“It would be laughable if it were not for the possibility of the serious repercussions against Christopher,” replied Mr. Carr. With a heavy sigh, he began his account of the accusations. “Jarret has made the claim that Christopher Osgood is one ‘Dixie Bull,’ the pirate.”
“What?” snapped Mr. Bleasdell.
“Hold on now. I shall explain all,” replied Mr. Carr. “Let me continue. When asked for the basis of this claim, he asserted that Christopher came from Pemaquid, which he claims is a known conquest of Dixie Bull’s. He went on to say that there are no accounts of him anywhere subsequent to the Pemaquid incident.”
“This is absurd,” said Mr. Foster crossly.
“Indeed it is, but there is more. He further contends that the infamous pirate’s description corresponds with that of Christopher. Jarret believes he can stand uncontested on this owing to the fact that not many have ever been acquainted with Dixie Bull.”
“You cannot be in earnest. This is just too ridiculous. I cannot believe that anyone would lend credence to such an assertion!” exclaimed Mr. Bleasdell.
“Jarret has acquired various allies in this town. Some of whom are of consequence that we would do well not to underestimate,” warned Mr. Carr.
“I was not aware of his friendship with any of the men in the town. However, he may very well have beguiled some of the ladies with his charm,” replied Mr. Bleasdell.
“Indeed, and some of them have influential husbands who are easily swayed by their wives’ opinions,” replied Mr. Carr.
“Nevertheless, I am well acquainted with Christopher and his family considering that we came over together from England. Therefore, I can very well offer testimony that he is not Dixie Bull,” insisted Mr. Bleasdell.
“I have already declared as much to Jarret, but he would have none of it. He accused you of having a bias where Christopher is concerned, given that you are friends. Therefore, he deems your testimony to be unreliable,” replied Mr. Carr.
“You have yet to inform us of what this all has to do with traveling to Salem,” said Mr. Foster.
“I am coming to that part,” replied Mr. Carr. “My original plans for travel to Salem, in which I had thought to include the two of you, were for town business. However, I have set all of that aside for now to take care of this matter. I have been informed by the clerk that there is a man in Salem, one Thomas Corbitt, who survived the attack of Dixie Bull on Pemaquid. Moreover, he has seen him face to face; thus, he is familiar with his description. Perhaps if we might obtain an affidavit, signed by Thomas Corbitt, in which he gives the pirate’s description, Christopher might well be exonerated.”
“Has Christopher been made aware of the accusations that have been levied against him?” asked Mr. Bleasdell.
“I desire, if possible, to handle this matter ourselves and not involve Christopher. He need not be anxious of the outcome as long as he remains uninformed,” replied Mr. Carr.
“I am in full agreement with your decision, as Christopher has already suffered much with the loss of his family,” replied Mr. Bleasdell. “Mr. Carr, I believe that I know Jarret’s reason for doing such a dreadful thing to Christopher.”
“After observing all that took place on the island the day that Jarret met up with Christopher, Madeline, Bridget, and me, it has become rather obvious to me as well. He has designs on Madeline and desires to have Christopher out of the way,” replied Mr. Carr.
“Where Jarret is concerned, we are all going to have to be on guard. The sooner we quietly lay this matter to rest the better!” exclaimed Mr. Foster. “We must not reveal to anyone, other than our families, our plans to meet with Thomas Corbitt, or Jarret may learn of it.”
“Mr. Foster, I share your opinion. Therefore, I have asked the other selectmen who are acquainted with the situation not to make it known until we return,” explained Mr. Carr. “So, if there is no objection, it is my desire that we set off for Salem tomorrow morning.”
Mr. Bleasdell returned home to explain everything that had taken place to Elizabeth and Madeline.
“We must not speak of this to anyone,” warned Mr. Bleasdell.
“To be sure, we shall keep silent,” responded Elizabeth, with Madeline in agreement.
Early the next morning, the three men set off for the town of Salem, while Madeline and Elizabeth were left behind to beseech the Lord for a successful trip. Once again, Mr. Bleasdell was aboard Captain Barnes’ shallop. Before too long, they disembarked in Salem, as it was a reasonably short jaunt from Salisbury.
