University of Virginia Library

23. CHAPTER XXIII.

The report of the several messengers sent
by the chief of police to the several avenues
which led from the town, led him to suspect
that the prisoner who had made his escape
in such an extraordinary manner was concealed
in the city.

`That is my opinion also,' said the sheriff.
`I shall have the strictest search made,
besides offering a reward of one thousand
dollars for his arrest.'

`To which,' added the keeper, `I will
add five hundred. This sum ought to bring
him out if any one hides him. But who
have we here?'

`It is Collins,' answered the sheriff, as a
man came riding up at full speed, and threw
himself from his horse as if the bearer of important
intelligence. `What now?'

`The carriage has been traced to the —
pier, and also the two horses,' answered the
officer, almost breathless with riding and
eagerness to make known the burden of his
news.

`Well, and from the pier?' quickly demanded
the impatient sheriff.

`At the wharf they embarked in a small
schooner, and sailed swiftly down the harbor.'

`How do you know this?'

`Two watchmen saw the mounted men
ride at speed down the wharf, followed by a
carriage at full speed. Hearing the alarm
bell at the same moment they suspected
something wrong and hastened after them.
By the time they reached the end of the
wharf, the persons who had rode the horses
had sprung from them and got on board the
shallop, and those who were in the carriage
also got on board, and out of reach.'

`This is strange news. Was the hackman
arrested?' demanded the sheriff.

`Yes, and is in custody. But he declares
he knows nothing about his “fares.” That he
was hired to drive down there by a man with
a female in his charge.'

`He must be examined closely. And the
saddle horses?'

`They prove to belong to the livery stable
in — street.'

`This must be looked into. Now what
say for pursuit, Mr. chief of police.'

`We can pursue in the Revenue Cutter,'
eagerly responded the chief of police. `I
will at once to the Custom-House officer, and
get authority, and meet you at the head of
Central wharf.'

`Let there be no delay. I will ride there
at once with such officials, as I think may be
required. Collins, you should have brought
the watchmen with you.'

`They refused to leave their beat till they
got permission from the captain of the watch.'

`Very well, I will ride round there with
you as we go down and see them. I wish to
get a description of the shallop.'

`They said it was like a fishing schooner,
with two masts.'

`I will see them myself. These fugitives
will have not more than half an hour the start
of us, if the Cutter gets speedily underweigh.
Come, and you Mr. Keeper take care none
of the rest of your prisoners escape. I shall
do my best to bring this one back again.'

`I hope you will, sir.'

`You must also try and overcome your
love for strawberries.'

`I shall hate them like poison, sir, ever after
this.'

`And pretty faces,'

`Shall be my abomination.'

`And smelling bottles,'

`I shall be as much afraid of them as of a
blunderbuss.'

`I hope so. Now, good night. Shut thy
doors, and keep all close,' added the marshal,
as he rode away, followed by several of
his attendants.

`Keep all close? That I will, so that not
a mouse shall get out,' muttered the keeper,
as he locked and doubly locked his doors after
their departure. `This has been an unlucky
night for me. So much for loving
strawberries, and to chat with a pretty face.
I'll reform on this score from this hour, and

forswear berries and berry girls, and especially
smelling bottles. The little rogue!
To be playing her pranks upon me with her
demure face. If I ever get her under lock
and key, I'll rate her most roundly. This
comes of being sociable. I may yet get into
trouble by it. The governor may look upon
it with a different eye from what the marshal
does. I fear me I'll be broke for this night's
work if they don't catch him. And he tied
me, too, with the very cord he was to be
hanged with. Well, I pray that I may see
him swinging by it yet. I will go now and
see that each of my rogues are safe. Bring
the light along, Riggs,' he called to the under
keeper, as he left the lodge on his tour
of inspection.

The sheriff and his party, accompanied by
the chief of police, proceeded with all haste
to the quarter of the city where the carriage
had stopped; and from the watchmen obtained
a description, so far as could be given
of an object seen in the obscurity of night,
of the shallop. The hackman could throw
no light upon the persons. He could only
say that he had been hired at such a time, by
such a person, dressed so and so, and in driving
away so fast he had only obeyed orders.
Of the persons on horseback, he knew
nothing and could say nothing.

`The fact is,' said the marshal, as he rode
away by the side of the chief of police, `the
whole has been a deep laid and most successful
plot. Even the very vessel to carry the
prisoner off, was provided by his friends.'

`No doubt the young girl whom the man
brought to the carriage was the strawberry
girl,' said the chief of police.

`This is very clear. But who it was with
her, can't be even gnessed by the hackman's
description. There is no doubt but that the
fellow is innocent of any knowledge of the
object of his fare; for it is not likely in so
important a matter they would take him into
their confidence. We must now see the
owner of the stable, and know to whom he
hired his horses.'

Upon reaching the stable, they learned
from the proprietor that a young gentleman,
whom he had seen but once or twice before,
but whose name he did not know, had ordered
them in the morning to be in readiness at
seven in the evening.

`And did he come for them himself?'

`No; he sent a negro servant who took
them away by his order. I was not in at the
time; and they were delivered by the hostler
as I gave him instructions to do when they
should be sent for.'

