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THE WATER WITCH. 
 
London: 
 
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 New-street-Square. 
 
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THE 
 
 WATER WITCH; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE SKIMMER OF THE SEAS. 
 
 A TALE. 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 “THE BORDERERS,” “THE PRAIRIE,” 
 
 &c. &c. 
 
 Cooper. Jav^es Ta^ivnove. 
 
 “ Mais, que (liable alloit-il faire dans cette galdre?" 
 
 REVISED, AND WITH A NEW PREFACE, NOTES, ETC. 
 BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET ; 
 
 AND BELL & BRADFUTE, EDINBURGH. 
 
 1850 
 

 
 
 
 
 . jj 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I * 
 
 
 
 1 
 
813 
 
 CT8w 
 
 1850 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PRESENT EDITION IN “THE STANDARD NOVELS.” 
 
 t 
 
 Tt: 
 
 c— 
 
 * 
 
 * 3 “ 
 
 <N 
 
 
 o 
 
 In the original preface of this book, there was a short 
 account of the manner in which New York, the scene 
 of this legend, was first peopled. As so little is known 
 of American history in general, a brief explanation of 
 this part of the subject may aid the reader in under¬ 
 standing many of the incidents and more of the allu¬ 
 sions of the work. 
 
 New York, which was first called New Netherlands, 
 was settled by a colony under the control of the Dutch 
 East India Company. The establishments were first 
 made in 1612 , and the Hollanders retained possession 
 of the country for about half a century. At the end 
 of that period it was taken by the English (in a time 
 of profound peace), who, however, relinquished their 
 conquest, which was finally assured to them, after a 
 second invasion (in a time of war), by the treaty of 
 Utrecht. Charles II., in whose reign this important 
 accession was made to the British empire, presented 
 the colony to his brother, the Duke of York, from whom 
 it obtained its present name. The succession of this 
 prince to the crown brought the province again under 
 the royal government, in which condition it remained 
 until the revolution of 1776 . 
 
 A sway of half a century permitted the Dutch to 
 take deep root in the country. Their names still con- 
 
Vlll 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 in the heart of the state; Livingstones of the upper 
 and lower manors; Philipse “ of that ilk,” as it would 
 be called in Scotland; the Van Courtlandts of Court- 
 landt; Jones of Fort-Neck ; Nicoll of Islip; Nicoll of 
 Shetta Island ; Morris of Morrisania, &c. This fact is 
 worthy of attention, as it disproves a great deal that 
 has been said concerning the instability-" of this sort of 
 property in America, and has a tendency to remove 
 the prejudices of some against a popular form of go¬ 
 vernment. The surprise should be, that so much 
 property is to be found for a succession of generations 
 in the same families, in a country where there are no 
 entails, and which has increased its population seven¬ 
 fold within the memory of man, and not that there is so 
 little. 
 
 It has been objected to this book that the events 
 are too improbable. This opinion has most likely 
 been formed from ignorance of marine usages ; for it 
 is believed that no seaman can read it, without finding 
 simple and very intelligible clues to all those myste¬ 
 ries which may possibly perplex a landsman. There is 
 no intention of leaving a single trick of necromancy un¬ 
 explained ; nor is it thought there is any thing which 
 can be seriously equivocal to a reader who is acquainted 
 with the ocean, and who is disposed to read the book 
 with ordinary attention. 
 
 All the local descriptions are believed to be as close 
 as possible to nature ; and, on a careful re-perusal of 
 his labours, the writer can discover nothing that re¬ 
 quires amendment on the score of probability or truth, 
 after the usual privileges are accorded which are the 
 inalienable prerogatives of romance. 
 
 London, October, 1833. 
 
THE 
 
 WATER WITCH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse? 
 
 Or shall we on without apology ? 
 
 Romeo and Juliet. 
 
 The fine estuary which penetrates the American coast 
 between the fortieth and forty-first degrees of latitude, is 
 formed by the confluence of the Hudson, the Hackensack, 
 the Passaic, the Rariton, and a multitude of smaller, 
 streams; all of which pour their tribute into the ocean, 
 within the space named. The islands of Nassau and Staten 
 are happily placed to exclude the tempests of the open sea, 
 while the deep and broad arms of the latter offer every de¬ 
 sirable facility for foreign trade and internal intercourse. 
 To this fortunate disposition of land and water, with a 
 temperate climate, a central position, and an immense in¬ 
 terior, that is now penetrated in every direction either by 
 artificial or by natural streams, the city of New York is 
 indebted for its extraordinary prosperity. Though not 
 wanting in beauty, there are many bays that surpass this in 
 the charms of scenery ; but it may be questioned if the 
 world possesses another site that unites so many natural 
 advantages for the growth and support of a widely ex¬ 
 tended commerce. As if never wearied with her kindness, 
 Nature has placed the island of Manhattan at the precise 
 point that is most desirable for the position of a town. 
 Millions might inhabit the spot and yet a ship should load 
 near every door, and while the service of the land just 
 possesses the inequalities that are required for health 
 and cleanliness, its bosom is filled with the material most 
 needed in construction. 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 The consequences of so unusuax a concurrence of favour¬ 
 able circumstances are well known. A vigorous, healthful 
 and continued growth, that has no parallel even in the 
 history of this extraordinary and fortunate country, has 
 already raised the insignificant provincial town of the 
 last century, to the level of the second-rate ckies of the 
 other hemisphere. The New-Amsterdam of this continent 
 already rivals its parent of the other ; and, so far as 
 human powers may pretend to predict, a few fleeting 
 years will place her on a level with the proudest capitals 
 of Europe. 
 
 It would seem that, as Nature has given its periods to 
 the stages of animal life, it has also set limits to all moral 
 and political ascendency. While the city of the Medici is 
 receding from its crumbling walls, like the human form 
 shrinking into “ the lean and slippered pantaloon,” the 
 queen of the Adriatic is sleeping on her muddy isles, 
 and Rome itself is only to be traced by fallen temples and 
 buried columns, the youthful vigour of America is fast co¬ 
 vering the wilds of the west with the happiest fruits of 
 human industry. 
 
 Ry the Manhattanese, who is familiar with the forest of 
 masts, the miles of wharves, the countless villas, the 
 hundred churches, the castles, the smoking and busy 
 vessels that crowd his bay, the daily increase and the 
 general movement of his native town, the picture we are 
 about to sketch will scarcely be recognised. lie who shall 
 come a generation later will probably smile, that subject 
 of admiration should have been found in the existing con¬ 
 dition of the city; and yet we shall attempt to carry the 
 recollections of the reader but a century back in the brief 
 history of his country. 
 
 As the sun rose on the morning of the 3d of June, 
 171—, the report of a cannon was heard rolling along the 
 waters of the Hudson. Smoke issued from an embrasure 
 of a small fortress, that stood on the point of land where 
 the river and the bay mingle their waters. The explosion 
 was followed by the appearance of a flag, which, as it rose 
 to the summit of its staff and unfolded itself heavily in the 
 light current of air, showed die blue field and red cross of 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 3 
 
 the English ensign. At the distance of several miles, the 
 dark masts of a ship were to be seen, faintly relieved by 
 the verdant back-ground of the heights of Staten Island. 
 A little cloud floated over this object, and then an an¬ 
 swering signal came dull and rumbling to the town. 
 The flag that the cruiser set was not visible in the 
 distance. 
 
 At the precise moment that the noise of the first gun 
 was heard, the door of one of the principal dwellings of the 
 town opened, and a man who might have been its master, 
 appeared on its stoop*, as the ill-arranged entrances of 
 the buildings of the place are still termed. He was seem¬ 
 ingly prepared for some expedition that was likely to con¬ 
 sume the day. A middle-aged black followed the burgher 
 to the threshold, and another negro, who had not yet 
 reached the stature of manhood, bore under his arm a 
 small bundle, that probably contained articles of the first 
 necessity to the comfort of his master. 
 
 “ Thrift, Mr. Euclid, thrift is your true philosopher’s 
 stone/’ commenced, or rather continued in a rich full- 
 mouthed Dutch t the proprietor of the dwelling, who had 
 evidently been giving a leave-taking charge to his principal 
 slave, before quitting the house — “ thrift hath made many 
 a man rich, while it was never known to bring any one to 
 want. It is thrift which has built up the credit of my house ; 
 and, though it is said by myself, a broader back and a firmer 
 base belong to no merchant in the colonies. Thou art but the 
 reflection of thy master’s prosperity, thou rogue, and so much 
 the greater need that thou lookest sharply to his interests. I f 
 the substance is wasted, what will become of the shadow ? 
 When I get delicate, thou wilt sicken ; when I am a-hun- 
 gered, thou wilt be famished; when I die, thou mayest be 
 — ahem — Euclid, lad, I leave thee in charge of goods and 
 chattels, house and stable, with my character in the neigh- 
 
 * The city having been originally Dutch, many of the practices of Holland 
 still prevail in it. Most of the houses have these high Dutch stoops. The 
 streets are mere or less lined with trees, and nearly every house that is not of 
 stone is painted. 
 
 f The language here alluded to is called Dutch in the book, and it is usually 
 so considered in America, but observation on the spot has satisfied the author 
 that it is, in truth, the Flemish dialect. 
 
 B 2 
 
4 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 bourhoocl to boot. I am going to the Lust-in-Rust, for a 
 mouthful of better air. Plague and fevers ! 1 believe the 
 
 people will continue to come into this crowded town until 
 it gets to be as pestilent as Rotterdam in the dog-days. 
 Thou hast now come to years when a man obtains his re¬ 
 flection, boy, and I expect suitable care and discretion about 
 the premises while my back is turned. Now, harkee, 
 sirrah : I am not entirely pleased with the character of 
 thy company. It is not altogether as respectable as be¬ 
 comes the confidential servant of a man of a certain station 
 in the world. There are thy two cousins, Brom and 
 Kobus, who are no better than a couple of blackguards; 
 and as for the English negro, Diomede — he is a devil’s 
 imp ! Thou hast the other locks at disposal, and,” draw¬ 
 ing with visible reluctance the instrument from his pocket, 
 “ here is the key of the stable. Not a hoof is to quit it 
 but to go to the pump—and see that each animal hath its 
 food to a minute. The devil’s roysterers ! A Manhattan 
 negro takes a Flemish gelding for a gaunt hound that is 
 never out of breath, and away he goes, at night, scamper¬ 
 ing along the highways like a yankee witch switching 
 through the air on a broomstick ; but mark me. Master 
 Euclid, I have eyes in my head, as thou knowest by bitter 
 experience ! D’ ye remember, rag-a-muffin, the time when 
 I saw thee from the Hague, riding these very beasts, as if 
 the devil spurred them, along the dykes of Leyden without 
 remorse as without leave ? ” 
 
 I alway b’rieve some make-mischief tell masser dat 
 time,” returned the negro sulkily, though not without 
 some distrust of the other’s means of extraordinary observ¬ 
 ation. 
 
 “ His own eyes were the tell-tales. If masters had no 
 eyes, a pretty world would the negroes make of it ! I have 
 got the measure of every black'heel on the island registered 
 in the big book thou seest me so often looking into, especially 
 on Sundays ; and if either of the tire-legs I have named 
 dare to enter my grounds, let him expect to pay a visit to 
 the city prevost.* What do the wild cats mean ? Do 
 
 * An officer who was charged with the duty of flogging the negroes, when 
 slavery existed in the colony of New York. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 5 
 
 they think that the geldings were bought in Holland, 
 with charges for breaking-in, shipment, insurance, freight, 
 and risk of diseases, to have their flesh melted from their 
 ribs like a cook’s candle ? ” 
 
 “ Ere notin' done in all ’e island, but a colour’ man do 
 him ! He do a mischief, and he do all a work, too ! 1 
 
 won’er what colour masser t’ink war’ Captain Kidd ? ” 
 
 “ Black or white, he was a rank rogue ; and thou 
 sawest the end he came to. I warrant thee, now, that 
 water-thief began his iniquities by riding the neighbour's 
 horses at night. His fate should be a warning to every 
 negro in the colony. The imps of darkness ! The English 
 have no such scarcity of rogues at home, that they could 
 not spare us the pirate to hang up on one of the islands, as 
 a scarecrow to the blacks of Manhattan.” 
 
 “ Well, I t’ink ’e sight do a white man some good, too, 
 returned Euclid, who had all the pertinacity of a spoiled 
 Dutch negro, singularly blended with affection for him in 
 whose service he had been born. “ I hear ebbery body 
 say, ’ere war’ but too colour’ man in he ship, and ’em bot’ 
 war’ Guinea born.” 
 
 “ A modest tongue, thou midnight scamperer ! Look to 
 my geldings. — Here — here are two Dutch florins, three 
 stivers, and a Spanish pistoreen for thee; one of the 
 florins is for thy old mother, and with the others thou canst 
 lighten thy heart in the Paus* merry-makings. If I hear 
 that either of thy rascally cousins, or the English Diomede, 
 hath put a leg across beast of mine, it will be the worse 
 for all Africa ! Famine and skeletons ! here have I been 
 seven years trying to fatten the nags, and they still look 
 more like weasels, than like a pair of solid geldings.” 
 
 The close of this speech was rather muttered in the dis¬ 
 tance, and by way of soliloquy, than actually administered 
 to the namesake of the great mathematician. The air of 
 the negro had been a little equivocal during the parting 
 admonition. There was an evident struggle in his mind 
 between an innate love of disobedience, and a secret dread 
 of his master’s means of information. So long as the 
 
 Easter, a time of great festivities among the negroes of New York. 
 
 B 3 
 
6 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 latter continued in sight, the black watched his form in 
 doubt, but when it had turned a corner, he stood at gaze 
 for a moment with a negro on a neighbouring stoop; then 
 both shook their heads significantly, laughed aloud, and 
 retired. That night the confidential servant attended to 
 the interests of his absent master with a fidelity and care 
 which proved he felt his own existence identified with 
 that of a man who claimed so close a right in his person ; 
 and just as the clock struck ten, he and the negro last 
 mentioned mounted the sluggish and over-fattened horses, 
 and galloped as hard as foot could be laid to the earth, 
 several miles deeper into the island, to attend a frolic at 
 one of the usual haunts of the people of their colour and 
 condition. 
 
 Had Alderman Myndert Van Beverout suspected the 
 calamity which w r as so soon to succeed his absence, it is 
 probable that his mien would have been less composed, as 
 he pursued his way from his own door on the occasion 
 named. That he had confidence in the virtue of his 
 menaces, however, may be inferred from the tranquillity 
 which immediately took possession of features that were 
 never disturbed without wearing an appearance of un¬ 
 natural effort. The substantial burgher was a little turned 
 of fifty; and an English wag, who had imported from the 
 mother-country a love for the humour of his nation, had 
 once, in a conflict of wits before the city council, described 
 him to be a man of alliterations. When called upon to 
 explain away this breach of parliamentary decorum, the 
 punster had gotten rid of the matter, by describing his oppo¬ 
 nent to be “ short, solid, and sturdy, in stature; full, flushed, 
 and funny, in face ; and proud, ponderous, and pragmatical, 
 in propensities.” But, as is usual in all sayings of effort, 
 there was more smartness than truth in this description ; 
 though after making a trifling allowance for the colouring 
 of political rivalry, the reader may receive its physical 
 portion as sufficiently descriptive to answer all the neces¬ 
 sary purposes of this tale. If w r e add that he was a 
 trader of great wealth and shrewdness, and a bachelor, we 
 need say no more in this stage of the narrative. 
 
 Notwithstanding the early hour at which the industrious 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 7 
 
 and flourishing merchant quitted his abode, his movement 
 along the narrow streets of his native town was measured 
 and dignified. More than once, he stopped to speak to 
 some favourite family servant, invariably terminating his 
 enquiries after the health of the master, by some facetious 
 observation adapted to the habits and capacity of the slave. 
 From this it would seem that, while he had so exaggerated 
 notions of domestic discipline, the worthy burgher was far 
 from being one who indulged by inclination in the menaces 
 he has been heard to utter. He had just dismissed one of 
 these loitering negroes, when, on turning a corner, a man 
 of his own colour, for the first time that morning, sud¬ 
 denly stood before him. The startled citizen made an in¬ 
 voluntary movement to avoid the unexpected interview, 
 and then, perceiving the difficulty of such a step, he sub¬ 
 mitted with as good a grace as if it had been one of his 
 own seeking. 
 
 “ The orb of day — the morning gun — and Mr. Aider- 
 man Van Beverout ! ” exclaimed the individual thus en¬ 
 countered. “ Such is the order of events, at this early 
 ■' hour, on each successive revolution of our earth.” 
 
 The countenance of the alderman had barely time to 
 recover its composure, ere he was required to answer to 
 this free and somewhat facetious salutation. Uncovering his 
 head, he bowed so ceremoniously as to leave the other 
 no reason to exult in his pleasantry, while he answered,— 
 cs The colony has reason to regret the services of a 
 governor who can quit his bed so soon. That we of 
 business habits stir betimes is quite in reason, but there 
 are those in this town who would scarce believe their eyes, 
 did they enjoy my present happiness.” 
 
 “ Sir, there are many in this colony who have great 
 reason to distrust their senses, though none can be mistaken 
 in believing they see in Alderman Van Beverout a well 
 employed man. He that dealeth in the produce of the 
 beaver must have the animal’s perseverance and fore¬ 
 thought ! Now, were I a king at arms, there should be a 
 concession made in thy favour, Myndert, of a shield 
 bearing the animal mordant, a mantle of fur, with 
 
 b 4 
 
fi 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 two Mohawk hunters for supporters, and the motto, 
 f Industry.’ ” 
 
 <c Or what think you, my lord,” returned the other, 
 who did not more than half relish the pleasantry of his 
 companion, li of a spotless shield for a clear conscience, 
 with an open hand for a crest, and the motto, ‘ Frugality 
 and Justice ? ’ ” 
 
 “ I like the open hand, though the conceit is pretend¬ 
 ing. I see you would intimate that the Van Beverouts 
 have not need, at this late day, to search a herald’s office 
 for honours. I remember, now I bethink me, on some 
 occasion to have seen their bearings; a windmill, courant 
 — dyke, coulant — field, vert, sprinkled with black cattle — 
 No ! then, my memory is treacherous ; the morning air, as 
 thou know’st, is pregnant with food for the imagination !” 
 
 f( Which is not a coin to satisfy a creditor, my lord,” 
 said the caustic Myndert. 
 
 “ Therein has truth been pithily spoken. This is an 
 ill-judged step, Alderman Van Beverout, that lets a gen¬ 
 tleman out by night, like the ghost in Hamlet, to flee into 
 the narrow house with the crowing of the cock. The ear 
 of my royal cousin hath been poisoned, worse than -was the 
 ear of ‘ murdered Denmark/ or, I will swear to thee, the 
 partisans of this Mister Hunter would have little cause to 
 triumph.” 
 
 “ Is it not possible to give such pledges to those who 
 have turned the key, as will enable your lordship to apply 
 the antidote ? ” 
 
 The question struck a chord that changed the whole 
 manner of the other. His air, which had borne the cha¬ 
 racter of a genteel trifler, became more grave and dignified; 
 and, notwithstanding there was the evidence of a reckless 
 disposition in his features, dress, and carriage, his tall and 
 not ungraceful form, as he walked slowly onward by the 
 side of the compact alderman, was not without much of 
 that insinuating ease and blandishment, that long fami¬ 
 liarity with good company can give even to the lowest 
 moral worth. 
 
 “ Your question, worthy sir, manifests great goodness of 
 heart, and corroborates the reputation for generosity that 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 9 
 
 the world so freely gives. It is true that the queen has 
 been persuaded to sign the mandate of my recall, and it is 
 certain that Mr. Hunter has the government of the colony; 
 but these are facts that might be reversed, were I once 
 in a position to approach my kinswoman. I do not dis¬ 
 claim certain indiscretions, sir; it would ill become me 
 to deny them in the presence of one whose virtue is as 
 severe as that of Alderman Van Beverout. I have my 
 failings: perhaps, as you have just been pleased to inti¬ 
 mate, it would have been better had my motto been fruga¬ 
 lity ; but the open hand, dear sir, is a part of the design 
 you will not deny me either. If I have weaknesses, my 
 enemies cannot refuse to say that I never yet deserted a 
 friend.” 
 
 “ Not having had occasion to tax your friendship, I shall 
 not be the first to make the charge.” 
 
 “ Thy impartiality has come to be a proverb, Myndert 
 f As honest as Alderman Van Beverout f as generous as 
 Alderman Van Beverout,’ are terms in each man’s mouth, 
 some say f as rich’ (the small blue eye of the burgher 
 twinkled). But honesty, and riches, and generosity, are o£ 
 little value, without influence. Men should have their 
 natural consideration in society. Now is this colony rather 
 Dutch than English, and yet you see how few names are 
 found in the list of the council that have been known in 
 the province half a century! Here are your Alexanders 
 and Heathcotes, your Morrisses and Kennedies, De Lanceys 
 and Livingstones, filling the council, and the legislative 
 halls; while we find few of the Van Rensselaers, Van 
 Courtlandts, Van Schuylers, Stuyvesants, Van Beekmans, 
 and Van Beverouts in their natural stations. All nations 
 and religions have precedency, in the royal favour, before 
 the children of the patriarchs. The Bohemian Felipses, 
 the Huguenot de Lanceys, and Bayards, and Jays; the king- 
 hating Morrisses and Ludlows — in short, all the new 
 comers have greater estimation in the eyes of government, 
 than the most ancient Patroon ! ” 
 
 “ This has long and truly been the case; I cannor 
 remember when it was otherwise \ ” 
 
 “ It may not be denied. But it would little become 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 .10 
 
 political discretion to affect precipitancy in the judgment of 
 character. If my own administration can be stigmatised 
 with the same apparent prejudice,, it proves the clearer how 
 strong is misrepresentation at home. Time was wanting 
 to enlighten my mind, and that time has been refused me. 
 In another year, my worthy sir, the council should have 
 been filled with Vans !” 
 
 “ In such a case, my lord, the unhappy condition in 
 which you are now placed might indeed have been 
 avoided.” 
 