“Mr. Carr, how will you find Thomas Corbitt?” asked Mr. Foster.
“I have been informed that he may be working at the glass works factory. Captain Barnes is familiar with the place and has graciously offered to direct us,” replied Mr. Carr.
Captain Barnes chimed in, “It is just down the road a piece. I shall be happy to conduct you to him in the morning.”
The men settled in at the local ordinary for the night. Early the next morning, after a restless night for one and all, they set off to meet up with Captain Barnes.
“Good morning,” said Captain Barnes. “Are we ready to search out Thomas Corbitt?”
“Lead the way,” replied Mr. Foster.
“It is an easy distance,” informed Captain Barnes.
Within a short time, the glass factory was in view and the men began discussing what they were going to say to Mr. Corbitt.
“Mr. Carr, as you are the one with the firsthand information concerning the accusation, you ought to be the one to speak first to Mr. Corbitt,” explained Mr. Bleasdell.
“Perhaps you are right,” replied Mr. Carr. “However, you may need to follow up, as you have held the longest acquaintance with Christopher and can verify the time of his arrival from England.”
“To be sure, Mr. Carr,” replied Mr. Bleasdell.
As the three men approached the door to the factory, it opened from the inside. “Good morning. I am the foreman here,” said an elderly man with a cheerful disposition. “What can I do for you?”
“We wish to speak with a man by the name of Thomas Corbitt,” replied Mr. Carr. “We do not wish to disturb you, but we have an urgent matter to discuss with him.”
“I shall send someone straight away to fetch him,” replied the foreman.
“I hope we find him to be sympathetic to Christopher’s plight,” said Mr. Foster, in a skeptical tone. “He may not wish to become involved.”
Just then, Thomas Corbitt, with a look of concern, came into the room where they were waiting. “What has happened?” he asked with alarm. “Has there been an injury?”
“No, no. I am sorry to have distressed you,” replied Mr. Carr, apologetically. “It is a matter of urgency, but only to us. Let me explain, ah, but first let me introduce myself and my companions. I am Mr. George Carr; this is Mr. Ralph Bleasdell, and Mr. Morris Foster,” he said, gesturing to the others. “We have come from Salisbury after having been informed that you were once a resident of Pemaquid.”
“Indeed I was,” replied Thomas, “but what is this regarding?”
“Let me start at the beginning,” said Mr. Carr, with a heavy sigh. “We have a man in our town who is a bit of a troublemaker. When it suits him, he has on occasion made accusations against members of our town.”
Mr. Bleasdell interrupted, “The accusations are by no means ordinary; in fact, they are very outlandish in nature. My apologies, Mr. Carr, but I felt the need to prepare him for what you are about to disclose.”
By now, Thomas was wide eyed with anticipation. “All right, but what has this to do with me and Pemaquid?”
“Thomas,” replied Mr. Carr, “the man in question has levied an accusation against a very fine young man. He is alleging that the pirate, Dixie Bull, and Christopher Osgood are one and the same.”
“What? Is this true? He has accused another man of being Dixie Bull?” asked Thomas in utter shock. “Is he able to substantiate such a claim?”
“The entire basis for Ja
rret Ormsby’s allegation is that Christopher Osgood came from Pemaquid, and he alleges that he fits the pirate’s description,” replied Mr. Carr. “He did indeed come from Pemaquid; however, that his description corresponds with that of the pirate is yet to be determined.”
“Before we continue, I must tell you about Christopher so that there will be no doubt in your mind as to the ridiculous nature of this accusation,” asserted Mr. Bleasdell. “Most importantly, Christopher did not even arrive at Pemaquid until 1635 on the Angel Gabriel. I believe the attack took place in ’32, did it not?”
“Indeed the year was 1632, and I am aware of the Angel Gabriel,” said Thomas. “I was residing there at the time of that terrible shipwreck.”
“Yes, and Christopher lost his wife and son in the wreck,” explained Mr. Bleasdell. “I know this because I was a passenger on that voyage as well. They were such a wonderful young couple. At that point, he was only six and twenty, she but four and twenty, and their boy was scarcely three.”
