Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

by Henry Peterson

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  Master Raymond's Little Plan Blocked.

  "Our game is blocked!" said Joseph Putnam to Master Raymond as he rodeup one afternoon soon after, and dismounted at the garden gate, wherehis guest was awaiting him, impatient to hear if anything had yet comefrom Captain Alden.

  "What do you mean?" said his guest.

  "Mean? Why, that yon she-wolf is too much for us. Captain Alden isarrested!"

  "What! Captain John Alden!"

  "Yes, Captain John Alden!"

  "On what charge?"

  Master Joseph smiled grimly, "For witchcraft!"

  "Nonsense!"

  "Yes, devilish nonsense! but true as gospel, nevertheless."

  "And he submits to it?"

  "With all around him crazy, he cannot help it. Besides, as an officer ofthe government, he must submit to the laws."

  "On whose complaint?"

  "Oh, the she-wolf's of course--that delectable smooth-spoken wife of mybrother Thomas. How any man can love a catty creature like that, beatsme out."

  "I suppose she found out that I went frequently to see the Captain, whenin Boston?"

  "I suppose so."

  "Who could have informed her?"

  "Her master, the devil, I suppose."

  "Where is the Captain to be examined?"

  "Oh, here in Salem, where his accusers are. It comes off tomorrow. Theylose no time you see."

  "Well, I would not have believed it possible. Whom will they attacknext?"

  "The Governor, I suppose," replied Master Joseph satirically.

  "Or you?"

  "If she does, I'll run my sword through her--not as being a woman, butas a foul fiend. I told her so. Let her dare to touch me, or any oneunder this roof!"

  "What did she say when you threatened her?"

  "She put on an injured expression; and said she could never believeanything wrong of her dear husband's family, if all the 'spectres' inthe world told her so."

  "Well, I hope you are safe, but as for me--"

  "Oh, you are, too. You are within my gates. To touch you, is to touchme. She fully realizes that. Besides brother Thomas is her abject toolin most things; but some things even he would not allow."

  Yes, Captain John Alden, son of that John Alden who was told by thepretty Puritan maiden, "Speak for yourself John," when he went pleadingthe love-suit of his friend Captain Miles Standish; John Alden, captainof the only vessel of war belonging to the colony, a man of largeproperty, and occupying a place in the very front rank of Bostonsociety, had been arrested for witchcraft! What a state of insanity thereligious delusion had reached, can be seen by this high-handedproceeding.

  Here again we come on to ground in which the details given in the oldmanuscript book, are fully confirmed, in every essential particular byexisting public records. Mr. Upham, whose admirable account of "SalemWitchcraft" has been of great aid to me in the preparation of thisvolume, is evidently puzzled to account for Captain Alden's arrest. Heis not able to see how the gallant Captain could have excited the ire ofthe "afflicted circle." He seems to have been entirely ignorant of thiscase of Dulcibel Burton--hers doubtless being one of the many cases inwhich the official records were purposely destroyed. If he had known ofthis case, he would have seen the connection between it and CaptainAlden. It also might have explained the continual allusions to the"yellow bird" in so many of the trials--based possibly on Dulcibel'scanary, which had been given to her by the Captain, and whose habit ofkissing her lips with its little bill had appeared so mysterious anddiabolical to the superstitious inhabitants of Salem village.

  Master Raymond's health, as is not to be wondered at, had improvedsufficiently by the next day, to allow of his accompanying Joseph Putnamto the village, to attend Captain Alden's examination. The meeting-housewas even more crowded than usual, such was the absorbing interest takenin the case, owing to the Captain's high standing in the province.

  The veteran Captain's own brief account of this matter, which has comedown to us, does not go into many details, and is valuable mainly asshowing that he regarded it very much in the same light that it isregarded now--owing probably to the fact that while a church member ingood standing, he doubtless was a good deal better seaman than churchmember. For he says he was "sent for by the Magistrates of Salem, uponthe accusation of a company of poor distracted or possessed creatures orwitches." And he speaks further of them as "wenches who played theirjuggling tricks, falling down, crying out, and staring in people'sfaces."

  The worthy Captain's account is however, as I have said, very brief--andhas the tone of one who had been a participant, however unwillingly, ina grossly shameful affair, alike disgraceful to the colony and toeverybody concerned in it. For some additional details, I am indebted tothe manuscript volume.

  Captain Alden had not been arrested in Boston. He says himself in hisstatement, that "he was sent to Salem by Mr. Stoughton"--the DeputyGovernor, and Chief-Justice of the Special Court that had condemned andexecuted Bridget Bishop, and which was now about to meet again.

  Before the meeting of the magistrates, Master Raymond had managed tohave a few words with him in private, and found that no arrangementswith any skipper had yet been made. The first negotiations had fallenthrough, and there was no other foreign vessel at that time in portwhose master possessed what Captain Alden considered the requisitetrustworthiness and daring. For he wanted a skipper that would showfight if he was pursued and overtaken; not that any actual fightingwould probably be necessary, for a simple show of resistance woulddoubtless be all that was needed.

  "When I get back to Boston, I think I shall be able to arrange mattersin the course of a week or two."

  "What--in Boston jail?" queried Master Raymond.

  "You do not suppose the magistrates will commit me on such a trumped-upnonsensical charge as this?" said the stout old captain indignantly.

  "Indeed I do," was the reply.

  "Why, there is not a particle of truth in it. I never saw these girls. Inever even heard of their being in existence."

  "Oh, that makes no difference."

  "The devil it doesn't!" said the old man, hotly. My readers mustremember that he was a seaman.

  Here the sheriff came up and told the Captain he was wanted.