 <f Is it too late to arrest the evil ? It is time Anne was 
 undeceived, and her mind regained. There wanteth nothing 
 to such a consummation of justice, sir, hut opportunity. 
 It touches me to the heart, to think that this disgrace 
 should befall one so near the royal blood !* ’T is a spot on 
 the escutcheon of the crown that all loyal subjects must 
 feel desirous to efface; and so small an effort would effect 
 the object, too, with certain — Mr. Alderman Myndert Van 
 Beverout-” 
 
 “ My lord, late governor,” returned the other, observ¬ 
 ing that his companion hesitated. 
 
 “ What think you of this Hanoverian settlement? — 
 Shall a German wear the crown of a Plantagenet ? ” 
 
 (< It hath been worn by a Hollander.” 
 
 “ Aptly answered ! Worn, and worn worthily! There is 
 affinity between the people, and there is reason in thy 
 reply. Plow have I failed in wisdom, in not seeking 
 earlier the aid of thy advice, excellent sir ! Ah, Myndert, 
 there is a blessing on the enterprises of all who come of 
 the Low Countries ! ” 
 
 “ They are industrious in earning, and slow to squan¬ 
 der.” 
 
 “ That thing expenditure is the ruin of many a worthy 
 subject! And yet accident — chance—fortune — or what¬ 
 ever you may choose to call it, interferes nefariously, at 
 times, with a gentleman’s prosperity. I am an adorer of 
 constancy in friendships, sir, and I hold the.principle that 
 
 * Lord Cornbury, the profligate governor of New York, was the grandson of 
 the great Earl of Clarendon, and a cousin-german of Queen Anne. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 1 1 
 
 men should aid each other through this dark vale of life— 
 Mr. Alderman Van Beverout-” 
 
 iC My Lord Cornbury?” 
 
 I was about to say, that should I quit the province, 
 without expressing part of the regret I feel at not having 
 sooner ascertained the merits of its original owners, and 
 your own in particular, I should do injustice to sensibilities 
 that are only too acute for the peace of him who endures 
 them.” 
 
 “ Is there then hope that your lordship’s creditors will 
 relent, or has the earl furnished means to open the prison 
 door ? ” 
 
 “ You use the pleasantest terms, sir!—hut I love direct¬ 
 ness of language above all other qualities. No doubt the 
 prison door, as you have so clearly expressed it, might be 
 opened, and lucky would be the man who should turn the 
 key. I am pained when I think of the displeasure of the 
 queen, which, sooner or later, will surely visit my luckless 
 persecutors. On the other hand, I find relief in thinking 
 of the favour she will extend to those who have proved my 
 friends in such a strait. They that wear crowns love not 
 to see disgrace befall the meanest of their blood, for some¬ 
 thing of the taint may sully even the ermine of majesty.— 
 Mr. Alderman- w 
 
 “ My lord?” 
 
 “ How fare the Flemish geldings?” 
 
 <( Bravely, and many thanks, my lord ; the rogues are 
 fat as butter ! There is hope of a little rest for the inno¬ 
 cents, since business calls me to the Lust-in-Rust. There 
 should be a law. Lord Governor, to gibbet the black that 
 rides a beast at night.” 
 
 ‘ f I bethought me of some condign punishment for so 
 heartless a crime, but there is little hope for it under the 
 administration of this Mr. Hunter. Yes, sir ; were I once 
 more in the presence of my royal cousin, there would 
 quickly be an end to this delusion, and the colony should 
 be once more restored to a healthful state. The men of a 
 generation should cease to lord it over the men of a cen¬ 
 tury. But we must be wary of letting our design, my dear 
 sir, get wind ; it is a truly Dutch idea, and.the profits, both 
 
12 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 pecuniary and political, should belong to the gentlemen of 
 that descent. — My dear Van Beverout-” 
 
 “ My good lord ? ” 
 
 “ Is the blooming Alida obedient ? Trust me, there has 
 no family event occurred, during my residence in the 
 colony, in which I have taken a nearer interest than in 
 that desirable connection. The wooing of the young 
 Patroon of Kinderhook is an affair of concern to the whole 
 province. It is a meritorious youth !” 
 
 “ With an excellent estate, my lord!” 
 
 “ And a gravity beyond his years.” 
 
 <e I would give a guaranty, at a risk, that two thirds 
 of his income goes to increase the capital, at the beginning 
 of each season!” 
 
 “ He seems a man to live on air ! ” 
 
 “ My old friend, the last Patroon, left noble assets,” 
 continued the alderman, rubbing his hands, “ besides the 
 manor.” 
 
 “ Which is no paddock.” 
 
 cf It reaches from the Hudson to the line of Massa¬ 
 chusetts. A hundred thousand acres of hill and bottom, 
 and well peopled by frugal Hollanders.” 
 
 <( Respectable in possession, and a mine of gold in 
 reversion! Such men, sir, should be cherished. We 
 owe it to his station to admit him to a share of this our 
 project to undeceive the queen. How superior are the 
 claims of such a gentleman to the empty pretensions of 
 your Captain Ludlow !” 
 
 “ He hath truly a very good and an improving estate ! ” 
 
 “ These Ludlows, sir, people that fled the realm for 
 plotting against the crown, are offensive to a loyal subject. 
 Indeed, too much of this objection may be imputed to 
 many in the province, that come of English blood. I am 
 sorry to say that they are fomenters of discord, disturbers 
 of the public mind, and captious disputants about prero¬ 
 gatives and vested rights. But there is a repose in the 
 Dutch character which lends it dignity ! The descendants 
 of the Hollanders are men to be counted on ; where we 
 leave them to-day, we see them to-morrow. As we say 
 in politics, sir, we know where to find them. Does it 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 13 
 
 not seem to you particularly offensive that this Captain 
 Ludlow should command the only royal cruiser on the 
 station ? ” 
 
 “ I should like it better, my lord, were he to serve in 
 Europe,” returned the alderman, glancing a look behind 
 him and lowering his voice. “ There was lately a rumour 
 that his ship was in truth to be sent among the islands.” 
 
 “ Matters are getting very wrong, most worthy sir, 
 and the greater the necessity there should be one at court 
 to undeceive the queen. Innovators should be made to 
 give w’ay to men whose names are historical in the 
 colony.” 
 
 (e ’T would be no worse for her majesty’s credit.” 
 
 ’T would be another jewel in her crown ! Should 
 this Captain Ludlow actually marry thy niece, the family 
 would altogether change its character — I have the worst 
 
 memory — thy mother, Myndert, was a — a- M 
 
 “ The pious woman was a Van Busser.” 
 
 “ The union of thy sister with the Huguenot then re¬ 
 duces the fair Alida to the quality of a half-blood. The 
 Ludlow connection would destroy the leaven of the race ! 
 — I think the man is penniless ! ” 
 
 “ I cannot say that, my lord, for I would not willingly 
 injure the credit of my worst enemy ; but though wealthy, 
 he is far from having the estate of the young Patroon of 
 Kinderhook.” 
 
 He should indeed be sent into the Indies. — Myn¬ 
 dert -” 
 
 “ My lord ? ” 
 
 te It would be unjust to my sentiments in favour of Mr. 
 Oloff Van Staats were we to exclude him from the ad¬ 
 vantages of our project. This much shall I exact from 
 thy friendship in his favour ; the necessary sum may be 
 divided in moieties between you, a common bond shall 
 render the affair compact, and then, as we shall be masters 
 of our own secret, there can be little doubt of the pru¬ 
 dence of our measures. The amount is written in this bit 
 of paper.” 
 
 “ T wo thousand pounds, my lord ! ’’ 
 
 iC Pardon me, dear sir ; not a penny more than one for 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 n> 
 
 each of you. Justice to Y r an Staats requires that you let 
 him into the affair. Were it not for the suit with your 
 niece, I should take the young gentleman with me, to push 
 his fortunes at court.” 
 
 <c Truly, my lord, this greatly exceeds my means. The 
 high prices of furs the past season, and delays in returns, 
 have placed a seal upon our silver-” 
 
 “ The premium would be high.” 
 
 “ Coin is getting so scarce, daily, that the face of a 
 Carolus is almost as great a stranger as the face of a 
 debtor.” 
 
 The returns certain.” 
 
 “ While one’s creditors meet him at every corner.” 
 
 “ The concern would be altogether Dutch.” 
 
 “ And last advices from Holland tell us to reserve our 
 gold for some extraordinary movements in the commercial 
 world.” 
 
 “ Mr. Alderman Myndert Van Beverout!” 
 
 “ My Lord Viscount Cornbury?” 
 
 “ Plutus preserve thee, sir — but have a care ! though 
 I scent the morning air, and must return, it is not forbid 
 to tell the secrets of my prison-house. There is one in 
 yonder cage, who whispers that the c Skimmer of the 
 Seas’ is on the coast! Be wary, worthy burgher, or the 
 second part of the tragedy of Kidd may yet be enacted in 
 these seas.” 
 
 “ I leave such transactions to my superiors,” retorted 
 the alderman, with another stiff and ceremonious bow. 
 “ Enterprises that are said to have occupied the Earl of 
 Bellamont, Governor Fletcher, and my Lord Cornbury, are 
 above the ambition of a humble merchant! ” 
 
 “ Adieu, tenacious sir; quiet thine impatience for the 
 extraordinary Dutch movements ! ” said Cornbury, affect¬ 
 ing to laugh, though he secretly felt the sting the other 
 had applied, since common report implicated not only him, 
 but his two official predecessors, in several of the lawless 
 proceedings of the American buccaneers : “ be vigilant, 
 or la Demoiselle Barberie will give another cross to the 
 purity of the stagnant pool ! ” 
 
 The bows that were exchanged were strictly in character. 
 
 O v 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 IS 
 
 The alderman was unmoved, rigid, and formal, while his 
 companion could not forget his ease of manner, even at a 
 moment of so much vexation. Foiled in an effort that 
 nothing but his desperate condition and nearly desperate 
 character could have induced him to attempt, the degene¬ 
 rate descendant of the virtuous Clarendon walked towards 
 his place of confinement, with the step of one who as¬ 
 sumed a superiority over his fellows, and yet with a mind 
 so indurated by habitual depravity, as to have left it 
 scarcely the trace of a dignified or virtuous quality. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles; 
 
 His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate. 
 
 Two Gentlemen of Verona. 
 
 The philosophy of Alderman Van Beverout was not easily 
 disturbed. Still there was a play of the nether muscles 
 of the face, which might be construed into self-compla¬ 
 cency at his victory, while a certain contraction of those 
 which controlled the expression of the forehead seemed to 
 betray a full consciousness of the eminent risk he had run. 
 The left hand was thrust into a pocket, where it diligently 
 fingered the provision of Spanish coin without which the 
 merchant never left his abode, while the other struck the 
 cane it held on the pavement, with the force of a resolute 
 and decided man. In this manner he proceeded in his 
 walk for several minutes longer, shortly quitting the lower 
 streets to enter one that ran along the ridge which crowned 
 the land in that quarter of the island. Here he soon 
 stopped before the door of a house which, in that pro¬ 
 vincial town, had altogether the air of a patrician 
 dwelling. 
 
 Two false gables, each surmounted by an iron weather¬ 
 cock, intersected the roof of this building, and it had a 
 high and narroAV stoop in the red free-stone of the country. 
 The material of the edifice itself, was, as usual, the 
 
16 
 
 THE WATER WITCH* 
 
 small hard brick of Holland, painted a delicate cream 
 colour. 
 
 A single blow of the massive glittering knocker brought 
 a servant to the door. The promptitude with which this 
 summons was answered, showed that, notwithstanding 
 the early hour, the alderman was expected. The counte¬ 
 nance of the porter betrayed no surprise, therefore, when 
 he saw the person who applied for admission, every move¬ 
 ment of the black denoting preparation and readiness for 
 his reception. Declining his invitation to enter, however, 
 the alderman placed his back against the iron railing of 
 the stoop, and opened a discourse with the negro. The 
 latter was aged, with a head that was grizzled, a nose that 
 was levelled nearly to the plane of his face, features that 
 were wrinkled and confused, and a form which, though 
 still solid, was bending with its load of years. 
 
 “ Brave cheer to thee, old Cupid! ” commenced the 
 burgher, in the hearty and cordial manner with which the 
 masters of that period were wont to address their indulged 
 slaves. “ A clear conscience is a good nightcap, and you 
 look bright as the morning sun ! I hope my friend the 
 young Patroon hath slept soundly, and that he hath shown 
 his face already, to prove it.” 
 
 The negro answered with the slow clipping manner that 
 characterised his condition and years. 
 
 a He’m werry wakeful, Masser Al’erman. 1 t’ink he 
 no sleep half he time, lately. All he a’tiverty and wi- 
 wacerty be gone, an’ he do no single ting but smoke. A 
 gentle’um who smoke alway, Masser Al’erman, get to be 
 a melercholy man, at last. I do t’ink ’ere be one young 
 lady in York who be he deat’, some time !” 
 
 “ We’ll find the means to get the pipe out of his 
 mouth,” said the other, looking askance at the black, as 
 if to express more than he uttered. (e Romance and 
 pretty girls play the deuce with our philosophy in youth, 
 as thou knowest by experience, old Cupid.” 
 
 “ I no good for any ting dat-a-way, now, not’ing,” 
 calmly returned the black. “ I see a one time, when few 
 colour’ man in York hab more respect among a fair sec, 
 cut dat a great while gone by. Now, de modder of your 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 17 
 
 Euclid, Masser Al’erman, war a pretty woman, do’ she 
 hab but poor conduc’. Den a war’ young heself, and I 
 use to visit at de al’erman’s fadder’s, afore a English 
 come, and when ’e ’ole Patroon war’ a young man. Golly ! 
 I great affection for Euclid, do’ a young dog nebber come 
 a near me ! ” 
 
 “ He’s a blackguard! My back is no sooner turned 
 than the rascal’s a-top of one of his master’s geldings.” 
 
 He’m werry young, Masser Myn’ert: no one get a 
 wis’om ’fore a grey hair.” 
 
 “ He’s forty every minute, and the rogue gets impu¬ 
 dence with his years. Age is a reverend and respectable 
 condition, when it brings gravity and thought; but if a 
 young fool be tiresome, an old fool is contemptible. I’ll 
 warrant me, thou never wert so thoughtless, or so heartless, 
 Cupid, as to ride an overworked beast at night !” 
 
 (C Well, I get pretty ’ole, Masser Myn’ert, an’ I forget 
 much he do when a young man. But here be ’e Patroon, 
 who know how to tell ’e al’erman such t’ing better than a 
 poor colour’ slave.” 
 
 “ A fair rising and a lucky day to you, Patroon ! ” cried 
 the alderman, saluting a large, slow-moving, gentlemanly 
 looking young man of five-and-twenty, who advanced with 
 the gravity of one of twice that number of years, from the 
 interior of the house towards its outer door. “ The winds 
 are bespoken, and here is as fine a day as ever shone out 
 of a clear sky, whether it came from the pure atmosphere 
 of Holland, or of old England itself. Colonies and patron¬ 
 age ! If the people on the other side of the ocean had 
 more faith in mother-nature, and less opinion of themselves, 
 they would find it very tolerable breathing in the plant¬ 
 ations. But the conceited rogues are like the man who 
 blew the bellows and fancied he made the music ; and 
 there is never a hobbling imp of them all, but he believes 
 he is straighter and sounder than the best in the colonies. 
 Here is our bay, now, as smooth as if it were shut in with 
 twenty dykes, and the voyage will be as safe as if it were 
 made on a canal.” 
 
 “ Dat werry well if a do it,” grumbled Cupid, who 
 busied himself affectionately about the person of his 
 
 c 
 
IS 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 master. “ I t’ink it alway better to travel on ’e ground, 
 when a gentle’um own so much land as Masser Oloff. 
 
 Der’ war ’e time a ferry boat go down, wid crowd 
 
 of people ; and nobody ebber come up again to say how 
 he feel.” 
 
 “ Here is some mistake ! ” interrupted the alderman, 
 throwing an uneasy glance at his young friend. I 
 
 count four-and-fifty years, and I remember no such 
 
 calamity.” 
 
 “ He’m werry sing’lar how a young folk do forget * 
 ’Ere war drown six people in dat werry boat. Two 
 Yankee, a Canada Frenchman, and a poor woman from a 
 Jarseys. Ebbery body war werry sorry for a poor woman 
 from a Jarseys!” 
 
 “ Thy tally is false. Master Cupid,” promptly rejoined 
 the alderman, who was rather expert at figures. iC Two 
 Yankees, a Frenchman, and your Jersey woman, make but 
 four.” 
 
 “ Well, den I s’pose ’ere war only one Yankee ; but 1 
 know all war’ drown, for ’e gubbenor lose he fine coach 
 horses in dat werry boat.” 
 
 “ The old fellow is right sure enough ; I remember the 
 calamity of the horses, as if it were but yesterday ! Death 
 is monarch of the earth, and none of us may hope to 
 escape his scythe, when the appointed hour shall come ! 
 But here are no nags to lose to-day, and we may com¬ 
 mence our voyage, Patroon, with cheerful faces and light 
 hearts. Shall we proceed ?” 
 
 Oloff Van Staats, or the Patroon of Kinderhook, as, by 
 the courtesy of the colony, he was commonly termed, did 
 not want for personal firmness. On the contrary, like 
 most of those who were descended from the Hollanders, 
 he was rather distinguished for steadiness in danger, and 
 obstinacy in resistance. The little skirmish which had 
 just taken place between his friend and his slave, had 
 proceeded from their several apprehensions, the one feeling 
 a sort of parental interest in his safety, and the other 
 having very particular reasons for wishing him to perse¬ 
 vere in his intention to embark, instead of any justifiable 
 cause in the character of the young proprietor himself. A 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 19 
 
 sign to the boy who bore a portmanteau settled the con¬ 
 troversy, and then Mr. Van Staats intimated his readiness 
 to move. 
 
 Cupid lingered on the stoop until his master had turned 
 a corner ; then shaking his head with the misgivings of an 
 ignorant and superstitious mind, he drove the young fry of 
 blacks, who thronged the door, into the house, closing all 
 after him with singular and scrupulous care. How far the 
 presentiment of the black was warranted by the event, will 
 be seen in the course of the narrative. 
 
 The wide avenue in which Oloff Van Staats dwelt was but 
 a few hundred yards in length. It terminated at one end 
 with the fortress, and at the other it was crossed by a high 
 stockade which bore the name of the city walls ; a defence 
 that was provided against any sudden irruption of the In¬ 
 dians, who then still hunted and even dwelt in some numbers 
 in the lower counties of the colony. 
 
 It requires great familiarity with the growth of the 
 town, to recognise in this description the noble street that 
 now runs for a league through the centre of the island. 
 From this avenue, which was then as it is still called the 
 Broadway, our adventurers descended into a lower quarter 
 of the town, holding free converse by the way. 
 
 “ That Cupid is a negro to keep the roof on a house in 
 its master’s absence, Patroon,” observed the alderman, 
 soon after they had left the stoop. “ He looks like a pad¬ 
 lock, and one might sleep without a dream, with such a 
 guardian near his dwelling. I wish I had brought the 
 honest fellow the key of my stable ! ” 
 
 “ I have heard my father say, that the keys of his own 
 were always better near his own pillow,” coolly returned 
 the proprietor of a hundred thousand acres. 
 
 “ Ah, the curse of Cain ! it is needless to look for the 
 fur of a marten on the back of a cat. But, Mr. Van 
 Staats, while walking to your door this morning, it was my 
 fortune to meet the late governor, who is permitted by his 
 creditors to take the air at an hour when he thinks the eyes 
 of the impertinent will be shut. I believe, Patroon, you 
 were so lucky as to get back your monies, before the royal 
 displeasure visited the man ? ” 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ I was so lucky as never to trust him.” 
 
 “ That was better stilly for it would have been a barren 
 investment; great jeopardy to the principal, and no return. 
 But we had discourse of various interests, and among 
 others, something was hazarded concerning your amatory 
 pretensions to my niece.” 
 
 “ Neither the wishes of Oloff Van Staats, nor the 
 inclinations of la Belle Barberie are a subject for the 
 governor in council,” said the Patroon of Kinderhook 
 stiffly. 
 
 “ Nor was it thus treated. The viscount spoke me 
 fair, and had he not pushed the matter beyonddiscretion 
 we might have come to happier conclusions.” 
 
 “ I am glad that there was some restraint in the 
 discourse.” 
 
 “ The man certainly exceeded reason, for he led the con¬ 
 ference into personalities that no prudent man could 
 relish. Still he said it was possible that the Coquette 
 might yet be ordered for service among the islands !” 
 
 It has been said that Oloff Van Staats was a fair per¬ 
 sonable young man of vast stature, and with much of the 
 air of a gentleman of his country; for though a British 
 subject, he was rather a Hollander in feelings, habits, and 
 opinions. He coloured at the allusion to the presence of 
 his known rival, though his companion was at a loss to 
 discover whether pride or vexation was at the bottom of 
 his feeling. 
 
 “ If Captain Ludlow prefer a cruise in the Indies to 
 duty on this coast, I hope he may obtain his wish,” was 
 the cautious answer. 
 
 “ Your liberal man enjoys a sounding name, and an 
 empty coffer,” observed the alderman drily. “ To me it 
 seems that a petition to the admiral to send so meritorious 
 an officer on service where he may distinguish himself, 
 should deserve his thanks, the freebooters are playing the 
 devil’s game with the sugar trade, and even the French are 
 getting troublesome, further south.” 
 
 ee He has certainly the reputation of an active cruiser.” 
 
 “ Blixum and Philosophy ! If you wish to succeed with 
 Alida, Patroon, you must put more briskness into the ad- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 21 
 
 venture. The girl has a cross of the Frenchman in her 
 blood, and your deliberations and taciturnities will not gain 
 the day. This visit to the Lust-in-Rust is Cupid’s own 
 handiwork, and I hope to see you both return to town as 
 amicable as the Stadtholder and the States General after a 
 sharp struggle for the year’s subsidy has been settled by a 
 compromise.” 
 