“There is one thing I must inquire after; did you speak the name ‘Jarret Ormsby’ as having been the accuser?” asked Thomas.
“Yes, that is his name,” replied Mr. Carr.
“Before we continue, I must share some information with you regarding Jarret Ormsby,” said Thomas.
“Are you acquainted with him?” asked Mr. Bleasdell.
“Indeed, he was living in this very town not long ago. I would not sully another man’s reputation for the world, but in this case, I feel that I must. There was a young woman in this town who had been charged, a few of years back, with adultery. There had been talk of Jarret along with some other men who had often been seen in her company. It is only my opinion, but I believe that Jarret learned of the pending charges and fled the town, abandoning her to face the charges alone. That may well be when he showed up in your town,” confided Thomas Corbitt.
“Alas, that surely sounds like Jarret,” replied Mr. Foster.
Thomas continued, “What I thought not to disclose but now feel that I must is that the young woman was my niece. She was a sweet girl, married to an older gentleman, when she was seduced by some iniquitous men. It continues to be beyond my comprehension that she was found guilty whilst Jarret Ormsby and the others suffered no ill effects. She died of an illness soon after the trial. I believe it was simply too much for her to bear. I have told you all of this so that you may use this information, if necessary, in the defense of your friend.”
“That is an astonishing story. Are you quite sure of the name of the man?” asked Mr. Foster.
“I am quite sure, as it is not a common name; I believe that they are one and the same. As you might well imagine, I have a great desire to put a stop to him as well. Therefore, what may I do to be of assistance?” asked Thomas, in a sincere voice.
“We were hoping, in view of the fact that you have come face to face with the pirate, you might sign an affidavit in which you provide a full description of him,” replied Mr. Carr.
“Do you have something with which to document what I have to say?” asked Thomas.
“We are prepared to do so,” replied Mr. Carr. “Mr. Foster will take down the account of your dealings with the pirate.”
“To begin with,” began Thomas, “I had the unhappy occasion to set eyes on one, Dixie Bull, at the time of his barbarous attack on Pemaquid in the year 1632. He sailed into the harbor and fired upon the settlement, causing much confusion and devastation. After which, he commenced with sacking the town, dispossessing us of our furs and victuals, and leaving us essentially destitute.”
Thomas sighed as he recounted the troubling events, “We worked hard to restore our fortunes and rebuild our town. However, around the time of the wreck of which you speak, the French and English were disputing over the rights to the territory. I felt that as I had stayed following the infamous attack, this additional insult to the peace of the town left me and many others to seek out opportunity elsewhere. It was then that I came to Salem.”
As they listened intently, Thomas continued, “As for the description of the pirate, you mentioned that Christopher is a young man, now but one and thirty. By all accounts, that is the chief discrepancy between the two, as the pirate is by this time considerably older. In addition, he was about medium in height with dark hair strewn with gray about the temples.”
Upon completion of the affidavit in which the details regarding the pirate were set down, Thomas Corbitt signed it with the following declaration: “This is an exact account of my dealings with the pirate, Dixie Bull, signed Thomas Corbitt.”
“We are indebted to you for your willingness to disclose such personal matters in the defense of our friend,” replied Mr. Carr. “Please accept our condolences on the loss of your beloved niece.”
“I believe that you have given enough information to vindicate Christopher, as you have made it clear that he is not only too young, he is too tall and the color of his hair is not the same,” replied Mr. Bleasdell.
“I am happy to be of assistance,” replied Thomas, with a smile. “From what you have told me about Christopher Osgood, I reason that he has had more than his share of suffering. Therefore, if you have need of any further proof, I would be pleased to appear in person.”
“Thank you, but I hope it does not become necessary,” replied Mr. Bleasdell. “With gratitude, we shall take leave of you now, as we must hasten our return to Salisbury.”
“Well then, I shall say farewell and God be with you,” replied Thomas as he turned to go.
As the three men returned to the shallop, they decided not to divulge the information with regard to Jarret and Thomas Corbitt’s niece unless it became necessary.