`And you have no idea who the person
was?'

`None in the least.'

`Where is your hostler?' asked the chief
of police.

`He is at hand. Peter, come here.'

`Yiss, massa.'

`Do you know the person you delivered
the two saddle horses to, to-night?' questioned
the marshal.

`Don't know him, massa. I ony knows
he berry imperent and sassy nigger.'

`Did you never see him before?'

`Nebber, massa.'

`And you did not see the negro, sir?'
asked the chief of police of the proprietor.

`No, as I was out.'

`Will you describe the gentleman?' asked
the marshal.

`He was four or five and twenty, tall,
with a military air, half-whiskers, a clear,
bold, blue eye, and fine teeth. He is altogether
a gentleman in appearance and language.'

`Should you know him if you should see
him again?'

`I think I should, sir.'

`Very well; I may see you again. Good
night. Come, gentlemen, let us to the harbor
side, we have delayed full long. By this
time, the Cutter will be in readiness for the
pursuit.'

Thus saying, the chief of police, the marshal
and the rest of the party, hastened forward.
Upon the wharf, they met the collector,
who not only cheerfully gave them
the use of the cutter, but offered to go with
them. Upon reaching the end of the pier,
off against which the armed schooner lay,
they could already hear the hearty `heave-hoyeo'
of the seamen on board of her, as they
hove away at her anchor.

`I despatched a person to get underweigh,
marshal, before I myself left home,' said the
collector; `so that there might be no delay.
Here comes her boat to take us on board.'

While he spoke, a gig with four oars pulled
in to the stairs, and an officer in the stern-sheets
rising up, hailed—

`Who waits there?'

`The collector.'

`Aye, aye, all right, sir. Just step into
the boat as we back her up.'

The next moment the marshal, the chief
of police and four officers basides the collector

himself were seated in the gig and on their
way out to the schooner, which with her fore
top-sail loosed, and her main-sail set, was
waiting for them.'

`This is a very extraordinary affair, sir,'
said the collector. `I could scarcely credit
it when I heard it. Have you any idea who
assisted Colonel Ogilvie?'

`Not the least. The whole scrape was admirably
managed. A young girl under the
disguise of seeling strawberries to the keeper,
managed to place in his hands a smelling
bottle containing ether, which, upon his inhaling
it, made him insensible. The keys
were then taken by some man said to be a
carpenter, who unlocked the prison doors.
Before the keeper was restored to himself
again, the bird had flown. We are satisfied
that we have traced him and his abettors to
the end of — wharf, where they embarked
an hour ago in a shallop. Doubtless they
have taken advantage of this leading wind to
put out of the harbor.'

`No doubt they intend escaping to the
Provinces, or to Bermuda, where they will
be safe,' said the collector. `Doctor Convers
the forger escaped in this way eight years
ago; and when Bellinger the highwayman
was re-captured, he was overtaken being in
a fishing boat with one sail and a broken oar,
but ten leagues this side of Halifax.'

`It is probable then, that this shallop will
make for the British Possessions,' answered
the chief of police. `But here we are on
board,' he added, as the gig pulled up along
side the rakish looking schooner, the tall,
slender masts of which seemed to hang far
over her stern. As they reached the deck,
the officer in command gave the order to
sheet home the top-sails, and set the jib and
fore-sail, while the anchor which had been
sometime apeak was rapidly suspended from
the bows.

The cutter was under full sail in less than
two minutes after the party had boarded her
and gathering momentum each instant, she
soon went bowling along down the harbor
with a bone in her teeth. The city, with its
dark, faint outline of roofs, towers and domes
fast faded into the indistinctness of the surrounding
night. Before them, towered the
walls of the castle which was swiftly passed,
and seaward like a hawk swooping towards
its prey, the warlike little cutter went flying
along at the rate of nearly ten miles an hour.

`You understand your instructions, I believe,
captain,' said the marshal, as he took
his place by the side of the commander, who
with his glass at his eye, was constantly
sweeping the water on one side of him, while
his quarter-master with another spy-glass was
closely scanning the other side.

`Yes, sir. You are in chase of a prisoner
supposed to have escaped in a two-masted
fishing shallop. If she has gone down the
harbor, though she has an hour and a half
the start, I pledge myself to fall in with her
before morning.'

`But she may have taken the south channel
towards Bermuda,' said the collector.—
`And if we take the eastern one we shall
miss her. This will be our disadvantage.'

`A small shallop is more likely to take
the course towards the Provinces,' answered
the captain. `She will hardly venture out to
sea far. Moreover the flood tide is coming
in through the south channel so strong she
would hardly take it when in running northward
the tide would help her rather than retard.
I shall, however, decide when I get
at the point where the two passages depart
from each other.'

`Is your vessel doing your best, sir?' inquired
the marshal.

`Ten knots, sir. No other vessel could
get nine out of this wind. No shallop can
sail eight. I shall be sure to come up with
her on one course or the other by sun rise.
If standing three or four hours eastward does
not show her ahead, I shall stretch away
south after and shall be sure to find her.'

`Sail ahead!' shouted the look out forward.

`I see it. It is a large ship coming in by
the east channel. I will hail her and see if
she can give me any information of the shallop.'