 (< The success of this suit is the affair nearest my- 
 
 The young man paused, as if surprised at his own com. 
 municativeness ; and taking advantage of the haste in which 
 his toilette had been made, he thrust a hand into his vest, 
 covering with his broad palm a portion of the human 
 frame which poets do not describe as the seat of the 
 passions. 
 
 “ If you mean stomach, sir, you will not have reason 
 to be disappointed,” retorted the alderman, a little more 
 severely than was usual with one so cautious. <e The 
 heiress of Myndert Van Beverout will not be a penniless 
 bride, and Monsieur Barberie did not close the books of 
 life without taking good care of the balance sheet — hut 
 yonder are those devils of ferrymen quitting the wharf 
 without us ! Scamper ahead, Brutus, and tell them to wait 
 the legal minute. The rogues are never exact; sometimes 
 starting before I am ready, and sometimes keeping me 
 waiting in the sun, as if I were no better than a dried 
 dun-fish. Punctuality is the soul of business, and one 
 of my habits does not like to he ahead nor behind his 
 time.” 
 
 In this manner the worthy burgher, who would have 
 been glad to regulate the movements of others on all occa¬ 
 sions a good deal by his own, vented his complaints, while he 
 and his companion hurried on to overtake the slow-moving 
 boat in which they were to embark. A brief description 
 of the scene will not be without interest to a generation 
 that may be termed modern, in reference to the time of 
 which we write. 
 
 A narrow creek penetrated the island at this point for 
 the distance of a quarter of a mile. Each of its banks had 
 a row of buildings, as the houses line a canal in the cities 
 of Holland. The natural course of the inlet being neces- 
 
 c S 
 
22 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 sarily respected, the street had taken a curvature not un¬ 
 like that of a new moon. The houses were ultra Dutch, 
 being low, angular, fastidiously neat, and they were all 
 erected with their gables to the street. Each had its ugly 
 and inconvenient entrance termed a stoop ; its vane or 
 weathercock ; its dormer windows, and its graduated bat¬ 
 tlement walls. Near the apex of one of the latter, a 
 little iron crane projected into the street. A small 
 boat, of the same metal, swung from its end, a sign 
 that the building to which it was appended was the ferry- 
 house. 
 
 An inherent love of artificial and confined navigation had 
 probably induced the burghers to select this spot as the 
 place whence so many craft departed from the town, since 
 it is certain that the two rivers could have furnished divers 
 points more favourable for such an object, inasmuch as 
 they possess the advantage of wide and unobstructed 
 channels. 
 
 Fifty blacks were already in the street, dipping their 
 brooms into the creek, and flourishing water over the side 
 walks, and on the fronts of the low edifices. This light 
 but daily duty was relieved by clamorous collisions of wit, 
 and by shouts of merriment, in which the whole street 
 would join as with one joyous and reckless movement of 
 the spirit. 
 
 The language of this light-hearted and noisy race was 
 Dutch, already corrupted by English idioms, and occasionally 
 by English words ; a system of change that has probably 
 given rise to an opinion, among some of the descendants 
 of the earlier colonists, that the latter tongue is merely a 
 patois of the former. This opinion, which so much re¬ 
 sembles that certain well read English scholars entertain of 
 the plagiarisms of the continental writers when they first 
 begin to dip into their works, is not strictly true, since the 
 language of England has probably bestowed as much on the 
 dialect of which we speak, as it has ever received from the 
 purer sources of the school of Holland. Here and there a 
 grave burgher, still in his nightcap, might be seen with 
 a head thrust out of an upper window, listening to these 
 barbarisms of speech, and taking note of all the merry 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 2 3 
 
 jibes that flew from mouth to mouth, with an indomitable 
 gravity that no levity of those beneath could undermine. 
 
 As the movement of the ferry-boat was necessarily slow, 
 the alderman and his companion were enabled to step into 
 it, before the fasts were thrown aboard. The periagua, as 
 the craft was called, partook of an European and an 
 American character. It possessed the length, the narrow¬ 
 ness, and the clean bow of the canoe from which its name 
 was derived, with the flat bottom and lee-boards of a boat 
 constructed for the shallow waters of the Low Countries. 
 Twenty years ago, vessels of this description abounded in 
 our rivers, and even now their two long and unsupported 
 masts, and high narrow-headed sails, are daily seen bending 
 like reeds to the breeze, and dancing lightly over the 
 billows of the bay. There is a variety of the class, of a 
 size and pretension altogether superior to thatjust mentioned, 
 which deserves a place among the most picturesque and 
 striking boats that float. He who has had occasion to 
 navigate the southern shore of the Sound, must have often 
 seen the vessel to which we allude. It is distinguished by 
 its great length, and by masts which, naked of cordage, 
 rise from the hull like two tall and faultless trees. When 
 the eye runs over the daring height of canvass, the noble 
 confidence of the rig, and sees the comparatively vast 
 machine handled with ease and grace by the dexterity of 
 two fearless and. expert mariners, it excites some such 
 admiration as that which springs from the view of a severe 
 temple of antiquity. The nakedness and simplicity of the 
 construction, coupled with the boldness and rapidity of its 
 movements, impart to the craft an air of grandeur that its 
 ordinary uses would scarcely give reason to expect. 
 
 Though, in some respects, of singularly aquatic habits, 
 the original colonists of New York were far less adventurous 
 as mariners than their present descendants. A passage 
 across the bay did not often occur in the tranquil lives of 
 the burghers; and it is still within the memory of man, 
 that a voyage between the two principal towns of the state 
 was an event to excite the solicitude of friends, and the 
 anxiety of the traveller. The perils of the Tappaan Zee, 
 as one of the wider reaches of the Hudson is still termed, 
 
 c 4 
 
24 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 was often dealt with by the good wives of the colony in 
 their relations of marvels, and she who had oftenest en¬ 
 countered them unharmed was deemed a sort of marine 
 Amazon. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 1 have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark 
 upon hinT; his complexion is perfect gallows.— Tempest. 
 
 It has been said that the periagua was in motion before 
 our two adventurers succeeded in stepping on board. The 
 arrival of the Patroon of Kinderhook and of Alderman Van 
 Beverout was expected, and the schipper had taken his 
 departure at the precise moment of the turn in the current, 
 in order to show, with a sort of pretending independence 
 which has a peculiar charm for men in his situation, that 
 “ time and tide wait for no man.” Still there were limits 
 to his decision, for while he put the boat in motion, especial 
 care was taken that the circumstance should not subject a 
 customer as important and constant as the alderman, to any 
 serious inconvenience. When he and his friend had em¬ 
 barked, the painters were thrown aboard, and the crew of 
 the ferry-boat began to set their vessel in earnest towards 
 the mouth of the creek. During these movements a young 
 negro was seated in the bow of the periagua, with his legs 
 dangling one on each side of the cut-water, forming no 
 bad apology for a figure head. He held a conch to his 
 mouth, and with his two glossy cheeks inflated like those 
 of JEolus, and his dark glittering eyes expressing the 
 delight he found in drawing sounds from the shell, he 
 continued to give forth the signal for departure. 
 
 “ Put up the conch, thou bawler !” cried the alderman, 
 giving the younker a rap on his naked poll in passing with 
 the end of his cane, that might have disturbed the harmony 
 of one less bent on clamour. “ A thousand windy 
 trumpeters would be silence itself, compared to such a pair 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 25 
 
 of lungs ! How now, Master Schipper, is this thy 
 punctuality, to start before thy passengers are ready ?” 
 
 The undisturbed boatman, without removing the pipe 
 from his mouth, pointed to the bubbles on the water, which 
 were already floating outward, a certain evidence that the 
 tide was on the ebb. 
 
 “ I care nothing for your ins and outs, your ebbs and 
 floods,” returned the alderman in heat. There is no 
 better time-piece than the leg and eye of a punctual man. 
 It is no more pleasant to go before one is ready, than to 
 tarry when all business is done. Harkee, Master Schipper ; 
 thou art not the only navigator in this bay, nor is thy craft 
 the swiftest that was ever launched. Have a care; though 
 an acquiescing man by nature, I know how to encourage 
 an opposition when the public good seriously calls for my 
 support.” 
 
 To the attack on himself, the schipper was stoically 
 indifferent, but to impeach the qualities of the periagua was 
 to attack one who depended solely on his eloquence for 
 vindication. Removing his pipe, therefore, he rejoined 
 on the alderman, with that sort of freedom that the sturdy 
 Hollanders never failed to use to all offenders, regardless 
 alike of rank or personal qualities. 
 
 “ Der wind-gall and aldermen!” he growled in the 
 dialect of the country; “ I should be glad to see the boat 
 in York Bay that can show the Milk Maid her stern ! The 
 mayor and council-men had better order the tide to turn 
 when they please, and then, as each man will think of his 
 own pleasure, a pretty set of whirlpools they will give us in 
 the harbour.” 
 
 The schipper having delivered himself of his sentiments 
 to this effect, resumed his pipe, like a man who felt he de¬ 
 served the meed of victory whether he were to receive it or 
 not. 
 
 <e It is useless to dispute with an obstinate man,” mut¬ 
 tered the alderman, making his way through vegetable 
 baskets, butter-tubs, and all the garniture of a market boat, 
 to the place occupied by his niece, in the stern-sheets. 
 “ Good morrow to thee, Alida dear; early rising will make 
 
26 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 a flower garden of thy cheeks, and the fresh air of the 
 Lust-in-Rust will give even thy roses a deeper bloom.” 
 
 The mollified burgher then saluted the cheek, whose 
 bloom had been deepened by his remark, with a warmth 
 that showed he was not without natural affection, touched 
 his hat in return for a low bow that he received from an 
 aged white man servant, in a clean but ancient livery, and 
 nodded to a young negress, whose second-hand finery suf¬ 
 ficiently showed she was a personal attendant of the heiress. 
 
 A second glance at Alida de Barberie was scarcely neces¬ 
 sary to betray her mixed descent. From her Norman 
 father, a Huguenot of the petite noblesse, she had inherited 
 her raven hair, the large brilliant coal-black eyes, in which 
 wildness was singularly relieved by sweetness, a classical 
 and faultless profile, and a form which was both taller and 
 more flexible than commonly fell to the lot of the damsels 
 of Holland. From her mother, la Belle Barberie, as the 
 maiden -was often playfully termed, had received a skin, fair 
 and spotless as the flower of France, and a bloom which 
 rivalled the rich tints of an evening sky in her native land. 
 Some of the em bon point, for which the sister of the aider- 
 man had been a little remarkable, had descended also to her 
 fairer daughter. In Alida, however, this peculiarity did 
 not exceed the fulness which became her years, rounding 
 her person and softening the outlines of her form, rather 
 than diminishing its ease and grace. These personal ad¬ 
 vantages were embellished by a neat but modest travelling 
 habit, a little beaver that was shaded by a cluster of droop¬ 
 ing feathers, and a mien that, under the embarrassment of 
 her situation, preserved the happiest medium between mo¬ 
 desty and perfect self-possession. 
 
 When Alderman Van Beverout joined this fair creature, 
 in whose future happiness he was fully justified in taking 
 the deep interest which he has betrayed in some of the 
 opening scenes of this volume, he found her engaged in a 
 courteous discourse with the young man who was generally 
 considered as the one among the numerous pretenders to 
 her favour who was most likely to succeed. Had other 
 cause been wanting, this sight alone would have been suf¬ 
 ficient to restore his good humour; and making a place for 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 27 
 
 himself, by quietly dispossessing Francois, the domestic of 
 his niece, the persevering burgher endeavoured to encou¬ 
 rage an intercourse, that he had reason to think must termi¬ 
 nate in the result he both meditated and desired. 
 
 In the present effort, however, the alderman failed. 
 There is a feeling which universally pervades landsmen 
 and landswomen, when they first embark on an element to 
 which they are strangers, that ordinarily shuts their mouths 
 and renders them meditative. In the older and more ob¬ 
 servant travellers it is observation and comparison, while 
 with the younger and more susceptible it is very apt to 
 take the character of sentiment. Without stopping to 
 analyse the cause or the consequences, in the instance of 
 the Patroon and la Belle Barberie, it will be sufficient to 
 state that, in spite of all the efforts of the worthy burgher, 
 who had navigated the sluggish creek too often to be the 
 subject of any new emotions, his youthful companions gra¬ 
 dually grew silent and thoughtful. Though a celibite in 
 his own person, Myndert had not now to learn that the 
 infant god as often does his mischief through this quiet 
 agency, as in any other manner. He became, therefore, 
 mute in his turn, watching the slow movement of the 
 periagua with as much assiduity as if he saw his own image 
 on the water. 
 
 A quarter of an hour of this characteristic, and it is to 
 be inferred agreeable navigation, brought the boat to the 
 mouth of the inlet. Here a powerful effort forced her into 
 the tide’s way, and she might be said to put forth on her 
 voyage. But while the black crew were trimming the sails, 
 and making the other necessary preparations for departure, 
 a voice was heard hailing them from the shore, with an 
 order, rather than a request, that they would stay their 
 movements. 
 
 “ Hilloa, the periagua! ” it cried. “ Haul over your 
 head-sheet, and jam the tiller down into the lap of that 
 comfortably-looking old gentleman. Come; bear a hand, 
 my hummers ! or your race-horse of a craft will get the bit 
 into its mouth, and run away with you.” 
 
 This peremptory summons produced a pause in the 
 movements of the whole crew. After regarding each other 
 
28 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 in surprise and admiration the watermen drew the head- 
 sheet oven as they were ordered, put the helm a-lee, with¬ 
 out, however, invading the lap of the alderman, and the 
 boat became stationary at the distance of a few rods from 
 the shore. While the new passenger was preparing to 
 come off in a yawl, those who awaited his movements had 
 leisure to examine his appearance, and to form their dif¬ 
 ferent surmises concerning his character. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to say that the stranger was a 
 son of the ocean. He was of a firmly knit and active 
 frame, standing exactly six feet in his stockings. The 
 shoulders, though square, were compact ; the chest was full 
 and high ; the limbs were round, neat, and muscular; the 
 whole indicating a form in which strength and activity 
 were apportioned with the greatest accuracy. A small 
 bullet head was set firmly on its broad foundation, and it 
 was thickly covered with a mass of brown hair that was 
 already a little grizzled. The face was that of a man of 
 thirty, and it was worthy of the frame, being manly, bold, 
 decided, and rather handsome; though it expressed little 
 more than high daring, perfect coolness, some obstinacy, 
 and a certain degree of contempt for others, that its owner 
 did not always take the trouble to conceal. The colour 
 was a rich, deep, and uniform red, such as much exposure 
 is apt to give to men whose complexions are, by nature, 
 light and florid. 
 
 The dress of the stranger was quite as remarkable as his 
 person. He wore a short pee-jacket, cut tight and taste¬ 
 fully ; a little low and rakish cap, and full bell-mouthed 
 trousers, all in a spotlessly white duck; a material well 
 adapted to the season and the climate. The first was made 
 without buttons, affording an apology for the use of a rich 
 Indian shawl, that belted his body and kept the garment 
 tight to his frame. Faultlessly clean linen appeared 
 through the opening above, and a collar of the same ma¬ 
 terial fell over the gay bandanna, which was thrown, with 
 a single careless turn, around his throat. The latter was a 
 manufacture then little known in Europe, and its use was 
 almost entir^ confined to seamen of the long voyage. 
 One of its ends was suffered to blow about in the wind, but 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 29 
 
 the other was brought down with care over the chest, 
 where it was confined, by springing the blade of a small 
 knife with an ivory handle, in a manner to confine the silk 
 to the linen; a sort of breast pin that is even now much 
 used by mariners. If we add that light canvass slippers 
 with foul anchors worked in -worsted upon their insteps, 
 covered his feet, we shall say all that is necessary of his 
 attire. 
 
 The appearance of one of the air and dress we have just 
 described, excited a strong sensation among the blacks who 
 were scrubbing the stoops and pavements. He was closely 
 attended to the place where he had hailed the periagua, by 
 four or five loungers, who studied his manner and move¬ 
 ments with the admiration that men of their class seldom 
 fail to bestow on those who bear about them the evidence 
 of having passed lives of adventure, and perhaps of hard¬ 
 ship and daring. Beckoning to one of these idlers to fol¬ 
 low him, the hero of the India-shawl stepped into an empty 
 boat, and casting loose its fast, he skulled the light yawl 
 towards the craft which was awaiting his arrival. There 
 was, in truth, something in the reckless air, the decision, 
 and the manly attitudes of so fine a specimen of a seaman, 
 that might have attracted notice from those who were more 
 practised in the world than the little crowd of admirers he 
 left behind him. With an easy play of wrist and elbow 
 he caused the yawl to glide ahead, like some indolent 
 marine animal swimming through its element; and as he 
 stood, firm as a planted statue, with a foot on each gun¬ 
 wale, there was much of that confidence created by his 
 steadiness that one acquires by viewing the repeated and 
 successful efforts of a skilful rope-dancer. When the yawl 
 reached the side of the periagua, he dropped a small Spanish 
 coin into the open palm of the negro, and sprang on the 
 side of the latter, with an exertion of muscle that sent the 
 little boat he quitted half way back to the shore, leaving 
 the frightened black to steady himself in his rocking tene¬ 
 ment in the best manner he could. 
 
 The tread and posture of the stranger, when he gained 
 the half-deck of the periagua, was finely nautical, and 
 confident to audacity. He seemed to analyse the half- 
 
so 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 maritime character of the crew and passengers at a glance, 
 and to feel that sort of superiority over his companions, 
 which men of his profession were then a little too wont to 
 entertain towards those whose ambition could be bounded 
 by terra firma. His eye first turned upward at the simple 
 rig and modest sails of the periagua, while his upper lip 
 curled with the knowing expression of a critic. Then 
 kicking the fore sheet clear of its cleet, and suffering the 
 sail to fill, he stepped from one butter-tub to another, 
 making a stepping-stone of the lap of a countryman by the 
 way, and alighted in the stern sheets in the midst of the 
 party of Alderman Van Beverout, with the agility and 
 fearlessness of a feathered Mercury. With a coolness that 
 did infinite credit to his powers for commanding, his next 
 act was to dispossess the amazed schipper of the helm, 
 taking the tiller into his own hands with as much com¬ 
 posure as if he were the every-day occupant of the post. 
 When he saw that the boat was beginning to move through 
 the water, he found leisure to bestow some observation on 
 his fellow-voyagers. The first that met his bold and 
 reckless eye was Francois, the domestic of Alida. 
 
 “ If it come to blow in squalls, commodore,” observed 
 the intruder, with a gravity that half deceived the attentive 
 Frenchman, while he pointed to the bag in which the latter 
 wore his hair, “ you’ll be troubled to carry your broad 
 pennant. But so experienced an officer has not put to sea 
 without having a storm-cue in readiness for foul weather.” 
 
 The valet did not, or affected not to understand 
 the allusion, maintaining an air of dignified but silent 
 superiority. 
 
 “ The gentleman is in a foreign service, and does not 
 understand an English mariner ! The worst that can come 
 after all of too much top-hamper, is to cut away and let it 
 drift with the scud. May I make bold to ask, judge, if 
 the courts have done any thing of late concerning the free¬ 
 booters among the islands ? ” 
 
 “ I have not the honour to bear her majesty’s com¬ 
 mission,” coldly returned Van Staats of Kinderhook, to 
 whom this question had been hardily put. 
 
 <e The best navigator is sometimes puzzled by a hazy 
 
THE WATER WITCH, 
 
 Si 
 
 observation, and many an old seaman has taken a fog-bank 
 for solid ground. Since you are not in the courts, sir, I 
 wish you joy ; for it is running among shoals to be cruising 
 there, whether as judge or suitor. One is never fairly snug 
 and land-locked, while in company of a lawyer, and yet 
 the devil himself cannot always give the sharks a good 
 offing. A pretty sheet of water, friends, and one as snug 
 as rotten cables and foul winds can render desirable, is this 
 bay of York ! ” 
 
 “ You are a mariner of the long voyage,” returned the 
 Patroon, unwilling that Alida should not believe him equal 
 to bandying wits with the stranger. 
 
 “ Long or short; Calcutta, or Cape Cod; dead reckon¬ 
 ing, eye-sight, or star-gazing, all’s one to your real dolphin. 
 The shape of the coast, between Fundy and Horn, is as 
 familiar to my eye as an admirer to this pretty young lady ; 
 and as to the other shore, I have run it down oftener than 
 the commodore here has ever set his pennant, blow high or 
 blow low. A cruise like this is a Sunday in my navigation, 
 though I dare say you took leave of the wife, blessed the 
 children, overhauled the will, and sent to ask a good word 
 from the priest, before you came aboard ? ” 
 
 “ Had these ceremonies been observed, the danger would 
 not have been increased,” said the young Patroon, anxious 
 to steal a glance at la Belle Barberie, though his timidity 
 caused him, in truth, to look the other way. “ One is 
 never nearer danger for being prepared to meet it.” 
 
 “ True ; we must all die when the reckoning is out. 
 Hang or drown—gibbet or bullet clears the world of a 
 great deal of rubbish, or the decks would get to be so 
 littered that the vessel could not be worked. The last 
 cruise is the longest of all; and honest papers, with a clean 
 bill of health, may help a man into port, when he is past 
 keeping the open sea. How now, schipper ! What lies are 
 floating about the docks this morning ? When did the last 
 Albany-man get his tub down the river, or whose gelding 
 has been ridden to death in chase of a witch ? ” 
 
 “ The devil’s babes 1’' muttered the alderman; “ there is 
 no want of roisterers to torment such innocents ! ” 
 
 “ Have the buccaneers taken to praying, or does their 
 
32 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 trade thrive in this heel of the war?” continued the 
 mariner of the India-shawl, disregarding the complaint of 
 the burgher. “ The times are getting heavy for men of 
 metal, as may he seen by the manner in which yon cruiser 
 wears out her ground-tackle, instead of trying the open sea. 
 May I spring every spar I carry, but I would have the 
 boat out and give her an airing, before to-morrow, if the 
 queen would condescend to put your humble servant in 
 charge of the craft ! The man lies there at his anchors, as 
 if he had a good freight of real Hollands in his hold, and 
 was waiting for a few bales of beaver-skins to barter for his 
 strong waters.” 
 