“By your countenance, it is plain that you must have met with success,” said Captain Barnes.
“Thomas was exceedingly accommodating in passing on to us the information that will be required if we are to lay this whole matter to rest,” replied Mr. Carr.
“Let us set forward with all speed. There is no telling what kind of mischief Jarret may well be getting into!” exclaimed Mr. Foster.
Chapter 10
A Frenzied Town/Affidavit Arrives from Salem
* * *
Upon returning to town, Mr. Carr, Mr. Bleasdell, and Mr. Foster were deeply disturbed to find the whole town in an uproar, as Jarret had made his accusations known.
“It is essential that I find Christopher as soon as possible!” exclaimed Mr. Bleasdell. “There can be no doubt but that he has been informed of the accusations against him.”
“Indeed, you must make haste. In the meantime, Mr. Foster and I shall call for a meeting of the selectmen to be held as soon as possible,” replied Mr. Carr. “This nasty business has the potential of having grave consequences if it is not soon set right. I shall take leave of you now.”
Mr. Bleasdell was pleased to find Charles Banister by the water’s edge, for he had need of him to be conveyed to Carr’s Island.
“Charles, it is essential that I be taken across to the island as quickly as possible!” exclaimed Mr. Bleasdell.
“Has this anything to do with the ludicrous rumors surrounding Christopher Osgood?” inquired Charles.
“Yes,” replied Mr. Bleasdell, “and with the rumors spreading so far and wide, I have no doubt but that Christopher has been made aware of the accusations against him. It is, therefore, imperative that Christopher see the affidavit, of which I am in possession, wherein his innocence has been declared by an eyewitness who has come face to face with the dreadful pirate.”
“That is sure to settle the matter,” replied Charles. “Let us make haste for the island.”
Upon their arrival to the island, Charles offered to help in the search for Christopher.
“Your assistance is most welcome,” responded Mr. Bleasdell, in appreciation.
After a short time, the two men were relieved to have found Christopher. He greeted them somberly, as the whole Jarret business had been weighing heavily upon him. To ease Christopher
’s mind, Mr. Bleasdell took no time in sharing the good news.
“Christopher, I have just come from Salem with Mr. Carr and Mr. Foster, whereupon we met a man who has given us a written account of Dixie Bull, including a well-detailed description. Mr. Carr had been informed of the man by our town clerk and took no time in making arrangements for the three of us to set off for Salem.”
“This is, indeed, good news,” said Christopher, with relief. “I could scarcely believe that a man with whom I had only recently become acquainted, would attempt to stir up trouble for me. Moreover, I had been informed that you were away on business and that the day of your return was unknown. Thus, as there was not another person on the board of selectmen who could give testimony on my behalf, I have been expecting the constable to come at any moment.”
“Mr. Carr is, at this very moment, calling for a meeting of the board. We must hasten back to town, as he will be awaiting our arrival,” said Mr. Bleasdell.
Charles accompanied Christopher and Mr. Bleasdell back to town as a demonstration of his support.
Madeline and Elizabeth had not yet been informed of whether the trip to Salem had been a success. Furthermore, they were not aware of Mr. Bleasdell’s return and imminent meeting with the board of selectmen.
After hearing of the unrest in town regarding Christopher, Madeline asked in disbelief, “Elizabeth, who would believe such a ridiculous story about Christopher?”
“I am of the opinion that with the assistance of a sufficient number of busybodies, Jarret has kindled such a flame as will not be easily quenched,” replied Elizabeth. “However, if Mr. Bleasdell and the others are successful in their mission to Salem, Jarret may rue the day he made such an accusation.”
Upon the arrival of Mr. Bleasdell, Christopher, and Charles to the meetinghouse, they found it to be so full of men that they could scarcely get in. About the outside of the building were scores of women, many of whom were the selectmen’s wives with a desire to know what would become of the accused. Once it was made known that Christopher was in their midst, many of the townsfolk hurled insults at him. It was as if his guilt had already been firmly established.
Lost Love and Shipwrecked: Madeline Pike Finds Hope in the New Land Page 6