men and directed them to swim to the schooner, but to keep under the surface
as long as possible at a time. I soon reached my vessel and drew myself up
over her bows by the cable, which I instantly cut, setting her adrift. The men
one after another came up and climbed on board. Alvaro did not appear, and
was no doubt struck by a bullet. Out of forty three men, I counted thirty two
that came on board. In less than tour minutes, under the fire of musketry from
the cliff, I had sail on the schooner, and in seven minutes we were out of reach
of musket shot; but five more of my men were killed upon the deck. Beyond
the Moro a Spanish frigate lay at anchor, and she opened upon us; but as the
wind was fair and fresh, we were under her fire not one minute and a half, she
being unable to bring her guns to bear except in a direct line. Yet one of her
shot struck us carrying away our stern-davits, shivering the main-boom, and
killing one man. In thirty minutes from the time we got under sail, we were
in the offing and bowling along with a flowing sheet, at the rate of eight
knots!'

`That was a most daring escape;' said Wordley. `I have heard of it before.
I arrived in Havana three days after it, when it was the only topic of
conversation in all circles. You then are Rafael El Saltador, or `the Leaper'
as men have since denominated you?' added Wordley, gazing upon him with
manifest admiration in his looks.

`Yes, I am Capitan Rafael,' answered the buccaneer with a smile like pride
visible in his eyes. `A large reward was now offered for my apprehension,
and it was proclaimed by public manifesto that if re-taken I should be broken
p the wheel! It is the prospect of this fearful death that induced me to
say that I would rather take my trial in the States. But I am willing it should

be as it is! With this wound in my side I have the key to my own life, and at
my will can let it forth!'

The peculiar significance with which he spoke, could not but make a painful
impression upon us. We were all three silent for a few moments. Wordley
was deliberating and struggling with a desire to save him. But his duty to
his country—to society—to himself, was a safe-guard to any weakness of the
heart.

`Why did you remain then in these seas, surrounded by such perils?' he at
length enquired of him.

`These waters were my cruising ground, and I had no wish to cruise in any
others. Perhaps, too, I was influenced by a spirit of bravado and defiance, I
knew that vessels were abroad in search of me, but I had made up my mind
not to be taken! I should not have surrendered now but to an American—a
countryman, and having received as I believed a mortal wound; and besides
my men urged it, hoping that some good fortune might favor their escape a second
time; for it requires great resolution for men quietly to sink in their own
vessel. Chains with a faint hope of life, are easier conditions; and so we are
your prisoners instead of being in the bottom of the ocean with our schooner!'

`You were bold to follow that merchant ship into the very port of Key-west,'
remarked Wordley

`Daring is the only virtue in our profession. All our deeds are bold of necessity.
Our existence is each moment a risk! Our lives are every hour at
stake! For some weeks past I had fallen in with nothing of value and my
men were becoming dissatisfied; and I therefore resolved to take the ship if
possible. I had chased her eighteen hours, and to have her to enter her port
after I had got within gun-shot would have created a mutiny among my men.
They were, however, by no means reluctant to put about when they discovered
an American cruiser lying in the harbor. Fortune favored you and I am a prisoner
in your hands!'

He concluded his narration in these words uttered with an air of dignified resignation,
and then sunk back upon his pillow exhausted by pain and the fatigue
of speaking. It was clear by Wordley's countenance as he rose to go on
deck that he would have set him at liberty had he the descretionary power.

`It is hard for that brave fellow to die on the wheel,' he said to me as I came
up and stood by his side. `He has been the victim of circumstances rather
than a depraved man! It is a pity he should have hung the villian Whanley,
when he might have done his business by a duel. I delieve if he had taken a
different course and brought him to the bar of justice, he could have convicted
him, as well as cleared his own reputation and kept his hands from blood!—
Well, he is a guilty man now, however, and I suppose deserves his fate! But
it is a great pity, for he is a noble fellow and has the heart of a lion!'

The same evening we anchored in the harbor of Havana, and Wordley, ordering
his cutter, pulled ashore and waited upon the Captain general to inform
him of his capture of the notorious Rafael, El Saltador.