 As the stranger coolly expressed this opinion of her 
 majesty's ship Coquette, he rolled his glance over the 
 persons of his companions, suffering it to rest a moment 
 with a secret significance, on the steady eye of the burgher. 
 
 “ Well,” he continued, Ci the sloop answers for a 
 floating vane to tell which way the tide is running, if she 
 does nothing better; and that must be a great assistance, 
 schipper, in the navigation of one who keeps as bright a 
 look-out on the manner in which the world whirls round as 
 a gentleman of your sagacity ! ” 
 
 iC If the news in the creek be true,” rejoined the 
 unoffended owner of the periagua, “ there will be other 
 business for Captain Ludlow and the Coquette before many 
 days I ” 
 
 “ Ah ! having eaten all his meat and bread the man 
 will be obliged to victual his ship anew ! ’T were a pity 
 so active a gentleman should keep a fast, and that in a 
 brisk tide’s way. And w r hen his coppers are once more 
 filled, and the dinner is fairly eaten, what dost think will be 
 his next duty ? ” 
 
 There is a report, among the boatmen of the South 
 Bay, that something was seen yesternight off the outer side 
 of Long Island ! ” 
 
 “ I’ll answer for the truth of that rumour, for having 
 come up with the evening flood, I saw it myself.” 
 
 “ Der duy vel’s luck ! and what dost take it to be ? ” 
 u The Atlantic Ocean; if you doubt my word, I appeal 
 to this well-ballasted old gentleman, who, being a schools 
 
THE W ATER WITCH. 
 
 33 
 
 master, is able to give you latitude and longitude for its 
 truth.’’ 
 
 “ I am Alderman Van Beverout,” muttered the object 
 of this new attack between his teeth, though apparently but 
 half disposed to notice one who set so little bounds to his 
 discourse. 
 
 “ I beg a thousand pardons !” returned the strange sea¬ 
 man, with a grave inclination of his body. “ The solidity 
 of your worship’s countenance deceived me. It may be 
 indeed unreasonable to expect any alderman to know the 
 position of the Atlantic Ocean ! And yet, gentlemen, on 
 the honour of a man who has seen much salt water in his 
 time, I do assure you the sea I speak of is actually there. 
 If there be any thing on it, or in it, that should not in 
 reason be so, this worthy commander of the periagua will 
 be sure to let us know it.” 
 
 “ A wood-boat from the inlets says the Skimmer of the 
 Seas was lately seen standing along the coast,” returned the 
 ferryman, in the tone of one who is certain of delivering 
 matter of general interest. 
 
 “ Your true sea-dog, who runs in and out of inlets, is a 
 man for marvels!” coolly observed the stranger. “ He 
 knows the colour of the sea at night, and is for ever steer¬ 
 ing in the wind’s eye in search of adventures. I wonder 
 more of the species are not kept at making alma¬ 
 nacks ! There was a mistake concerning a thunder-storm 
 in the last I bought, and all for the want of proper 
 science in the wizard who made the calculations. And 
 pray, friend, who is this Skimmer of the Seas, that is 
 said to be running after his needle like a tailor that has 
 found a hole in his neighbour’s coat ? ” 
 
 The witches can tell! I onlv know that such a rover 
 
 •> 
 
 there is, and that he is here to-day and there to-morrow. 
 Some say it is only a craft of mist that skims the top of 
 the seas, like a sailing water-fowl; and others think it is 
 the sprite of a vessel that was rifled and burnt by Kidd, 
 in the Indian Ocean, looking for its gold and the killed. 
 I saw him once myself; but the distance was so great, and 
 his manoeuvres so unnatural, that I could hardly give a 
 good account of his hull or rig. ” 
 
 D 
 
54 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. . 
 
 “ This is matter that don’t get into the log every watch ! 
 Where away, or in what seas, didst meet the thing ?” 
 
 “'Twas off the Branch. We were fishing in thick 
 weather, and when the mist lifted a little, there was a 
 craft seen standing in-shore, running like a race-horse; 
 but while we got our anchor, she had made a league 
 of offing on the other tack ! ” 
 
 “ A certain proof of either her or your activity. But 
 what might have been the form and shape of your fly¬ 
 away ? ’’ 
 
 “ Nothing determined. To one she seemed a full rig¬ 
 ged and booming ship ; another took her for a Bermudian 
 seudder ; while to me she had the look of twenty periaguas 
 built into a single craft. It is well known, however, that 
 a West Indiaman went to sea that night, and though it is 
 now three years, no tidings of her or her crew have ever 
 come to any in York. I have never gone upon the banks 
 to fish since that day in thick weather.” 
 
 “ You have done well,” observed the stranger. “I 
 have seen many wonderful sights myself on the rolling 
 ocean, and he whose business it is to lay between wind 
 and water, like you, my friend, should never trust himself 
 within reach of one of these devil’s flyers. I could tell 
 you a tale of an affair in the calm latitudes, under the 
 burning sun, that would be a lesson to all of over-bold 
 curiosity ! Commission and character are not affairs for 
 your in-shore coaster.” 
 
 “We have time to hear it,” observed the Patroon, 
 whose anention had been excited by the discourse, and 
 who read in the dark eye of Alida that she felt an interest 
 in the expected narrative. 
 
 But the countenance of the stranger suddenly grew 
 serious. He shook his head, like one who had sufficient 
 reasons for his silence; and relinquishing the tiller, he 
 quite coolly obliged a gaping countryman in the centre of 
 the boat, to yield his place, where he laid his own athletic 
 form, at full length, folded his arms on his breast, and 
 shut his eyes. In less than five minutes, all within hear¬ 
 ing had audible evidence that this extraordinary son of the 
 ocean was in a sound sleep. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 35 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Be patient, for the prize I ’ll bring thee to 
 
 Shall hoodwink this mischance. Tempest. 
 
 The air, audacity, and language of the unknown 
 mariner had produced a marked sensation among the pas¬ 
 sengers of the periagua. It was plain, by the playfulness 
 that lurked about the coal-black eye of la Belle Barberie, 
 that she had been amused by his sarcasms; though the 
 boldness of his manner had caused her to maintain the 
 reserve which she believed necessary to her sex and condi¬ 
 tion. The Patroon studied the countenance of his mis¬ 
 tress, and though half offended by the freedom of the 
 intruder, he had believed it wisest to tolerate the liberties, 
 as the natural excesses of a spirit that had been lately re¬ 
 leased from the monotony of a sea life. The repose which 
 usually reigned in the countenance of the alderman had 
 been a little troubled; but he succeeded in concealing his 
 discontent from any impertinent observation. When the 
 chief actor in the foregoing scene, therefore, saw fit to 
 withdraw, the usual tranquillity was restored, and his 
 presence appeared to be forgotten. 
 
 An ebbing tide and a freshening breeze quickly carried 
 the periagua past the smaller islands of the bay, and 
 brought the cruiser, called the Coquette, more distinctly 
 into view. This vessel, a ship of twenty guns, lay abreast 
 of the hamlet on the shores of Staten Island, which was 
 the destination of the ferry boat. Here was the usual 
 anchorage of outward bound ships, which awaited a 
 change of wind; and it was here that vessels then, as in 
 our times, were subject to those examinations and delays 
 which are imposed for the safety of the inhabitants of the 
 city. The Coquette was alone, however; for the arrival 
 of a trader from a distant port, was an event of unfre¬ 
 quent occurrence at the commencement of the eighteenth 
 century. 
 
 The course of the periagua brought her within fifty feet 
 of the sloop of war. As the former approached, a move- 
 
 d 2 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 36 
 
 inent of curiosity and interest occurred among those she 
 contained. 
 
 “ Take more room for your Milk Maid/’ grumbled the 
 alderman, observing that the schipper was willing to 
 gratify his passengers, by running as near as possible to 
 the dark sides of the cruiser. “ Seas and oceans ! is not 
 York Bay wide enough, that you must brush the dust out 
 of the muzzles of the guns of yon lazy ship ! If the 
 queen knew how her money was eaten and drunk by the 
 idle knaves aboard her, she would send them all to hunt 
 for freebooters among the islands. Look at the land, 
 Alida, child, and you’ll think no more of the fright the 
 gaping dunce is giving thee ; he only wishes to show his 
 skill in steering.” 
 
 But the niece manifested none of the terror that the 
 uncle was willing to ascribe to her fears. Instead of turn¬ 
 ing pale, the colour deepened on her cheeks, as the peri- 
 agua came dancing along under the lee of the cruiser ; and 
 if her respiration became quicker than usual, it was 
 scarcely produced by the agitation of alarm. The near 
 sight of the tall masts, and of the maze of cordage that 
 hung nearly above their heads^ however, prevented the 
 change from being noted. A hundred curious eyes were 
 already peeping at them through the ports, or over the 
 bulwarks of the ship, when suddenly an officer, who wore 
 the undress of a naval captain of that day, sprang into the 
 main rigging of the cruiser, and saluted the party in the 
 periagua, by waving his hat hurriedly, like one who was 
 agreeably taken by surprise. 
 
 iC A fair sky and gentle breezes to each and all!” he 
 cried, with the hearty manner of a seaman. <e I kiss my 
 hand to the fair Alida; and the alderman will take a 
 sailor’s good wishes; Mr. Van Staats, I salute you.” 
 
 “ Ay,” muttered the burgher, “ your idlers have nothing 
 better to do, than to make words answer for deeds. A lazy 
 war and a distant enemy make you seamen the lords of the 
 land, Captain Ludlow.” 
 
 Alida blushed still deeper, hesitated, and then, by a 
 movement that was half involuntary, she waved her hand¬ 
 kerchief. The young Patroon arose, and answered the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 37 
 
 salutation by a courteous bow. By this time the ferry-boat 
 was nearly past the ship, and the scowl was quitting the 
 face of the alderman, when the mariner of the India-shawl 
 sprang to his feet, and, in a moment, he stood again in the 
 centre of their party. 
 
 “ A pretty sea-boat, and a neat show aloft! ” he said, 
 as his understanding eye scanned the rigging of the royal 
 cruiser, taking the tiller at the same time, with all his for¬ 
 mer indifference, from the hands of the schipper. “ Her 
 majesty should have good service from such a racer, and 
 no doubt the youth in her rigging is a man to get the most 
 out of his craft. We’ll take another observation. Draw 
 away your head-sheet, boy.” 
 
 The stranger had put the helm a-lee, while speaking; 
 and by the time the order he had given was uttered, the 
 quick-working boat was about, and had nearly filled on the 
 other tack. In another minute she was again brushing 
 along the side of the sloop of war. A common complaint 
 against this hardy interference with the regular duty of the 
 boat was about to break out of the lips of the alderman 
 and the schipper, when he of the India-shawl lifted his 
 cap, and addressed the officer in the rigging, with the self- 
 possession he had manifested in his intercourse with those 
 nearer his person. 
 
 “ Has her majesty need of a man in her service, who 
 has seen, in his time, more blue water than hard ground ? 
 or is there no empty berth in so gallant a cruiser for one 
 who must do a seaman’s duty, or starve ? ” 
 
 The descendant of the king-hating Ludlows, as the 
 Lord Cornbury had styled the race of the commander of 
 the Coquette, was quite as much surprised by the appear¬ 
 ance of him who put this question, as he was by the cool¬ 
 ness with which a mariner of ordinary condition presumed 
 to address an officer who bore so high a commission as his 
 own. He had, however, sufficient time to recollect in 
 whose presence he stood, ere he replied, for the stranger 
 had again placed the helm a-lee, and caused the foresail 
 to be thrown aback ; a change that made the periagua sta¬ 
 tionary. 
 
 “ The queen will always receive a bold mariner in her 
 
 d 3 
 
38 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 pay, if he come prepared to serve with skill and fidelity," 
 he said; “ as a proof of which, let a rope be thrown the 
 periagua; we shall treat more at our ease under her ma¬ 
 jesty’s pennant. I shall be proud to entertain alderman 
 Van Beverout, in the mean time, and a cutter will always 
 be at his command when he shall have occasion to quit us." 
 
 “ Your land-loving aldermen find their way from a 
 queen’s cruiser to the shore more easily than a seaman 
 of twenty years’ experience,” returned the 'Other, without 
 giving the burgher time to express his thanks for the polite 
 offer of the other. “ You have gone through the Gibraltar 
 passage, without doubt, noble captain, being a gentleman 
 that has got so fine a boat under his orders ? ’’ 
 
 “ Duty has taken me into the Italian seas, more than 
 once,” answered Ludlow, half disposed to resent this fami¬ 
 liarity, though too anxious to keep the periagua near, to 
 quarrel with him who so evidently had produced the unex¬ 
 pected pleasure. 
 
 <e Then you know that, though a lady might fan a ship 
 through the straits eastward, it needs a Levant breeze to 
 bring her out again. Her majesty’s pennants are long, 
 and when they get foul around the limbs of a thoroughly 
 bred sea-dog, it passes all his art to clear the jam. It is 
 most worthy of remark, that the better the seaman the less 
 is his power to cast loose the knot.” 
 
 “ If the pennant be so long, it may reach farther than 
 you wish ! But a bold volunteer has no occasion to dread 
 a press.” 
 
 “ I fear the berth I wish is filled,” returned the other, 
 curling his lip. “ Let draw the foresheet, lad; we will 
 take our departure, leaving the fly of the pennant well under 
 our lee. Adieu, brave captain ; when you have need of a 
 thorough rover, and dream of stern chases and wet sails, 
 think of him who visited your ship at her lazy moorings." 
 
 Ludlow bit his lip, and though his fine face reddened to 
 the temples, he met the arch glance of Alida and laughed. 
 But he who had so hardily braved the resentment of a man 
 powerful as the commander of a royal cruiser in a British 
 colony appeared to understand the hazard of his situation. 
 The periagua whirled round on her heel, and at the next 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 S9 
 
 minute it was bending to the breeze, and dashing through 
 the little waves towards the shore. Three boats left the 
 cruiser at the same moment. One, which evidently con¬ 
 tained her captain, advanced with the dignified movement 
 of a barge that was landing an officer of rank, hut the 
 others were urged ahead, with the earnestness of a hot 
 chase. 
 
 ie Unless disposed to serve the queen, you have not 
 done well, my friend, to brave one of her commanders at 
 the muzzles of his guns,” observed the Patroon, soon as 
 the state of the case became too evident to doubt of the 
 intentions of the man-of-war’s men. 
 
 “ That Captain Ludlow would gladly take some of us 
 out of this boat, by fair means or by foul, is a fact clear 
 as a bright star in a cloudless night, and well knowing a 
 seaman’s duty to his superiors I shall leave him to his 
 choice.” 
 
 f( In which case you will shortly eat her majesty's 
 bread,” pithily returned the alderman. 
 
 “ The food is unpalatable, and I reject it—and yet 
 here is a boat whose crew seem determined to make one 
 swallow worse fare.” 
 
 The unknown mariner ceased speaking, for the situation 
 of the periagua was truly getting to be a little critical. 
 At least so it seemed to the less instructed landsmen who 
 were witnesses of this unexpected rencontre. As the ferry¬ 
 boat had drawn in with the island, the wind hauled more 
 through the pass which communicates with the outer bay, 
 and it became necessary to heave about twice, in order to 
 fetch to windward of the usual landing-place. The first 
 of these manoeuvres had been executed, and as it necessarily 
 changed their course, the passengers saw that the cutter to 
 which the stranger alluded was enabled to get within-shore 
 of them ; or nearer to the wharf, where they ought to land, 
 than they were themselves. Instead of suffering himself 
 to be led off by a pursuit that he knew might easily be 
 rendered useless, the officer who commanded the boat 
 cheered his men, and pulled swiftly to the point of debark¬ 
 ation. On the other hand, a second cutter, which had 
 already reached the line of the periagua’s course, lay on its 
 
 d 4 
 
40 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 oars and awaited its approach. The unknown mariner 
 manifested no intention to avoid the interview. He still 
 held the tiller, and as effectually commanded the little ves¬ 
 sel, as if his authority were of a more regular character. 
 The audacity and decision of his conduct, aided by the 
 consummate manner in which he worked the boat, might 
 alone have achieved this momentary usurpation, had not 
 the general feeling against impressment been so much in 
 his favour. 
 
 The devil’s fangs ! ” grumbled the schipper. “ If you 
 should keep the Milk Maid away, we shall lose a little in 
 distance, though I think the man-of-war’s men will be 
 puzzled to catch her with a flowing sheet!” 
 
 “ The queen has sent a message by the gentleman,” 
 the mariner rejoined ; “ it would be unmannerly to refuse 
 to hear it.’* 
 
 te Heave to, the periagua!” shouted the young officer 
 in the cutter. “ In her majesty’s name I command you, 
 obey.” 
 
 “ God bless the royal lady ! ” returned he of the foul 
 anchors and gay shawl, while the swift ferry-boat con¬ 
 tinued to dash a-head. “ We owe her duty, and are 
 glad to see so proper a gentleman employed in her behalf.” 
 
 By this time the boats were fifty feet asunder. No 
 sooner was there room, than the periagua once more flew 
 round, and commenced anew its course, dashing in again 
 towards the shore. It was necessary, however, to venture 
 within an oar’s length of the cutter, or to keep away, a loss 
 of ground to which he who controlled her movements 
 showed no disposition to submit. The officer arose, and as 
 the periagua drew near, it was evident his hand held a 
 pistol, though he seemed reluctant to exhibit the weapon. 
 The mariner stepped aside, in a manner to offer a full 
 view of all in his group, as he sarcastically observed,— 
 
 “ Choose your object, sir; in such a party a man of 
 sentiment may have a preference.” 
 
 The young man coloured, as much with shame at the 
 degrading duty he had been commissioned to perform, 
 as with vexation at his failure. Recovering his self¬ 
 composure, however, he lifted his hat to la Belle Barberie, 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 41 
 
 and the periagua dashed on in triumph. Still the leading 
 cutter was near the shore, where it soon arrived; the crew 
 lying on their oars at the end of the wharf, in expectation 
 of the arrival of the ferry-boat. At this sight the schipper 
 shook his head, and looked up in the bold face of his pas¬ 
 senger; in a manner to betray how much his mind misgave 
 the result. But the tall mariner maintained his coolness, 
 and began to make merry allusions to the service which he 
 had braved with so much temerity, and from which no 
 one believed he was yet likely to escape. By the former 
 manoeuvres the periagua had gained a position well to 
 windward of the wharf, and she was now steered close 
 upon the wind, directly for the shore. Against the con¬ 
 sequences of a perseverance in this course, however, the 
 schipper saw fit to remonstrate. 
 
 “ Shipwrecks and rocky bottoms !” exclaimed the 
 alarmed waterman. “ A Holland galliot would go to 
 pieces, if you should run her in among those stepping 
 stones with this breeze ! No honest boatman loves to see a 
 man stowed in a cruiser’s hold, like a thief caged in his 
 prison ; but when it comes to breaking the nose of the 
 Milk Maid, it is asking too much of her owner to wish 
 him to stand by and look on.” 
 
 “ There shall not be a dimple of her lovely countenance 
 deranged,” answered his passenger. Now, lower away 
 your sails, and we’ll run along the shore, down to yon 
 wharf. ’ T would be an ungallant act to treat the dairy 
 girl with so little ceremony, gentlemen, after the lively foot 
 and quick evolutions she has shown in our behalf. The 
 best dancer in the island could not have better played her 
 part, though jigging under the music of a three-stringed 
 fiddle!” 
 
 By this time the sails were lowered, and the periagua was 
 gliding down towards the place of landing, running always 
 at the distance of some fifty feet from the shore. 
 
 “ Every craft has its allotted time, like a mortal,” con¬ 
 tinued the inexplicable mariner of the India-shawl. (e If 
 she is to die a sudden death, there is your beam-end and 
 stern-way, which takes her into the grave without funeral 
 service, or parish prayers; your dropsy is being water- 
 
42 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 logged; gout and rheumatism kill like a broken back and 
 loose joints; indigestion is a shifting cargo, with guns 
 adrift; the gallows is a bottomry bond, with lawyers’ fees; 
 while fire, drowning, death by religious melancholy, and 
 suicide, are a careless gunner, sunken rocks, false lights, 
 and a lubberly captain.” 
 
 Ere any were apprised of his intention, this singular 
 being then sprang from the boat on the cap of a little rock, 
 over which the waves were washing, whence he bounded 
 from stone to stone, by vigorous efforts, till he fairly 
 leaped to land. In another minute he was lost to view, 
 among the dwellings of the hamlet. 
 
 The arrival of the periagua, which immediately after 
 reached the wharf, the disappointment of the cutter’s crew, 
 and the return of both the boats to their ship, succeeded as 
 matters of course. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Oliv. — Did he write this ? 
 
 Clo. — Ay, madam. What you will. 
 
 If we say that Alida de Barberie did not cast a glance 
 behind her, as the party quitted the wharf, in order to see 
 whether the boat that contained the commander of the 
 cruiser followed the example of the others, we shall pro¬ 
 bably portray the maiden as one that was less subject to 
 the influence of coquetry than the truth would justify. 
 To the great discontent of the alderman, whatever might 
 have been the feelings of his niece on the occasion, the 
 barge continued to approach the shore, in a manner which 
 showed that the young seaman betrayed no visible interest 
 in the result of the chase. 
 
 The heights of Staten Island, a century ago, were covered 
 much as they are at present with a growth of dwarf trees. 
 Footpaths led among this meagre vegetation, in divers 
 directions; and as the hamlet at the Quarantine Ground 
 was the point whence they all diverged, it required a prac- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 4 3 
 
 tised guide to thread their mazes, without a loss of both 
 time and distance. It would seem, however, that the 
 worthy burgher was fully equal to the office; for, moving 
 with more than his usual agility, he soon led his com¬ 
 panions into the wood, and by frequently altering his 
 course, so completely confounded their sense of the relative 
 bearings of places, that it is not probable one of them all 
 could very readily have extricated himself from the la¬ 
 byrinth. 
 
 “ Clouds, and shady bowers! ” exclaimed Myndert, 
 when he had achieved to his own satisfaction this evasion 
 of the pursuit he wished to avoid; “ little oaks and green 
 pines are pleasant on a June morning. You shall have 
 mountain-air and a sea-breeze, Patroon, to quicken the 
 appetite at the Lust-in-Rust. If Alida will speak, the 
 girl can say that a mouthful of the elixir is better for a 
 rosy cheek than all the concoctions and washes that were 
 ever invented to give a man a heartache.’’ 
 
 “ If the place be as much changed as the road that leads 
 to it,” returned la Belle Barberie, glancing her dark eye in 
 vain in the direction of the hay they had quitted, (i I 
 should scarcely venture an opinion on a subject of which 
 I am obliged to confess utter ignorance.” 
 
 {e Ah, woman is nought but vanities! To see and to 
 be seen is the delight of the sex. Though we are a thou¬ 
 sand times more comforable in this wood than we should 
 be in walking along the water-side, why, the sea-gulls and 
 snipes lose the benefit of our company! The salt water, 
 and all who live on it, are to be avoided by a wise man, 
 Mr. Van Staats, except as they both serve to cheapen 
 freight and to render trade brisk. You’ll thank me for 
 this care, niece of mine, when you reach the bluff, cool as 
 a package of furs free from moth, and fresh and beautiful 
 as a Holland tulip with the dew on it.” 
 
 “ To resemble the latter, one might consent to walk 
 blindfold, dearest uncle, and so we dismiss the subject. 
 Francois, fais-moi le plaisir de porter ce petit livre ; malgr£ 
 la fraicheur de la foret, j’ai besoin de m’evanter.” 
 
 The valet took the book, with an empressement that de¬ 
 feated the more tardy politeness of the Patroon, and when 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 44 
 
 he saw., by the vexed eye and flushed cheek of his young 
 mistress, that she was incommoded, rather by an internal, 
 than by the external heat, he whispered considerately,— 
 
 “ Que ma chere Mademoiselle Alide ne se fache pas ! 
 Elle ne manquerait jamais d’admirateurs, dans un desert. 
 Ah ! si mam’selle allait voir la patrie de ses ancetres !” 
 
 “ ’Merci bien, mon cher ; gardez les feuilles fortement 
 fermees. II y a des papiers dedans.” 
 
 “ Monsieur Francois,” said the alderman, separating 
 his niece, with little ceremony, from her nearly parental 
 attendant, by the interposition of his own bulky person, 
 and motioning for the others to proceed, “a word with 
 thee in confidence. I have noted, in the course of a busy, 
 and I hope a profitable life, that a faithful servant is an 
 honest counsellor. Next to Holland and England, both of 
 which are great commercial nations, and the Indies, which 
 are necessary to these colonies, together with a natural 
 preference for the land in which I was born, I have always 
 been of opinion that France is a very good sort of a 
 country. I think, Mr. Francis, that dislike to the seas 
 has kept you from returning thither, since the decease of 
 my late brother-in-law?” 
 
 Wid like for Mam’selle Alide, monsieur, avec votre 
 permission.” 
 
 “ Your affection for my niece, honest Francois, is not to 
 be doubted. It is as certain as the payment of a good 
 draught by Crommeline, Van Stopper, and Van Gelt, of 
 Amsterdam. Ah ! old valet! is she not fresh and bloom¬ 
 ing as a rose, and a girl of excellent qualities ? ’Tis a 
 pity that she is a little opinionated; a defect that she 
 doubtless inherits from her Norman ancestors, since all of 
 my family have ever been remarkable for listening to 
 reason. The Normans were an obstinate race, as witness 
 the siege of Rochelle, by which oversight real estate in that 
 city must have lost much in value.” 
 
 “ Mille excuses, Monsieur Bevre’-; more beautiful 
 
 as de rose, and no opiniatre du tout. Mon Dieu ! pour sa 
 qualite, c’est une famille tres-ancienne.” 
 
 “ That was a weak point with my brother Barberie, and 
 after all, it did not add a cipher to the sum total of the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 45 
 
 assets. The best blood, Mr. Francois, is that which has 
 been best fed. The line of Hugh Capet himself would 
 fail without the butcher, and the butcher would certainly 
 fail without customers that can pay. Francois, thou art 
 a man who understands the value of a sure footing in 
 the world; would it not be a thousand pities that such a 
 girl as Alida should throw herself away on one, whose 
 best foundation is no better than a rolling ship ? ” 
 
 “ Certainement, monsieur, mam’selle be too good to roll 
 in de ship/’ 
 
 “ Obliged to follow a husband up and down; among 
 freebooters and dishonest traders; in fair weather and foul; 
 hot and cold; wet and dry ; bilge water and salt water; 
 cramps and nausea; salt junk and no junk; gales and 
 calms, and all for a hasty judgment formed in sanguine 
 youth! ” 
 
 The face of the valet had responded to the alderman’s 
 enumeration of the evils that would attend so ill-judged a 
 step in his niece, as faithfully as if each muscle had been 
 a mirror, to reflect the contortions of one suffering under 
 the malady of the sea. 
 
 “ Parbleu, c’est horrible, cette mer!” he ejaculated, 
 when the other had done. e< It is grand malheur, dere 
 should be watair but for drink, and for la proprete, avec 
 fosse to keep de carp round le chateau. Mais, mam’selle, 
 be no hasty jugement, and she shall have mari on la terre 
 solide.” 
 
 “ ’T would be better that the estate of my brother-in- 
 law should be kept in sight, judicious Francis, than to be 
 sent adrift on the high seas.” 
 
 ei Dere vas marin dans la famille de Barberie, nevair.” 
 
 ec Bonds and balances ! if the savings of one I could 
 name, frugal Francois, were added in current coin, the sum 
 total would sink a common ship! You know it is my 
 intention to remember Alida, in settling accounts with the 
 world.” 
 
 “ If Monsieur de Barberie was live, Monsieur Aider- 
 man, he shall say des choses convenables; mais, malheu- 
 reusement, mon cher maitre est mort, and, sair, I shall be 
 bold to remercier pour lui, et pour toute sa famille.” 
 
46 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Women are perverse, and sometimes they have plea¬ 
 sure in doing the very thing they are desired not to do.” 
 
 “Ma foi, oui !” 
 
 “ Prudent men should manage them with soft w'ords 
 and rich gifts ; with these they become as orderly as a 
 pair of well broke geldings.” 
 
 “ Monsieur know/' said the old valet, rubbing his hands, 
 and laughing with the subdued voice of a well-bred do¬ 
 mestic, though he could not conceal a jocular wink ; 
 “ pourtant il est gar^on ! Le cadeau be good for de demoi¬ 
 selles, and bettair as for de dames.” 
 
 “ Wedlock and blinkers! it is we gassons, as you call 
 us, who ought to know. Your hen-pecked husband has 
 no time to generalise among the sex, in order to understand 
 the real quality of the article. Now, here is Van Staats of 
 Kinderhook, faithful Francois; what think you of such a 
 youth for a husband for Alida?” 
 
 “ Pourtant, mam’selle like de vivacite ; Monsieur le 
 Patroon be nevair trop vif.” 
 
 ee The more likely to be sure. — Hist, I hear a foot¬ 
 step. We are followed — chased perhaps I should say, 
 to speak in the language of these sea gentry. Now is the 
 time to show this Captain Ludlow how a Frenchman can 
 wind him round his finger on terra firma. Loiter in the 
 rear, and draw our navigator on a wrong course. When 
 he has run into a fog, come yourself with all speed to the 
 oak on the bluff. There we shall await you.” 
 
 Flattered by this confidence, and really persuaded that 
 he was furthering the happiness of her he served, the old 
 valet nodded in reply to the alderman’s wink and chuckle, 
 and immediately relaxed his speed. The former pushed 
 ahead, and in a minute, he and those who followed had 
 turned short to the left and were out of sight. 
 
 Though faithfully, and even affectionately attached to 
 Alida, her servant had many of the qualifications of an 
 European domestic. Trained in all the ruses of his pro¬ 
 fession, he was of that school which believes civilisation 
 is to be measured by artifice, and success lost some of its 
 value, when it had been effected by the vulgar machinery 
 of truth and common sense. No wonder, then, the re- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 47 
 
 tainer entered into the views of the alderman with more 
 than a usual relish for the duty. He heard the cracking 
 of the dried twigs beneath the footstep of him who fol¬ 
 lowed, and in order that there might be no chance of 
 missing the desired interview, the valet began to hum a 
 French air in so loud a key, as to be certain the sounds 
 would reach any ear that was nigh. The twigs snapped 
 more rapidly, the footsteps seemed nearer, and then the 
 hero of the India-shawl sprang to the side of the ex¬ 
 pecting Francois. 
 
 The disappointment seemed mutual, and on the part of 
 the domestic it entirely disconcerted all his pre-arranged 
 schemes for misleading the commander of the Coquette. 
 Not so with the mariner. So far from his self-possession 
 being disturbed, it would have been no easy matter to 
 restrain his audacity, even in situations far more trying 
 than any in which he has yet been presented to the 
 reader. 
 
 What cheer, in thy woodland cruise, Monsieur Broad 
 Pennant? ” he said with infinite coolness, the instant 
 his steady glance had ascertained they were alone. “ This 
 is safer navigation for an officer of thy draught of water, 
 than running about the bays in a periagua. What may be 
 the longitude, and where-a-way did you part company 
 from the consorts?” 
 
 “ Sair, I valk in de vood for de plaisir, and I go on 
 de bay for de — parbleu, non! 'tis to follow ma jeune 
 maitresse I go on de bay ; and, sair, I wish dey who do 
 love de bay and de sea, would not come into de vood, du 
 tout.” 
 
 “ Well spoken, and with ample spirit; — what, a stu¬ 
 dent ! one, in a wood, should glean something from his 
 labours. Is it the art of furling a main cue, that is 
 taught in this pretty volume ? ” 
 
 As the mariner put this question, he very deliberately 
 took the book from Francois, who, instead of resenting the 
 liberty, rather offered the volume in exultation. 
 
 “ No, sair, it is not how to furl la queue, but how to 
 touch de soul; not de art to haul over de calm, but — 
 oui, c’est plein de connoissance et d’ esprit! Ah ! ha ! 
 
48 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 you know de Cid ! le grand liomme ! l’homme de genie! 
 If you read. Monsieur Marin, you shall see la vraie poesie ! 
 Not de big book and no single rhyme. — Sair, I do not 
 vish to say vat is penible, mais it is not one book widout 
 rhyme ; it was not ecrit on de sea. Le diable ! que le 
 vrai genie et les nobles sentiments se trouvent dans ce 
 livre la !” 
 
 “ Ay, I see it is a log-book for every man to note his 
 mind in. I return you Master Cid, with his fine senti¬ 
 ments in the bargain. Great as was his genius, it would 
 seem he was not the man to write all that I find between 
 the leaves.” 
 
 ec He not write him all! Yes, sair, he shall write him 
 six time more dan all, si la France a besoin. Que l’envie 
 de ces Anglais se decouvre quand on parle des beaux 
 genies de la France ! ” 
 
 “ I will only say, if the gentleman wrote the whole 
 that is in the book, and it is as fine as you would 
 make a plain sea-faring man believe, he did wrong not to 
 print it.” 
 
 “ Print!” echoed Francois, opening his eyes and the 
 volume by a common impulse. “ Imprime ! ha ! here is 
 papier of Mam’selle Alide, assurement.” 
 
 “ Take better heed of it then,” interrupted the seaman 
 of the shawl. “ As for your Cid, to me it is an useless 
 volume, since it teaches neither the latitude of a shoal, nor 
 the shape of a coast.” 
 
 “ Sair, it teach de morale ; de rock of de passion, et 
 les grands mouvements de l’ame ! Oui, sair ; it teach all 
 un monsieur vish to know. Tout le monde read him dans 
 la France ; en province, comme en ville. If sa majeste 
 le Grand Louis be not so mal avise as to chasser messieurs 
 les Huguenots from his royaume, I shall go to Paris to 
 hear le Cid, moi-meme ! ” 
 
 “ A good journey to you. Monsieur Cue. We may meet 
 on the road, until which time I take my departure. The 
 day may come, when we shall converse with a rolling sea 
 beneath us. Till then, brave cheer !” 
 
 i( Adieu, monsieur,” returned Francois, bowing with a 
 politeness that had become too familiar to be forgotten. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 49 
 
 ce If we do not meet but in de sea, we shall not meet 
 nevair. Ah, ha, ha ! Monsieur le Marin n’aime pas a 
 entendre parler de la gloire de la France ! Je voudrais 
 bien savoir lire ce f—e Shak-a-spear, pour voir combien 
 l’immortel Corneille lui est superieur. Ma foi, oui ; 
 Monsieur Pierre Corneille est vraiment un homme 
 illustre ! ” 
 
 The faithful, self-complacent, and aged valet, then pur¬ 
 sued his way towards the large oak on the bluff; for as he 
 ceased speaking, the mariner of the gay sash turned deeper 
 into the woods and left him alone. Proud of the manner 
 in which he had met the audacity of the stranger, prouder 
 still of the reputation of the author, whose fame had been 
 known in France long before his own departure from 
 Europe, and not a little consoled with the reflection that 
 he had contributed his mite to support the honour of his 
 distant and well-beloved country, the honest Francois 
 pressed the volume affectionately beneath his arm, and 
 hastened on after his mistress. 
 
 Though the position of Staten Island and its surround¬ 
 ing bays is so familiar to the Manhattanese, an explanation 
 of the localities may be agreeable to readers who dwell at a 
 distance from the scene of the tale. 
 
 It has already been said that the principal communica¬ 
 tion between the bays of Rariton and York is called the 
 Narrows. At the mouth of this passage, the land on Staten 
 Island rises in a high bluff, which overhangs the watei 
 not unlike the tale-fraught cape of Misenum. From this 
 elevated point, the eye not only commands a view of both 
 estuaries and the city, but it looks far beyond the point of 
 Sandy Hook, into the open sea. It is here that, in our 
 own days, ships are first noted in the offing, and whence 
 the news of the approach of his vessel is communicated to 
 the expecting merchant by means of the telegraph. In 
 the early part of the last century, arrivals were too rare 
 to support such an establishment. The bluff was therefore 
 little resorted to, except by some occasional admirer of 
 scenery, or by those countrymen whom business, at long 
 intervals, drew to the spot. It had been early cleared of 
 
50 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 its wood, and the oak already mentioned was the only 
 tree standing in a space of some ten or a dozen acres. 
 
 It has been seen that Alderman Van Beverout had ap¬ 
 pointed this solitary oak as the place of rendezvous with 
 Francois. Thither then he took his way on parting from 
 the valet, and to this spot we must now transfer the scene. 
 A rude seat had been placed around the root of the tree, 
 and here the whole party, with the exception of the absent 
 domestic, were soon seated. In a minute, however, they 
 were joined by the exulting Francois, who immediately 
 related the particulars of his recent interview with the 
 stranger. 
 
 “ A clear conscience, with cordial friends, and a fair 
 balance sheet, may keep a man warm in January, even in 
 this climate,” said the alderman, willing to turn the dis¬ 
 course ; “ but what with rebellious blacks, hot streets, and 
 spoiling furs, it passeth mortal powers to keep cool in 
 yonder overgrown and crowded town. Thou seest, Patroon, 
 the spot of white on the opposite side of the bay ? Breezes 
 and fanning ! that is the Lust-in-Rust, where cordial enters 
 the mouth at every breath, and where a man has room to 
 cast up the sum-total of his thoughts, any hour in the 
 twenty-four.” 
 
 “ We seem quite as effectually alone on this hill, with 
 the advantage of having a city in the view,” remarked 
 Alida, with an emphasis that showed she meant even more 
 than she expressed. 
 
 “ We are by ourselves, niece of mine,” returned the 
 alderman, rubbing his hands as if he secretly felicitated 
 himself that the fact were so. “ That truth cannot be 
 denied, and good company we are, though the opinion 
 comes from one who is not a cipher in the party. Modesty 
 is a poor man’s wealth, but as we grow substantial in the 
 world, Patroon, one can afford to begin to speak truth of 
 himself as well as of his neighbour.” 
 
 In which case little but good will be uttered from the 
 mouth of Alderman Van Beverout,” said Ludlow, appear¬ 
 ing so suddenly from behind the root of the tree, as ef¬ 
 fectually to shut the mouth of the burgher. “ My 
 desire to offer the services of the ship to your party has 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 51 
 
 led to this abrupt intrusion, and I hope will obtain its 
 pardon.” 
 
 “ The power to forgive is a prerogative of the governor, 
 who represents the queen,” drily returned the alderman. 
 “ If her majesty has so little employment for her cruisers, 
 that their captains can dispose of them in behalf of old 
 men and young maidens, why, happy is the age, and com. 
 merce should flourish ! ” 
 
 “ If the two duties are compatible, the greater the reason 
 why a commander should felicitate himself that he may be 
 of service to so many. You are bound to the Jersey 
 Highlands, Mr. Van Beverout?” 
 
 “ I am bound to a comfortable and very private abode, 
 called the Lust-in-Rust, Captain Cornelius Van Cuylej- 
 Ludlow.” 
 
 The young man bit his lip, and his healthful but brown 
 cheek flushed a deeper red than common, though he pre¬ 
 served his composure. 
 
 ie And I am bound to sea,” he said, with an affected in¬ 
 difference. “ The wind is getting fresh, and your boat, 
 which I see at this moment standing in for the island, will 
 find it difficult to make way against its force. The Co¬ 
 quette’s anchor will be a-weigh in twenty minutes, and I 
 shall find two hours of an ebbing tide and a top-gallant 
 breeze but too short a time for the pleasure of entertaining 
 such guests. I am certain that the fears of la belle will 
 favour my wishes, whichever side of the question her in¬ 
 clinations may happen to be.” 
 
 “ And they are with her uncle,” quickly returned Alida. 
 “ I am so little of a sailor that prudence, if not pusil¬ 
 lanimity, teaches me to depend on the experience of older 
 heads.” 
 
 “ Older I may not pretend to be,” said Ludlow, colour¬ 
 ing ; “ but Mr. Van Beverout will see no pretension in 
 believing myself as good a judge of wind and tide as even 
 he himself can be.” 
 
 You are said to command her majesty’s sloop with 
 skill. Captain Ludlow, and it is creditable to the colony 
 that it has produced so good an officer ; though I believe 
 
 e 2 
 
 U. OF ILL LI3, 
 
52 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 your grandfather came into the province so lately as on 
 the restoration of King Charles the Second ? ” 
 
 “ We cannot claim descent from the United Provinces, 
 Alderman Van Beverout, on the parental side, but what¬ 
 ever may have been the political opinions of my grand¬ 
 father, those of his descendant have never been questioned. 
 Let me entreat the fair Alida to take counsel of the appre¬ 
 hension I am sure she feels, and to persuade her uncle 
 that the Coquette is safer than his periagua.” 
 
 u It is said to be easier to enter than to quit your ship,” 
 returned the laughing Alida. “ By certain symptoms that 
 attended our passage to the island, your Coquette, like 
 others, is fond of conquest. One is not safe beneath so 
 capricious an influence.” 
 
 “ This is a reputation given by our enemies. I had 
 hoped for a different answer from la Belle Barberie.” 
 
 The close of the sentence was uttered with an emphasis 
 that caused the blood to quicken its movement in the veins 
 of the maiden. It was fortunate that neither of their 
 companions was very observant, or " t else suspicions might 
 have been excited that a better intelligence existed between 
 the young sailor and the heiress, than would have com¬ 
 ported with their wishes and intentions. 
 
 I had hoped for a different answer from la Belle 
 Barberie,” repeated Ludlow, in a lower voice, but with 
 even a still more emphatic tone than before. 
 
 There was evidently a struggle in the mind of Alida.— 
 She overcame it before her confusion could be noted, and 
 turning to the valet, she said, with the composure and 
 grace that became a gentlewoman,— 
 
 “ Rends-moi le livre, Francois.” 
 
 “ Le void — ah ! ma chere Mam’selle Alide, que ce 
 Monsieur le Marin se faehait a cause de la gloire et des 
 beaux vers de notre illustre M. Pierre Corneille ! ” 
 
 “ Here is an English sailor that I am sure will not deny 
 the merit of an admired writer, even though he come of a 
 nation that is commonly thought hostile, Francois,” re¬ 
 turned his mistress smiling. “ Captain Ludlow, it is 
 now a month since I am your debtor, by promise, for a 
 volume of Corneille, and I here acquit myself of the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 53 
 
 obligation. When you have perused the contents of this 
 book with the attention they deserve, I may hope-” 
 
 “ For a speedy opinion of their merits.” 
 
 “ I was about to say to receive the volume again, as it 
 is a legacy from my father,” steadily rejoined Alida. 
 
 “ Legacies and foreign tongues ! ” muttered the aider- 
 man. “ One is well enough, but for the other, English 
 and Dutch are all that the wisest man need learn. I never 
 could understand an account of profit and loss in any 
 other tongue, Patroon, and even a favourable balance never 
 appears so great as it is, unless the account be rendered in 
 one or the other of these rational dialects. Captain Lud¬ 
 low, we thank you for your politeness, but here is one of 
 my fellows to tell us that my own periagua is arrived, and 
 wishing you a happy and a long cruise, as we say of lives, 
 I bid you adieu.” 
 
 The young seaman returned the salutations of the party 
 with a better grace than his previous solicitude to persuade 
 them to enter his ship might have given reason to expect. 
 He even saw them descend the hill towards the water of 
 the outer bay, with entire composure, and it was only after 
 they had entered a thicket, which hid them from view, 
 that he permitted his feelings to have sway. 
 
 Then, indeed, he drew the volume from his pocket, and 
 opened its leaves with an eagerness he could no longer 
 control. It seemed as if he expected to read more in the 
 pages than the author had caused to be placed there; but 
 when his eye caught sight of a sealed billet, the legacy of 
 M. de Barberie fell at his feet, and the paper was torn asun¬ 
 der, with the anxiety of one who expected to find in its 
 contents a decree of life or death. 
 
 Amazement was clearly the first emotion of the young 
 seaman. He read and re-read; struck his brow with his 
 hand; gazed about him at the land and at the water; re¬ 
 perused the note ; examined the superscription, which was 
 simply to “ Captain Ludlow, of her majesty’s ship Co¬ 
 quette ; ” smiled; muttered between his teeth; seemed 
 vexed and yet delighted ; read the note again, word by 
 word, and finally thrust it into his pocket with the air of 
 
 e 3 
 
54 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 a man who had found reason for both regret and satisfac¬ 
 tion in its contents. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 What! ha* this thing appeared again to-night? Hamlet. 
 
 (l The face of man is the log book of his thoughts, and 
 Captain Ludlow’s seem agreeable,” observed a voice that 
 came from one who was not far from the commander of 
 the Coquette, while the latter was still enacting the panto¬ 
 mime described in the close of the preceding chapter. 
 
 <f Who speaks of thoughts and log-books, or who dares 
 to pry into my movements ? ” demanded the young sailor, 
 fiercely. 
 
 “ One who has trifled with the first and scribbled in the 
 last, too often not to know how to meet a squall,whether it be 
 seen in the clouds or only on the face of man. As for look¬ 
 ing into your movements. Captain Ludlow, I have watched 
 too many big ships in my time, to turn aside at each light 
 cruiser that happens to cross my course. I hope, sir, you 
 have an answer ; every hail has its right to a civil reply." 
 
 Ludlow could scarce believe his senses, when, on turn¬ 
 ing to face the intruder, he saw himself confronted by the 
 audacious eye and calm mien of the mariner, who had 
 once before that morning braved his resentment. Curbing 
 his indignation, however, the young man endeavoured to 
 emulate the coolness which, notwithstanding his inferior 
 condition, imparted to the air of the other something that 
 was imposing, if it were not absolutely authoritative. Per¬ 
 haps the singularity of the adventure aided in effecting an 
 object that was a little difficult of attainment in one accus¬ 
 tomed to receive so much habitual deference from most of 
 those who made the sea their home. Swallowing his re¬ 
 sentment, the young commander answered,— 
 
 “ He that knows how to face his enemies with spirit, 
 may be accounted sufficiently bold ; but he who braves the 
 anger of his friends is fool-hardy." 
 
 <f And he who does neither, is wiser than both ” r?- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 55 
 
 joined the reckless hero of the sash. “ Captain Ludlow, 
 we meet on equal terms at present, and the parley may be 
 managed with some freedom.” 
 
 “ Equality is a word that ill applies to men of stations 
 so different.” 
 
 “ Of our stations and duties it is not necessary to speak. 
 I hope that when the proper time shall come, both may be 
 found ready to be at the first, and equal to discharge the 
 last. But Captain Ludlow, backed by the broadside of 
 the Coquette and the cross-fire of his marines, is not 
 Captain Ludlow alone, on a sea-bluff, with a crutch no 
 better than his own arm and a stout heart. As the first, 
 he is like a spar supported by backstays and forestays, 
 braces and standing rigging; while, as the latter, he is 
 the stick, which keeps its head aloft by the soundness 
 and quality of its timber. You have the appearance of 
 one who can go alone, even though it blew heavier than at 
 present, if one may judge of the force of the breeze by the 
 manner it presses on the sails of yonder boat, in the bay.” 
 
 “ Yonder boat begins to feel the wind, truly !” said 
 Ludlow, suddenly losing all other interest, in the appear¬ 
 ance of the periagua which held Alida and her friends, and 
 which, at that instant, shot out from beneath the cover of 
 the hill into the broad opening of Rariton Bay. What 
 think you of the time, my friend ? A man of your years 
 should speak with knowledge of the weather.” 
 
 (i Women and winds are only understood when fairly in 
 motion,” returned he of the sash ; “ now any mortal who 
 consulted comfort and the skies, would have preferred a 
 passage in her majesty’s ship Coquette, to one in yonder 
 dancing periagua ; and yet the fluttering silk we see in 
 the boat tells us there is one who has thought otherwise.” 
 
 “ You are a man of singular intelligence,” cried Ludlow, 
 again facing the intruder, “ as well as one of singular-” 
 
 “ Effrontery,” rejoined the other, observing that the 
 commander hesitated. “ Let the commissioned officer of 
 the queen speak boldly ; I am no better than a top-man, 
 or at most a quarter-master.” 
 
 “ I wish to say nothing disagreeable; but I find your 
 knowledge of my offer to convey the lady and her friends 
 
 e 4 
 
56 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 to the residence of Alderman Van Beverout a little sur¬ 
 prising.” 
 
 And I see nothing to wonder at in your offer to con¬ 
 vey the lady any where, though the liberality to hei 
 friends is not an act so clearly comprehended. When 
 young men speak from the heart, their words are not ut¬ 
 tered in whispers.” 
 
 “ Which would imply that you overheard our con¬ 
 versation. I believe it, for here is cover at hand to conceal 
 you. It may he, sir, that you have eyes as well as ears? ” 
 
 “ I confess to have seen your countenance changing 
 sides, like a member of parliament turning to a new leaf in 
 his conscience at the minister’s signal, while you overhauled 
 a bit of a paper ” 
 
 “ Whose contents you could not know ! ” 
 
 Whose contents I took to be some private orders, given 
 by a lady who is too much of a coquette herself to accept 
 your offer to sail in a vessel of the same name.” 
 
 By heavens, the fellow has reason in his inexplicable 
 impudence ! ” muttered Ludlow, pacing backward and for¬ 
 ward beneath the shadow of the tree. “ The language and 
 the acts of the girl are in contradiction, and I am a fool to 
 be trifled with, like a midshipman fresh broken loose from 
 his mother’s apron string. Harkee, Master a—a—You’ve 
 a name, I suppose, like any other straggler on the ocean ? ” 
 
 “ Yes. When the hail is loud enough to be heard, I 
 answer to the call of Thomas Tiller.” 
 
 “ Well, then. Master Tiller, so clever a seaman should 
 be glad to serve the queen.” 
 
 “ Were it not for duty to another, whose claim comes 
 first, nothing could be more agreeable than to lend a lady in 
 distress a helping hand.” 
 
 And who is he who may prefer a claim to your ser¬ 
 vices in competition with the majesty of these realms?” 
 demanded Ludlow, with a little of the pretension that, 
 when speaking of its privileges, is apt to distinguish the 
 manner of one who has been accustomed to regard royalty 
 with reverence. 
 
 “ Myself. When our affairs call us the same way, no 
 one can be readier than I to keep her majesty’s company; 
 but-” 
 
THE WATER W1TCH> 
 
 57 
 
 :e This is presuming too far on the trifling of a moment,” 
 interrupted Ludlow. “ You know, sirrah, that I have the 
 right to command your services, without entering into a 
 parley for them; and which, notwithstanding your gay ap¬ 
 pearance, may, after all, be little worth the trouble.” 
 
 “ There is no need to push matters to extremity between 
 us, Captain Ludlow,” resumed the stranger, who had ap¬ 
 peared to muse for a moment. “ If I have baffled your 
 pursuit once to-day, it was perhaps to make my merit in 
 entering the ship freely, less undeniable. We are here 
 alone, and your honour will account it no boasting, if I say 
 that a man, well limbed and active, who stands six feet 
 between plank and carline, is not likely to be led against 
 his will, like a yawl towing at the stern of a four-and-forty. 
 I am a seaman, sir ; and though the ocean is my home, I 
 never venture on it without sufficient footing. Look abroad 
 from this hill, and say whether there is any craft in view, 
 except the cruiser of the queen, which would be likely to 
 suif-the taste of a mariner of the long voyage ? ” 
 
 c< By which you would have me understand you are here 
 in quest of service ? ” 
 
 Nothing less; and though the opinion of a foremost 
 Jack may be of little value, you will not be displeased to 
 hear that I might look further without finding a prettier 
 sea-boat, or a swifter, than the one which sails under your 
 own orders. A seaman of your station, Captain Ludlow, 
 is not now to learn that a man speaks differently while his 
 name is his own, and after he has given it away to the 
 crown, and, therefore, I hope my present freedom will not 
 be long remembered.” 
 
 I have met men of your humour before, my friend, 
 and I have not now to learn that a thorough man-of-wars- 
 man is as impudent on shore, as he is obedient afloat. — Is 
 that a sail in the effing, or is it the wing of a sea-fowl glit¬ 
 tering in the sun ?” 
 
 <e It may be either,” observed the audacious mariner, 
 turning his eye leisurely towards the open ocean, “ for we 
 have a wide look-out from this windy bluff. Here are 
 gulls sporting above the waves that turn their feathers to¬ 
 wards the light.” 
 
58 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Look more seaward. That spot of shining white 
 should be the canvass of some craft, hovering in the 
 offing! ” 
 
 “ Nothing more probable in so light a breeze. Your 
 coasters are in and out, like water-rats on a wharf, at any 
 hour of the twenty-four —and yet to me it seems the comb 
 of a breaking sea.” 
 
 “ ’T is snow-white duck; such as your swift rover wears 
 on his loftier spars ! ” 
 
 “ A duck that is flown,” returned the stranger, drily, 
 “ for it is no longer to be seen. These fly-aways, Captain 
 Ludlow, give us seamen many sleepless nights and idle 
 chases. I was once running down the coast of Italy, be¬ 
 tween the island of Corsica and the Main, when one of 
 these delusions beset the crew, in a manner that hath taught 
 me to put little faith in eyes, unless backed by a clear 
 horizon and a cool head.” 
 
 u I ’ll hear the circumstance,” said Ludlow, withdrawing 
 his gaze from the distant ocean, like one who was satisfied 
 his senses had been deceived. <e What of this marvel of 
 the Italian seas ? ” 
 
 “ A marvel truly, as your honour will confess, when I 
 read you the affair much in the words I had it logg’d for 
 the knowledge of all concerned. It was the last hour of 
 the second dog-watch, on Easter Sunday, with the wind 
 here at south-east, easterly. A light air filled the upper 
 canvass, and just gave us command of the ship. The 
 mountains of Corsica, with Monte Christo and Elba, had 
 all been sunk some hours, and we were on the yards, keep¬ 
 ing a look-out for a land-fall on the Roman coast. A low 
 thick bank of drifting fog lay along the sea, in-shore of us, 
 which all believed to be the sweat of the land, and thought 
 no more of; though none wished to enter it, for that is a 
 coast where foul airs rise, and through which the gulls and 
 land-birds refuse to fly. Well, here we lay, the mainsail 
 in the brails, the topsails beating the mast heads, like a 
 maiden fanning herself when she sees her lover, and nothing 
 full but the upper duck, with the sun fairly below the water 
 in the western board. I was then young, and quick of eye 
 as of foot, and therefore among the first to see the sight! ” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 59 
 
 “ Which was ■■ ” said Ludlow, interested in spite of 
 
 his assumed air of indifference. 
 
 “ Why, here just above the bank of foul air that ever 
 rests on that coast, there was seen an object that looked like 
 ribs of bright light, as if a thousand stars had quitted their 
 usual berths in the heaven, to warn us off the land by a 
 supernatural beacon. The sight was in itself altogether out 
 of nature and surprising. As the night thickened it grew 
 brighter and more glowing, as if ’t were meant in earnest 
 to warn us from the coast. But when the word was passed 
 to send the glasses aloft, there was seen a glittering cross 
 on high, and far above the elevation of any spars on which 
 earthly ships carry their signals/’ 
 
 “ This was indeed extraordinary ! And what did you, 
 to come at the character of the heavenly symbol ? ” 
 
 “ We wore off shore, and left it a clear berth, for bolder 
 mariners to run in and look at. Glad enough was I to see, 
 with the morning sun, the snowy hills of Corsica again ! ” 
 
 “ And the appearance of that object was never ex¬ 
 plained ? ” 
 
 ie Nor ever will be. I have since spoke with the mari¬ 
 ners of that sea concerning the sight, but never found any 
 who could pretend to have seen it. There was indeed one 
 bold enough to say there is a church far inland, of a height 
 and magnitude sufficient to be seen some leagues at sea, and 
 that, favoured by our position and the mists that hung 
 above the low grounds, we had seen its upper works 
 looming above the fogs, and lighted for some brilliant 
 ceremony ; but we were all too old in seamen’s experience 
 to credit so wild a tale. I know not but a church may 
 loom as well as a hill or a ship; but he who pretends to 
 say that the hands of man can thus pile stones among the 
 clouds, should be certain of believers, ere he pushes the tale 
 too far. 
 
 “ ’Y our narrative is extraordinary, and the marvel should 
 have been looked into closer. It may truly have been a 
 church, for there stands an edifice at Rome, which towers 
 to treble the height of a cruiser’s masts.” 
 
 Having rarely troubled churches, I know not why a 
 church should trouble me,” said the mariner of the sash, 
 
60 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 while he turned his back on the ocean, as if indisposed to 
 regard the waste of water longer. <( It is now twelve 
 years since that sight was seen ; and though a seaman of 
 many voyages, my eyes have not looked upon the Roman 
 coast from that hour to this. Will your honour lead the 
 way from the bluff, as becomes your rank ? ” 
 
 “ Your tale of the burning cross and looming church. 
 Master Tiller, had almost caused me to forget to watch the 
 movements of yon periagua,” returned Ludlow, who still 
 continued to face the bay. “ That obstinate old Dutchman 
 — I say, sir, that Mr. Alderman Van Bevcrout has greater 
 confidence in this kind of craft than I feel myself. I like 
 not the looks of yonder cloud, which is rising from out the 
 mouth of Rariton; and here, seaward, we have a gloomy 
 horizon too. ~By heaven, there is a sail playing in the 
 offing, or my eye hath lost its use and judgment/' 
 
 “ Your honour sees the wing of the sporting gull, again; 
 it had been nigh to deceive my sight, which would be to 
 cheat the look-out of a man that has the advantage of some 
 ten or fifteen years more practice in marine appearances. 
 I remember once, when beating in among the islands of the 
 
 China seas, with the trades here at south-east- ’* 
 
 “ Enough of thy marvels, friend ; the church is as much 
 as I can swallow in one morning. It may have been a 
 gull! for I confess the object small; yet it had the 
 steadiness and size of a distant sail! There is some reason 
 to expect one on our coast, for whom a bright and seaman’s 
 watch must be had.” 
 
 “ This may then leave me a choice of ships,” rejoined 
 Tiller. “ I thank your honour for having spoken before I 
 bad given myself away to the queen, who is a lady that is 
 much more apt to receive gifts of this nature, than to return 
 them.” 
 
 “ If your respect aboard shall bear any proportion to 
 your hardihood on shore, you may be accounted a model 
 of civility ! But a mariner of your pretension, should 
 have some regard to the character of the vessel in which he 
 takes service.” 
 
 “ That of which your honour spoke is then a buccaneer T ” 
 “ If not a buccaneer, one but little better. A lawless 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 61 
 
 trader, under the most favourable view ; and there are 
 those who think that he who has gone so far, has not 
 stopped short of the end. But the reputation of the 
 f Skimmer of the Seas * must be known to one who has 
 navigated the ocean long as you/' 
 
 “ You will overlook the curiosity of a seafaring man in 
 a matter of his profession,” returned the mariner of the 
 sash, with strong and evident interest in his manner. “ I 
 am lately from a distant ocean ; and though many tales of 
 the buccaneers of the islands have been narrated, I do not 
 remember to have heard of that rover, before his name came 
 into the discourse between me and the schipper of the boat 
 that plies between this landing and the city. I am not alto¬ 
 gether what I seem, Captain Ludlow ; and when further 
 acquaintance and hard service shall have brought me more 
 before the eyes of my commander, he may not repent 
 having induced a thorough seaman to enter his ship, by a 
 little condescension and good nature shown while the man 
 was still his own master. Your honour will take no 
 offence at my boldness, when 1 tell you, I shall be glad to 
 know more of this unlawful trader.” 
 
 Ludlow rivetted his eyes on the unmoved and manly 
 countenance of his companion. There was a vague and 
 undefined suspicion in the look, but it vanished as the 
 practised organs drunk in the assurance, which so much 
 physical promise afforded, of the aid of a bold and active 
 mariner. Rather amused than offended by the freedom of 
 the request, he turned upon his heel; and as they de¬ 
 scended the bluff, on their way towards the place of landing, 
 he continued the dialogue. 
 
 “ You are truly from a distant ocean,” said the young 
 captain of the Coquette, smiling like a man who apologises 
 to himself for an act of what he thought undue condescen¬ 
 sion, “ if the exploits of a brigantine known by the name 
 of the f Water Witch,’ and of him who commands her, 
 under the fit appellation of the f Skimmer of the Seas,’ 
 have not yet reached your ears. It is now five summers 
 since orders have been in the colonies for the cruisers to be 
 on the alert to hunt the picaroon, and it is even said, the 
 daring smuggler has often braved the pennants of the 
 
62 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 narrow seas. *T would be a bigger ship, if not knight¬ 
 hood, to the lucky officer who should catch the knave ! ’* 
 
 “ He must drive a money-gaining trade to run these 
 risks, and to brave the efforts of so many skilful gentle¬ 
 men ! May I add to a presumption that your honour 
 already finds too bold, if one may judge by a displeased 
 eye, by asking if report speaks of the face and other par¬ 
 ticulars of the person of this—free-trader, one must call 
 him, though freebooter should be a better word ? ” 
 
 “ What matters the personal condition of a rogue ? ” 
 said Captain Ludlow, who perhaps remembered that the 
 freedom of their intercourse had been carried as far as 
 comported with prudence. 
 
 “ What matter truly ! I asked because the description 
 answers a little to that of a man I once knew in the seas 
 of farther India, and who has long since disappeared, 
 though no one can say whither he has gone. But this 
 Skimmer of the Seas is some Spaniard of the Main, or 
 perhaps a Dutchman come from the country that is a-wash, 
 in order to taste of terra firma?" 
 
 “ Spaniard of the southern coast never carried so bold 
 a sail in these seas, nor was there ever known a Dutchman 
 with so light a heel. The fellow is said to laugh at the 
 swiftest cruiser out of England ! As to his figure, I have 
 heard little good of it. 'T is said he is some soured officer 
 of better days, who has quitted the intercourse of honest 
 men, because roguery is so plainly written on his face that 
 he vainly tries to hide it, ? * 
 
 (( Mine was a proper man, and one that need not have 
 been ashamed to show his countenance among his fellows,*' 
 said he of the sash. “ This cannot be the same, if in¬ 
 deed there be any on the coast. Is’t known, your honour, 
 that the man is truly here ? ” 
 
 (< So goes a rumour ; though so many idle tales have 
 led me before to seek the smuggler where he was not, that 
 I give but little faith to the report.—The periagua has 
 the wind more at west, and the cloud in the mouth of the 
 Rariton is breaking into scud. The alderman will have a 
 lucky run of it, after all! ” 
 
 “ And the gulls have gone more seaward, a certain sign 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 63 
 
 of pleasant weather/’ returned the other, glancing a quick 
 but keen look over the horizon in the offing. “ I believe 
 our rover, with his light duck, has taken flight among 
 them !” 
 
 “ We will then go in pursuit. My ship is bound to 
 sea, and it is time. Master Tiller, that I know in what 
 berth you are willing to serve the queen ? ” 
 
 “ God bless her majesty ! Anne is a royal lady, and 
 she had a lord high admiral for her husband. As for a 
 berth, sir, one always wishes to be captain, even though 
 he may be compelled to eat his rations in the lee scuppers. 
 I suppose the first lieutenancy is filled to your honour’s 
 liking ? ” 
 
 “ Sirrah, this is trifling; one of your years and expe¬ 
 rience need not be told, that commissions are obtained by 
 service.” 
 
 “ Under favour, — I confess the error. Captain Ludlow, 
 you are a man of honour, and will not deceive a sailor, 
 who puts trust in your word.” 
 
 “ Sailor or landsman, he is safe who has that pledge.’’ 
 
 “ Then, sir, I ask it. Suffer me to enter your ship ; to 
 look into my future messmates, and to judge of their cha¬ 
 racters ; to see if the vessel suits my humour; and then 
 to quit her, if I find it convenient.” 
 
 “ Fellow !” said Ludlow, ec thy impudence almost sur¬ 
 passed patience ! ” 
 
 “ The request is reasonable, as can be shown,” gravely 
 returned the unknown mariner. “ Now, Captain Ludlow, 
 of the Coquette, would gladly tie himself, for better for 
 worse, to a fair lady who has lately gone on the water, 
 and yet there are thousands who might be had with less 
 difficulty.” 
 
 “ Still deeper and deeper in thy effrontery—and what 
 if this be true ? ” 
 
 iC Sir, a ship is a seaman’s mistress—nay, when fairly 
 under a pennant, with a war declared, he may be said to 
 be tvedded to her, lawfully or not. He becomes ‘ bone of 
 her bone, and flesh of her flesh, until death doth them 
 part.’ To such a long compact, there should be liberty of 
 choice. Has not your mariner a taste, as well as your 
 
64 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 lover ? The harpings and counter of his ship are the waist 
 and shoulders; the rigging, the ringlets; the cut and fit 
 of the sails, the fashion of the millinery ; the guns are 
 always called the teeth, and her paint is the blush and 
 bloom ! Here is matter of choice, sir; and without leave 
 to make it, I must wish your honour a happy cruise, and 
 the queen a better servitor.” 
 
 Why, Master Tiller,” cried Ludlow, laughing, “ you 
 trust too much to these stunted oaks, if you believe it ex¬ 
 ceeds my power to hunt you out of their cover, at pleasure. 
 But I take you at your word. The Coquette shall receive 
 you on these conditions, and with the confidence that a 
 first-rate city belle would enter a country ball-room.” 
 
 “ I follow in your honour’s wake, without more words,” 
 returned he of the sash, for the first time respectfully rais¬ 
 ing his canvass cap to the young commander. “ Though 
 not actually married, consider me a man betrothed.” 
 
 It is not necessary to pursue the discourse between the 
 two seamen any further. It was maintained, with suffi¬ 
 cient freedom on the part of the inferior, until they reached 
 the shore, and came in full view of the pennant of the 
 queen, when, with the tact of an old man-of-war’s man, 
 he threw into his manner all the respect that was usually 
 required by the difference of rank. 
 
 Half an hour later the Coquette was rolling at a single 
 anchor, as the puffs of wind came off the hills on her three 
 topsails, and shortly after she was seen standing through the 
 Narrows, with a fresh south-westerly breeze. In all these 
 movements there was nothing to attract attention. Not¬ 
 withstanding the sarcastic allusions of Alderman Van Be- 
 verout, the cruiser was far from being idle, and her passage 
 outward was a circumstance of so common occurrence, 
 that it excited no comment among the boatmen of the bay 
 and the coasters, who alone witnessed her departure. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 65 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far 
 
 As that vast shore wash’d with the furthest sea, 
 
 I would adventure for such merchandize.” Romeo and Jul * 
 
 A happy mixture of land and water, seen by a bright 
 moon, and beneath the sky of the fortieth degree of lati¬ 
 tude, cannot fail to make a pleasing picture. Such was 
 the landscape which the reader must now endeavour to 
 present to his mind. 
 
 The wide estuary of Rariton is shut in from the winds 
 and billows of the open sea, by a long, low, and narrow 
 cape, or point, which by a medley of the Dutch and English 
 languages, that is by no means rare in the names of places 
 that lie within the former territories of the United Pro¬ 
 vinces of Holland, is known by the name of Sandy-Hook. 
 This tongue of land appears to have been made by the 
 unremitting and opposing actions of the waves on one side, 
 and of the currents of the different rivers that empty their 
 waters into the bay on the other. It is commonly connected 
 with the low coast of New Jersey to the south; but there 
 are periods of many years in succession, during which there 
 exists an inlet from the sea between what may be termed 
 the inner end of the cape, and the main land. During 
 these periods, Sandy-Hook of course becomes an island. 
 Such was the fact at the time of which it is our business 
 to write. 
 
 The outer, or ocean side of this low and narrow bank of 
 sand, is a smooth and regular beach, like that seer oil most 
 of the Jersey coast, while the inner is indented, in a manner 
 to form several convenient anchoring grounds for ships 
 that seek a shelter from easterly gales. One of the latter 
 is a circular and pretty cove, in which vessels of a light 
 draught are completely embayed, and where they may in 
 safety ride secure from the winds that blow. The harbour, 
 or, as it is always called, the cove, lies at the point where 
 the cape joins the main, and the inlet just named commu- 
 
 F 
 
b6 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 nicates directly with its waters, whenever the passage is 
 open. The Shrewsbury, a river of the fourth or fifth 
 class, or, in other words, a stream of a few hundred feet in 
 width and of no great length, comes from the south, run¬ 
 ning nearly parallel with the coast, and becomes a tributary 
 of the bay, also at a point near the cove. Between the 
 Shrewsbury and the sea, the land resembles that on the 
 cape, being low and sandy, though not entirely without 
 fertility. It is covered with a modest growth of pines and 
 oaks, where it is not either subject to the labours of the 
 husbandman, or in natural meadow. But the western bank 
 of the river is an abrupt and high acclivity, which rises to 
 the elevation of a mountain. It was near the base of the 
 latter that Alderman Van Beverout, for reasons that may 
 be more fully developed as we proceed in our tale, had 
 seen fit to erect his villa, which, agreeably to a usage of 
 Holland, he had called the Lust-in-Rust, — an appellation 
 that the merchant, who had read a few of the classics in 
 his boyhood, was wont to say meant nothing more nor less 
 than “ otium cum dignitate.” 
 
 If a love of retirement and a pure air had its influence 
 n determining the selection of the burgher of Manhattan, 
 he could not have made a better choice. The adjoining 
 lands had been occupied early in the previous century by 
 a respectable family of the name of Hartshorne, which 
 continues seated at the place to the present hour. The 
 extent of their possessions served at that day to keep others 
 at a distance. If to this fact be added the formation and 
 quality of the ground, which was at so early a period of 
 trifling value for agricultural purposes, it will be seen there 
 was as little motive as there w r as opportunity for strangers 
 to intrude. As to the air, it was refreshed by the breezes 
 of the ocern, which was scarcely a mile distant, while it 
 had nothing to render it unhealthy or impure. With this 
 sketch of the general features of the scene where so many 
 of our incidents occurred, we shall proceed to describe the 
 habitation of the alderman a little more in detail. 
 
 The villa of the Lust-in-Rust was a low, irregular 
 edifice, in bricks whitewashed to the colour of the driven 
 snow, and in a taste that was altogether Dutch. There 
 
THE WATER WITCH* 
 
 67 
 
 were many gables and weathercocks,, a dozen small and 
 twisted chimneys, with numberless facilities for the nests 
 of storks. These airy sites were, however, untenanted, 
 to the great admiration of the honest architect, who, like 
 many others that bring with them into this hemisphere 
 habits and opinions that are better suited to the other, 
 never ceased expressing his surprise on the subject, though 
 all the negroes of the neighbourhood united in affirming 
 there was no such bird in America. In front of the house 
 there was a narrow, but an exceedingly neat lawn, en¬ 
 circled by shrubbery; while two old elms, that seemed 
 coeval with the mountain, grew in the rich soil of which 
 the base of the latter was composed. There was no want 
 of shade on any part of the natural terrace occupied by 
 the buildings. It was thickly sprinkled with fruit trees, 
 and here and there was a pine, or an oak of the native 
 growth. A declivity that was rather rapid, fell away in 
 front, to the level of the mouth of the river. In short, it 
 was an ample but an unpretending country house, in which 
 no domestic convenience had been forgotten, while it had 
 little to boast of in the way of architecture, except its 
 rusty vanes and twisted chimneys. A few out-houses for 
 the accommodations of the negroes were nigh, and nearer 
 to the river there were barns and stables of dimensions and 
 materials altogether superior to those that the appearance of 
 the arable land, or the condition of the small farm, woultl 
 seem to render necessary. The periagua, in which the 
 proprietor had made his passage across the outer bay, lay at 
 a small wooden wharf immediately below. 
 
 During the earlier hours of the evening, the flashing of 
 candles and a general and noisy movement among the 
 blacks, denoted the presence of the master of the villa. 
 But the activity had gradually subsided; and before the 
 dock struck nine, the manner in which the lights were dis¬ 
 tributed, and the general silence, showed that the party, 
 most probably fatigued with their journey, were already 
 separated for the night. The clamour of the negroes had 
 ceased, and the quiet of deep sleep was already prevailing 
 among their humble dwellings. 
 
 At the northern extremity of the villa, which it will 
 
 p 2 
 
68 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 be remembered, leaned against the mountain, and facing 
 the east, or fronting the river and the sea, there stood a 
 little wing, even more deeply embowered in shrubbery and 
 low trees than the other parts of the edifice, and which 
 was constructed altogether in a different style. This was 
 a pavilion erected for the particular accommodation, and at 
 the cost, of la Belle Barberie. Here the heiress of the two 
 fortunes was accustomed to keep her own little menage 
 during the weeks passed in the country ; and here she 
 amused herself in those pretty and feminine employments 
 that suited her years and tastes. In compliment to the 
 beauty and origin of its inhabitant, the gallant Francois 
 had christened this particular portion of the villa La Cour 
 des Fe'es ; a name that had gotten into general use, though 
 somewhat corrupted in sound. 
 
 On the present occasion, the blinds of the principal 
 apartment of the pavilion were open, and its mistress was 
 still to be seen at one of the windows. Alida was at an 
 age when the sex is most sensible of lively impressions; 
 and she looked abroad on the loveliness of the landscape, 
 and on the soft stillness of the night, with the pleasure 
 with which such a mind is wont to contemplate objects of 
 natural beauty. 
 
 There was a young moon, and a firmament glowing with 
 a myriad of stars. The light was shed softly on the 
 water, though, here and there, the ocean glittered with its 
 rays. A nearly imperceptible, but what seamen call a 
 heavy air, came olf the sea, bringing with it a most re¬ 
 freshing coolness. The surface of the immense waste was 
 perfectly unruffled, both within and without the barrier of 
 sand that forms the cape ; but the body of the element 
 was heaving and setting heavily, in a manner to resemble 
 the sleeping respiration of some being of huge physical 
 frame. The roar of the surf, which rolled up in long and 
 white curls upon the sands, was the only audible sound ; 
 but that was heavy and incessant, sometimes swelling on 
 the air, hollow and threatening, and at others dying away 
 in dull and distant murmurs. There was a charm in these 
 varieties of sound, and in the solemn stillness of such a 
 night, that drew Alida into her little balcony, and she 
 
THE WATER WITCH 
 
 69 
 
 leaned forward, beyond its shadow of sweetbriar, to gaze 
 at a part of the bay that was not visible in the front view, 
 from her windows. 
 
 La Belle Barberie smiled, when she saw the dim masts 
 and the dark hull of a ship, which was anchored near the 
 end of the cape, and just within its protection. There was 
 a look of womanly pride in her dark eye, and haply some 
 consciousness of womanly power in the swell of her rich 
 lip, while a taper finger beat the bar of the balcony rapidly, 
 and without consciousness of its employment. 
 
 The loyal Captain Ludlow has quickly ended his 
 cruise! ” said the maiden aloud, for she spoke under the 
 influence of a triumph that was too natural to be sup¬ 
 pressed. “ I shall become a convert to my uncle’s opinions, 
 and think the queen badly served.” 
 
 “ He who serves one mistress faithfully, has no light 
 task,” returned a voice from among the shrubbery that 
 grew beneath and nearly veiled the window; f ‘but he 
 who is devoted to two, may well despair of success with 
 both !” 
 
 Alida recoiled, and, at the next instant, she saw her 
 place occupied by the commander of the Coquette. Before 
 venturing to cross the low barrier that still separated him 
 from the little parlour, the young man endeavoured to read 
 the eye of its occupant; and then, either mistaking its ex¬ 
 pression, or bold in his years and hopes, he entered the 
 room. 
 
 Though certainly unused to have her apartment scaled 
 with so little ceremony, there was neither apprehension 
 nor wonder in the countenance of the fair descendant of the 
 Huguenot. The blood mantled more richly on her cheek, 
 and the brightness of an eye that was never dull increased, 
 while her fine form became firm and commanding. 
 
 “ I have heard that Captain Ludlow gained much of his 
 renown by gallantry in boarding,” she said, in a voice 
 whose meaning admitted of no misconception ; “ but I 
 
 had hoped his ambition was satisfied with laurels so fairly 
 won from the enemies of his country ! ” 
 
 “ A thousand pardons, fairest Alida,” interrupted the 
 youth; (e you know the obstacles that the jealous watch- 
 
 f 3 
 
70 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 fulness of your uncle opposes to my desire to speak 
 with you/* 
 
 “ They are then opposed in vain, for Alderman Van 
 Beverout has weakly believed the sex and condition of 
 his ward would protect her from these coups-de-main.” 
 
 “ Nay, Alida, this is being more capricious than the 
 winds ! You know too well how far my suit is unpleasant 
 to your guardian, to torture a slight departure from cold 
 observances into cause of serious complaint. I had 
 hoped—perhaps, I should say, 1 have presumed on the 
 contents of your letter, for which I return a thousand 
 thanks ; but do not thus cruelly destroy expectations that 
 have so lately been raised beyond the point perhaps which 
 reason may justify.” 
 
 The glow which had begun to subside on the face of 
 la Belle Barberie again deepened, and for a moment it 
 appeared as if her high self-dependence was a little weak¬ 
 ened. After an instant of reflection, however, she answered 
 steadily, though not entirely without emotion. 
 
 Reason, Captain Ludlow, has limited female propriety 
 within narrow limits,” she said. “ In answering your 
 letter, I have consulted good-nature more than prudence, 
 and I find that you are not slow in causing me to repent 
 the error.” 
 
 “ If I ever cause you to repent confidence in me, sweet 
 Alida, may disgrace in my profession, and the distrust of 
 the whole sex be my punishment! But have I not reason 
 to complain of this inconstancy on your part? Ought I 
 to expect so severe a reprimand—severe, because cold and 
 ironical—for an offence venial as the wish to proclaim my 
 gratitude ? ” 
 
 “ Gratitude !” repeated Alida, and this time her wonder 
 was not feigned. “ The word is strong, sir; and it ex¬ 
 presses more than an act of courtesy, so simple as that 
 which may attend the lending a volume of popular poetry 
 can have any right to elaim.” 
 
 “ I have strangely misconceived the meaning of the 
 letter, or this has been a day of execrable folly! ” said 
 Ludlow, endeavouring to swallow his discontent. “ But, 
 no; I have your own words to refute that averted eye and 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 71 
 
 cold look, and by the faith of a sailor, Alida, I will believe 
 your deliberate and well-reflected thoughts, before these 
 capricious fancies, which are unworthy of your nature! 
 Here are the very words; I shall not easily part with the 
 flattering hopes they convey !” 
 
 La Belle Barberie now regarded the young man in open 
 amazement. Her colour changed, for of the indiscretion 
 of writing she knew she was not guiltless; but of having 
 written in terms to justify the confidence of the other, she 
 felt no consciousness. The customs of the age, the pro¬ 
 fession of her suitor, and the hour, induced her to look 
 steadily into his face, to see whether the man stood before 
 her in all the decency of his reason. But Ludlow had the 
 reputation of being exempt from a vice that was then but 
 too common among seamen, and there was nothing in his 
 ingenuous and really handsome features to cause her to 
 distrust his present discretion. She touched a bell, and 
 signed to her companion to be seated. 
 
 (t Francois,” said his mistress, when the old valet, but 
 half awake, entered the apartment, “ fais-moi le plaisir de 
 m’apporter de cette eau de la fontaine du bosquet, et du 
 vin — le Capitaine Ludlow a soif; et rappelle-toi, bon 
 Fran^ois, il ne faut pas deranger mon oncle a cette heure; 
 il doit etre bien fatigue de son voyage.” 
 
 When her respectful and respectable servitor had re¬ 
 ceived his commission and departed, Alida took a seat her¬ 
 self, in the confidence of having deprived the visit of Ludlow 
 of its clandestine character, and at the same time of having 
 employed the valet on an errand that would leave her suffi¬ 
 cient leisure to investigate the inexplicable meaning of her 
 companion. 
 
 “ You have my word. Captain Ludlow, that this unsea¬ 
 sonable appearance in the pavilion is indiscreet, not to call 
 it cruel,” she said, so soon as they were again alone; “ but 
 that you have it in any manner to justify your imprudence 
 I must continue to doubt, until confronted by proof.” 
 
 “ I had thought to have made a very different use of 
 this,” returned Ludlow, drawing a letter—we admit it 
 with some reluctance in one so simple and so manly — from 
 
 f 4 
 
72 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 his bosom ; “ and even now I take shame in producing it, 
 though at your own orders.” 
 
 iC Some magic has wrought a marvel, or the scrawl has 
 no such importance,” observed Alida, taking a billet that 
 she now began to repent having ever written. “ The lan¬ 
 guage of politeness and female reserve must admit of 
 strange perversions, or all who read are not the best inter¬ 
 preters.” 
 
 La Belle Barberie ceased speaking, for the instant her 
 eye fell on the paper, an absorbing and intense curiosity 
 got the better of her resentment. We shall give the con¬ 
 tents of the letter precisely in the words which caused so 
 much amazement, and possibly some little uneasiness, to 
 the fair creature who was perusing it. 
 
 “ The life of a seaman,” said the paper, in a delicate 
 and beautiful female hand, “ is one of danger and exposure. 
 It inspires confidence in woman by the frankness to which 
 it gives birth, and it merits indulgence by its privations. 
 She who writes this is not insensible to the merit of men 
 of this bold calling. Admiration for the sea, and for those 
 who live on it, has been her weakness through life; and 
 her visions of the future, like her recollections of the past, 
 are not entirely exempt from a contemplation of its plea¬ 
 sures. The usages of different nations, glory in arms, 
 change of scene, with constancy in the affections, all sweet¬ 
 ened by affluence, are temptations too strong for a female 
 imagination, and they should not be without their influence 
 on the judgment of man. Adieu.” 
 
 This note was read, re-perused, and, for the third time, 
 conned, ere Alida ventured to raise her eyes to the face of 
 the expectant young man. 
 
 “ And this indelicate and unfeminine rhapsody, Captain 
 Ludlow has seen proper to ascribe to me! ” she said, while 
 her voice trembled between pride and mortification. 
 
 “ To whom else can I impute it ? No other, lovely 
 Alida, could utter language so charming in words so pro¬ 
 perly chosen.” 
 
 The long lashes of the maiden played quickly above 
 their dark organs; and then conquering feelings that were 
 strangely in contradiction to each other, she said with dig- 
 
THP WATER WITCH. 73 
 
 nity, turning to a little ebony ecritoire which lay beside 
 her dressing-box,— 
 
 My correspondence is neither very important nor very 
 extensive, but such as it is, happily for the reputation of 
 the writer’s taste, if not for her sanity, I believe it is in 
 my power to show the trifle I thought it decorous to write 
 in reply to your own letter. Here is a copy/' she added, 
 opening what in fact was a draught, and reading aloud,— 
 
 “ I thank Captain Ludlow for his attention in affording 
 me an opportunity of reading a narrative of the cruel 
 deeds of the buccaneers. In addition to the ordinary feel¬ 
 ings of humanity, one cannot but regret that men so heart¬ 
 less are to be found in a profession that is commonly 
 thought to be generous and tender of the weak. We will, 
 however, hope that the very wicked and cowardly among 
 seamen exist only as foils, to render the qualities of the 
 very bold and manly more conspicuous. No one can be 
 more sensible of this truth than the friends of Captain 
 Ludlow,” the voice of Alida fell a little as she came to 
 this sentence, “ who has not now to earn a reputation for 
 mercy. In return I send the copy of the Cid, which 
 honest Francis affirms to be superior to all other poems, 
 not even excepting Homer, a book which I believe he is 
 innocent of calumniating from ignorance of its contents. 
 Again thanking Captain Ludlow for this instance of his 
 repeated attentions, I beg he will keep the volume until he 
 shall return from his intended cruise.” 
 
 “ This note is but a copy of the one you have, or ought 
 to have,” said the niece of the Alderman, as she raised 
 her glowing face from leaning over the paper, e( though it 
 is not signed, like that, with the name of Alida de 
 Barberm.” 
 
 When this explanation was over, both parties sat look¬ 
 ing at each other in silent amazement. Still Alida saw, or 
 thought she saw, that notwithstanding the previous pro¬ 
 fessions of her admirer, the young man rejoiced he had 
 been deceived. Respect for delicacy and reserve in the 
 other sex is so general and so natural among men, that 
 they who succeed the most in destroying its barriers rarely 
 fail to regret their triumph ; and he who truly loves can 
 
74 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 never long exult in any violation of propriety in the object 
 of his affections, even though the concession be made in 
 his own favour. Under the influence of this commend¬ 
 able and healthful feeling, Ludlow, while he was in some 
 respects mortified at the turn affairs had taken, felt sensibly 
 relieved from a load of doubt to which the extraordinary 
 language of the letter he believed his mistress to have 
 written had given birth. His companion read the state of 
 his mind in a countenance that was frank as face of sailor 
 could be, and though secretly pleased to gain her former 
 place in his respect, she was also vexed and wounded that 
 he had ever presumed to distrust her reserve. She still 
 held the inexplicable billet, and her eyes naturally sought 
 the lines. A sudden thought seemed to strike her mind, 
 and returning the paper, she said, coldly, — 
 
 “ Captain Ludlow should know his correspondent bet¬ 
 ter; I much mistake if this be the first of her com¬ 
 munications.” 
 
 The young man coloured to the temples, and hid his 
 face for a moment in the hollow of his hands. 
 
 “ You admit the truth of my suspicions,” continued la 
 B,elle Barberie, “ and cannot be insensible of my justice, 
 
 when I add that henceforth-” 
 
 “ Listen to me, Alida,” cried the youth, half breath¬ 
 less in his haste to interrupt a decision that he dreaded; 
 “hear me, and, as Heaven is my judge, you shall hear 
 only truth. I confess this is not the first of the letters 
 written in the same hand — perhaps I should say in the 
 same spirit — but on the honour of a loyal officer I affirm, 
 that until circumstances led me to think myself so happy — 
 so—very happy ” 
 
 “ I understand you, sir; the work was anonymous 
 until you saw fit to inscribe my name as its author. 
 Ludlow ! Ludlow! how meanly have you thought of the 
 woman you profess to love ! ” 
 
 “ That were impossible ! I mingle little with those who 
 study the finesse of life; and loving as I do my noble pro¬ 
 fession, Alida, was it so unnatural to believe that another 
 might view it with the same eyes ? But since you disavow 
 the letter—nay, your disavowal is unnecessary—I see my 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 75 
 
 vanity has even deceived me in the writing; but since the 
 delusion is over, I confess that I rejoice it is not so.” 
 
 La Belle Barberie smiled, and her countenance grew 
 brighter. She enjoyed the triumph of knowing that she 
 merited the respect of her suitor, and it was a triumph 
 heightened by recent mortification. Then succeeded a 
 pause of more than a minute. The embarrassment of the 
 silence was happily interrupted by the return of Francois. 
 
 “ Ma’m’selle Alide, voici de f eau de la fontaine,” said 
 the valet ; “ mais Monsieur votre oncle s’est couche, et il 
 a mis la clef de la cave au vin dessous son oreiller. Ma 
 foi, ce n’est pas facile d’avoir du bon vin du tout, en 
 Amerique ; mais apres que Monsieur le maire s’est couche, 
 c’est toujours impossible; voila !” 
 
 “ N’importe, mon cher ; le capitaine va partir, et il n’a 
 plus soif.” 
 
 “ Dere is assez de jin,” continued the valet, who felt 
 for the captain’s disappointment; “mais Monsieur Loodle 
 have du gout, an’ he n’aime pas so strong liqueur. ” 
 
 “He has swallowed already more than was necessary 
 for one occasion,” said Alida, smiling on her admirer in a 
 manner that left him doubtful whether he ought most to re¬ 
 pine or to rejoice. “ Thank you, good Franqois ; your duty 
 for the night shall end with lighting the captain to the door. * 
 
 Then saluting the young commander in a manner that 
 would not admit of denial, la Belle Barberie dismissed her 
 lover and the valet together. 
 
 “You have a pleasant office. Monsieur Francois,” said 
 the former, as he was lighted to the outer door of the 
 pavilion; “ it is one that many a gallant gentleman 
 would envy.” 
 
 “ Oui, sair. It be grand plaisir to serve Ma’m selle 
 Alide. Je porte de fan, de book, mais quant au vin. 
 Monsieur le Capitaine, parole d’honneur, c’est toujours im. 
 possible apres que l’Aldermain s’est couche.” 
 
 “ Ay — the book—I think you had the agreeable duty 
 to-day of carrying the hook of la Belle ? ” 
 
 “ Vraiment, oui ! ’T was ouvrage de Monsieur Pierre 
 Corneille. On pretend que Monsieur Shak-a-speare en a 
 emprunte d’assez beaux sentiments 1” 
 
70* 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ And the paper between the leaves ? —you were charged 
 also with that note, good Francis?” 
 
 The valet paused, shrugged his shoulders, and laid one 
 of his long yellow fingers on the plane of an enormous 
 aquiline nose while he seemed to muse. Then shaking 
 his head perpendicularly, he preceded the captain as before, 
 muttering as usual, half in French and half in English,— 
 
 “ For le papier, I know rien du tout; c’est bien 
 possible, parceque, voyez-vous, Monsieur le Capitaine, 
 Ma’m’selle Alide did say, prenez-y garde ; hut I no see 
 him, depuis. Je suppose ’t was beaux compliments ecrits 
 on de vers of Mr. Pierre Corneille. Quel genie que celui 
 de cet homme-la !—n’est ce pas, monsieur ?” 
 
 “ It is of no consequence, good Francois,” said Ludlow, 
 slipping a guinea into the hands of the valet. “ If you 
 should ever discover what became of that paper, however, 
 you will oblige me by letting me know. Good night; 
 mes devoirs a la Belle ! ” 
 
 “ Bon soir. Monsieur le Capitaine; c’est un brave 
 monsieur que celui-la, et de tres-bonne famille ! II n’a 
 pas de si grandes terres que Monsieur le Patteroon, pourtant, 
 on dit, qu’il doit avoir de jolies maisons et assez de rentes 
 publiques ! J’aime a servir un si genereux et loyal maitre, 
 mais, malheureusement, il est marin! M. de Barberie n’avait 
 pas trop d’amitie pour les gens de cette profession-la.” 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Well, Jessica, go in . 
 
 Perhaps I will return immediately. 
 
 Do as I bid you. 
 
 Shut doors after you : — Fast bind, fast lind ; 
 
 A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. Merchant of Venice. 
 
 The decision with which la Demoiselle Barberie had dis¬ 
 missed her suitor, was owing to some consciousness that 
 she had need of opportunity to reflect on the singular 
 nature of the events which had just happened, no less than 
 to a sense of the impropriety of his visiting her at that 
 hour, and in a manner so equivocal. But, like others who 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 77 
 
 act from feverish impulses, when alone, the maiden re¬ 
 pented of her precipitation, and she remembered fifty 
 questions which might aid in clearing the affair of its 
 mystery that she would now gladly put. It was too late, 
 however, for she had heard Ludlow take his leave, and 
 had listened in breathless silence to his footstep as he pass¬ 
 ed the shrubbery of her little lawn. Francois reappeared 
 at the door to repeat his wishes for her rest and happiness, 
 and then she believed she was finally alone for the night, 
 since the ladies of that age in our own country were little 
 apt to require the assistance of their attendants in assuming 
 or in divesting themselves of their ordinary attire. 
 
 It w r as still early, and the recent interview had deprived 
 Alida of all inclination for sleep. She placed the lights in 
 a distant corner of the apartment and approached a window. 
 The moon had so far changed its position as to cast a 
 different light upon the water. The hollow w r ashing of 
 the surf, the dull but heavy breathing of the air from the 
 sea, and the soft shadows of the trees and mountain, were 
 much the same. The Coquette lay as before at her anchor 
 near the cape, and the Shrewsbury glittered towards the 
 south, until its surface was concealed by the projection of 
 a high and nearly perpendicular bluff. 
 
 The stillness was profound, for with the exception of the 
 dwelling of the family who occupied the estate nearest the 
 villa, there was no other habitation within some miles of 
 the place. Still the solitude of the situation was undis¬ 
 turbed by any apprehension of danger, or any tradition of 
 violence from rude and lawless men. The peaceable cha¬ 
 racter of the colonists who dwelt in the interior country 
 was proverbial, and their habits simple, while the ocean 
 w r as never entered by those barbarians, who rendered some 
 of the seas of the other hemisphere as fearful as they were 
 pleasant. 
 
 Notwithstanding this known and customary character of 
 tranquillity, and the lateness of the hour, Alida had not 
 been many moments in her balcony before she heard the 
 sound of oars. The stroke was measured and the noise 
 low and distant, but it was too familiar to be mistaken. 
 She wondered at the expedition of Ludlow, who was not 
 
78 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 accustomed to show such haste in quitting her presence, 
 and leaned over the railing to catch a glimpse of his de¬ 
 parting boat. Each moment she expected to see the little 
 bark issue from out of the shadows of the land, into the 
 sheet of brightness which stretched nearly to the cruiser. 
 She gazed long and in vain, for no barge appeared, and 
 yet the sound had become inaudible. A light still hung at 
 the peak of the Coquette, a sign that the commander was 
 out of his vessel. 
 
 The view of a fine ship, seen by the aid of the moon, 
 with its symmetry of spars, and its delicate tracery of 
 cordage, and the heavy and grand movements of the hull 
 as it rolls on the sluggish billows of a calm sea, is a 
 pleasing and indeed an imposing spectacle. Alida knew 
 that more than a hundred human beings slept within th 
 black and silent mass, and her thoughts insensibly wandered 
 to the business of their daring lives, their limited abode 
 and yet wandering existence, their frank and manly quali¬ 
 ties, their devotion to the cause of those who occupied the 
 land, their broken and interrupted connection with the 
 rest of the human family, and finally to those weakened 
 domestic ties, and to that reputation for inconstancy, which 
 are apparently a natural consequence of all. She sighed, 
 and her eye wandered from the ship to that ocean on 
 which it was constructed to dwell. From the distant, low. 
 and nearly imperceptible shore of the island of Nassau to 
 the coast of New Jersey, there was one broad and un¬ 
 tenanted waste. Even the sea-fowl rested his tired wing, 
 and slept tranquilly on the Avater. The broad space ap¬ 
 peared like some great and unfrequented desert, or rather 
 like a denser and more material copy of the firmament by 
 which it was canopied. 
 
 It has been mentioned that a stunted growth of oaks 
 and pines covered much of the sandy ridge that formed 
 the cape. The same covering furnished a dark setting to 
 the waters of the cove. Above this outline of wood, 
 which fringed the margin of the sea, Alida now fancied 
 she saw an object in motion. At first she believed some 
 ragged and naked tree, of which the coast had many, was 
 so placed as to deceive her vision, and had thrown its 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 79 
 
 naked li'nes upon the back-ground of water, in a manner 
 to assume the shape and tracery of a light-rigged vessel. 
 But when the dark and symmetrical spars were distinctly 
 seen gliding past objects that were known to be stationary, 
 it was impossible to doubt their character. The maiden 
 wondered, and her surprise was not unmixed with appre¬ 
 hension. It seemed as if the stranger, for such the vessel 
 needs be, was recklessly approaching a surf, that, in its 
 most tranquil moments, was dangerous to such a fabric, 
 and that he steered, unconscious of hazard, directly upon 
 the land. Even the movement was mysterious and un¬ 
 usual. Sails there were none ; and yet the light and lofty 
 spars were soon hid behind a thicket that covered a knoll 
 near the margin of the sea. Alida expected each moment 
 to hear the cry of mariners in distress, and then, as the 
 minutes passed and no such fearful sound interrupted the 
 stillness of the night, she began to bethink her of those 
 lawless rovers who were known to abound among the 
 Caribbean isles, and who were said sometimes even to enter 
 into, and to refit in the smaller and more secret inlets of 
 the American continent. The tales, coupled with the 
 deeds, character, and fate of the notorious Kidd, w r ere then 
 still recent, and although magnified and coloured by vulgar 
 exaggerations, as all such tales are known to be, enough 
 was believed by the better instructed, to make his life and 
 death the subject of many curious and mysterious rumours. 
 At this moment she would gladly have recalled the young 
 commander of the Coquette, to apprise him of the enemy 
 that was nigh; and then, ashamed of terrors that she was 
 fain to hope savoured more of woman’s weakness than that 
 of truth, she endeavoured to believe the whole some 
 ordinary movement of a coaster, who, familiar with his 
 situation, could not possibly be either in want of aid or an 
 object of alarm. Just as this natural and consoling con¬ 
 clusion crossed her mind, she very audibly heard a step in 
 her pavilion. It seemed near the door of the room she 
 occupied. Breathless, more with the excitement of her 
 imagination, than with any actual fear created by this new 
 cause of alarm, the maiden quitted the balcony, and stood 
 motionless to listen. The door in truth, was opened. 
 
80 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 with singular caution, and, for an instant, Alida saw 
 nothing but a confused area in the centre of which ap¬ 
 peared the figure of a menacing and rapacious freebooter. 
 
 “ Northern lights and moonshine ! ” growled Alderman 
 Van Beverout, for it was no other than the uncle of the 
 heiress, whose untimely and unexpected visit had caused 
 her so much alarm. “ This sky-watching, and turning of 
 night into day, will be the destruction of thy beauty, niece, 
 and then we shall see how plenty Patroons are for hus¬ 
 bands ! A bright eye and a blooming cheek are thy stock 
 in trade, girl, and she is a spendthrift of both, who is out 
 of her bed when the clock hath struck ten.” 
 
 “ Your discipline would deprive many a beauty of the 
 means of using her power,” returned la demoiselle, smiling 
 as much at the folly of her recent fears, as with affection 
 for her reprover. “ They tell me that ten is the witch¬ 
 ing time of night for the necromancy of the dames of 
 Europe.” 
 
 “ Witch me no witches ! The name reminds one of 
 the cunning Yankees, a race that would outwit Lucifer 
 himself, if left to set the conditions to their bargain 
 Here is the Patroon, wishing to let in a family of the 
 knaves among the honest Dutchmen of his manor, and we 
 have just settled a dispute between us on this subject, by 
 making the lawful trial.” 
 
 “ Which it may be proper to hope, dearest uncle, was 
 not the trial by battle ? ” 
 
 “ Peace and olive-branches, no! The Patroon of 
 Kinderhook is the last man in the Americas that is 
 likely to suffer by the blows of Myndert Van Beverout 
 I challenged the boy to hold a fine eel, that the blacks 
 have brought out of the river to help us in breaking our 
 morning fasts, that it might be seen if he were fit to deal 
 with the slippery rogues. By the merit of the peaceable 
 St. Nicholas ! but the son of old Hendrick Van Staats 
 had a busy time of it ! The lad griped the fish, as the 
 ancient tradition hath it that thy uncle clenched the 
 Holland florin, when thy father put it between my fingers 
 within the mouth, in order to see if the true saving grace 
 was likely to abide in the family for another generation. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 81 
 
 My heart misgave me for a moment, for young OlofF has 
 the fist of a vice, and I thought the goodly names of the 
 Harmans and Rips, Corneliuses and Hircks of the manor 
 rent-roll, were likely to be contaminated by the company 
 of an Increase or a Peleg ; but just as the Patroon thought 
 he had the watery viper by the throat, the fish gave an 
 unexpected twist and slid through his fingers by the tail. 
 Flaws and loop-holes ! but that experiment has as much 
 wisdom as wit in it!” 
 
 “ And to me, it seemeth better, now that Providence 
 has brought all the colonies under one government, that 
 these prejudices should be forgotten. We are a people 
 sprung from many nations, and our effort should be to 
 preserve the liberality and intelligence, while we forget 
 the weaknesses of all.” 
 
 “ Bravely said for the child of a Huguenot! But 1 
 defy any man to lay prejudice as a weakness at my door. 
 I like a merry trade, and a quick calculation. Let me see 
 the man in all New England that can tell the colour of a 
 balance-sheet quicker than one that can be named, and I’ll 
 gladly hunt up the satchel and go to school again. I love 
 a man the better for looking to his own interests, I ; and 
 yet common honesty teaches us, that there should be a 
 convention between men, beyond which none of reputation 
 and character ought to go.” 
 
 sc Which convention shall be understood, by every man, 
 to be the limits of his own faculties ; by which means the 
 dull may rival the quick of thought. I fear me, uncle, 
 there should be an eel kept on every coast to which a 
 trader comes !” 
 
 “ Prejudice and conceit, child, acting on a drowsy head; 
 'tis time thou seekest thy pillow, and in the morning we 
 shall see if young OlofF of the manor shall have better 
 success with thy favour, than with the prototype of the 
 Jonathans. Here, put out these flaring candles, and take 
 a modest lamp to light thee to thy bed. Glaring windows 
 so near midnight, give a house an extravagant name in the 
 neighbourhood.” 
 
 “ Our reputation for sobriety may suffer in the opinion of 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the eels,” returned Alida, laughing, “ but 1 ere are few 
 others, I believe, to call us dissipated.” 
 
 “ One never knows,—one never knows” —muttered the 
 alderman, extinguishing the two large candles of his niece, 
 and substituting his own little hand-lamp in their place. 
 “ This broad light only invites to wakefulness, while the 
 dim taper I leave, is good as a sleeping draught. Kiss 
 me, wilful one, and draw thy curtains close, for the negroes 
 will soon rise to load the periagua, that they may go up 
 with the tide to the city. The noise of the chattering black¬ 
 guards may disturb thy slumbers !” 
 
 ec Truly it would seem there was little here to invite 
 such active navigation,” returned Alida, saluting the cheek 
 of her uncle at his order. “ The love of trade must be 
 strong, when it finds the materials of commerce in a solitude 
 like this.” 
 
 “ Thou hast divined the reason, child. Thy father. 
 Monsieur de Barberie, had his peculiar opinions on the 
 subject, and doubtless he did not fail to transmit some of 
 them to his offspring. And yet, when the Huguenot was 
 driven from his chateau and his clayey Norman lands, the 
 man had no distaste himself for an account current, provided 
 the balance was in his own favour. Nations and characters ! 
 I find but little difference after all in trade ; whether it be 
 driven with a Mohawk for his pack of furs, or with a 
 seigneur, who has been driven from his lands. Each 
 strives to get the profit on his own side of the account, and 
 the loss on that of his neighbour. So rest thee well, girl: 
 and remember that matrimony is no more than a capital 
 bargain, on whose success depends the sum-total of a 
 woman's comfort—and so once more good night.” 
 
 La Belle Barberie attended her uncle dutifully to the 
 door of the pavilion, which she bolted after him, and then 
 finding her little apartment gloomy by the light of the 
 small and feeble lamp he had left, she was pleased to bring 
 its flame in contact with the wicks of the two candles he 
 had just extinguished. Placing the three near each other on 
 a table, the maiden again drew nigh a window. The unex¬ 
 pected interview with the alderman had consumed several 
 
THE WATER WITCH. S3 
 
 minutes, and she was curious to know more of the unac¬ 
 countable movements of the mysterious vessel. 
 
 The same deep silence reigned about the villa, and the 
 slumbering ocean was heaving and setting as heavily as 
 before. Alida again looked for the boat of Ludlow, but 
 her eye ran over the whole distance of the bright and broad 
 streak between her and the cruiser in vain. There was 
 the slight ripple of the water in the glittering of the moon’s 
 rays, but no speck like that the barge would make was visible. 
 The lantern still shone at the cruiser’s gaff. Once, indeed, 
 she thought the sound of oars was again to be heard, and 
 much nearer than before, and yet no effort of her quick and 
 roving sight could detect the position of the boat. But to 
 all these doubts succeeded an alarm which sprang from a 
 new and a very different source. 
 
 The existence of the inlet which united the ocean with 
 the waters of the cove, was but little known, except to the 
 few whose avocations kept them near the spot. The pass 
 being much more than half the time closed, its varying 
 character, and the little use that could be made of it under 
 any circumstances, prevented the place from being a subject 
 of general interest with the coasters. Even when open, 
 the depth of its water was uncertain, since a week or two 
 of calms, or of westerly winds, would permit the tides to 
 clean its channel, while a single easterly gale was sufficient 
 to choke the entire inlet with sand. No wonder, then, that 
 Alida felt an amazement which was not quite free from 
 superstitious alarm, when, at that hour and in such a scene, 
 she saw a vessel gliding, as it were, unaided by sails or 
 sweeps, out of the thicket that fringed the ocean side of the 
 cove, into its very centre. 
 
 The strange and mysterious craft was a brigantine of 
 that mixed construction which is much used, even in the 
 most ancient and classical seas of the other hemisphere, and 
 ■which is supposed to unite the advantages of both a square 
 and of a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, but which is no where 
 seen to display the same beauty of form and symmetry of 
 equipment as on the coasts of this Union. The first and 
 smallest of its masts had the complicated machinery of a 
 ship, with its superior and inferior soars, its wide-reaching 
 
84 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 though light and manageable yards, and its various sails, 
 shaped and arranged to meet every vicissitude and caprice 
 of the winds; while the latter or larger of the two, rose 
 like the straight trunk of a pine from the hull, simple in its 
 cordage, and spreading a sheet of canvass, that in itself was 
 sufficient to drive the fabric with vast velocity through the 
 water. The hull was low, graceful in outlines, dark as 
 the raven’s wing, and so modelled as to float on its element 
 like a sea-gull riding the billows. There were many 
 delicate and attenuated lines among its spars, which were 
 intended to spread broader folds of canvass to the light airs 
 when necessary ; but these additions to the tracery of the 
 machine, which added so much to its beauty by day, were 
 now, seen as it was by the dimmer and more treacherous 
 rays of the moon, scarcely visible. In short, as the vessel 
 had entered the cove floating with the tide, and was so 
 singularly graceful and fairy-like in form, Alida at first 
 sight was fain to discredit her senses, and to believe it no 
 more than some illusion of the fancy. Like most others, 
 she was ignorant of the temporary inlet ; and under the 
 circumstances, it was not difficult to lend a momentary 
 credence to so pleasing an idea. 
 
 But the delusion -was only momentary. The brigantine 
 turned in its course, and gliding into the part of the cove 
 where the curvature of the shores offered most protection 
 from the winds and waves, and perhaps from curious eyes, 
 its motion ceased. A heavy plunge in the water was audible 
 even at the villa, and Alida then knew that an anchor had 
 fallen into the bay. 
 
 Although the coast of North America offered little to 
 invite lawless depredation, and it was in general believed 
 to be so safe, yet the possibility that cupidity might be 
 invited by the retired situation of her uncle’s villa, did not 
 fail to suggest itself to the mind of the young heiress. 
 Both she and her guardian were reputed to be wealthy; and 
 disappointment on the open sea, might drive desperate 
 men to the commission of crimes, that in more prosperous 
 moments would not suggest themselves. The freebooters 
 were said to have formerly visited the coast of the neigh¬ 
 bouring island, and men were just then commencing those 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 85 
 
 excavations for hidden treasures and secreted booty, which 
 have been, at distant intervals, continued to our own time. 
 
 There are situations in which the mind insensibly gives 
 credit to impressions that the reason in common disap¬ 
 proves. The present was one in which Alida de Barberie, 
 though of a resolute and even a masculine understanding, 
 felt disposed to believe there might be truth in those tales 
 that she had hitherto heard only to deride. Still keeping 
 her eye on the motionless vessel, she drew back into her 
 window, and wrapped the curtain round her form, un¬ 
 decided whether to alarm the family or not, and acting 
 under a vague impression that, though so distant, her 
 person might be seen. She was hardly thus secreted, 
 before the shrubbery was violently agitated, a footstep was 
 heard in the lawn beneath her window, and then one 
 leaped so lightly into the balcony, and from the balcony, 
 into the centre of the room, that the passage of the figure 
 seemed like the flitting of some creature of supernatural 
 attributes. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Why, look you, how you stare ! 
 
 I would be friends with you, and have your love. Shylock. 
 
 The first impulse of Alida,, at this second invasion of her 
 pavilion, was certainly to flee. But timidity was not her 
 weakness; and as natural firmness gave her time to ex¬ 
 amine the person of the individual who had so uncere¬ 
 moniously entered, curiosity aided in inducing her to 
 remain. Perhaps a vague, but a very natural expectation 
 that she was again to dismiss the commander of the Co¬ 
 quette, had its influence on her first decision. In order 
 that the reader may judge how far this boldness was ex¬ 
 cusable, we shall describe the person of the intruder. 
 
 The stranger was one in the very bud of young and 
 active manhood. His years could not have exceeded two 
 and twenty, nor would he probably have been thought so 
 
 g 3 
 
86 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 old, had not his features been shaded by a rich brown hue, 
 that in some degree served as a foil to a natural com¬ 
 plexion which, though never fair, was still clear and 
 blooming. A pair of dark, bushy, and jet-black silken 
 whiskers, that were in singular contrast to eye-lashes and 
 brows of almost feminine beauty and softness, aided also 
 in giving a decided expression to a face, that might other¬ 
 wise have been wanting in some of that character which is 
 thought essential to comeliness in man. The forehead was 
 smooth and low; the nose, though prominent and bold in 
 outline, of exceeding delicacy in detail ; the mouth and lips 
 full, a little inclined to be arch, though the former ap¬ 
 peared as if it might at times be pensive; the teeth were 
 even and unsullied, and the chin was small, round, dimpled, 
 and so carefully divested of the distinguishing mark of the 
 sex, that one could fancy nature had contributed all its 
 growth to adorn the neighbouring cheeks and temples. 
 If to these features be added a pair of full and brilliant 
 coal-black eyes, that appeared to vary their expression at 
 their master’s will, the reader will at once see that tire 
 privacy of Alida had been invaded by one whose personal 
 attractions might, under other circumstances, have been 
 dangerous to the imagination of a female whose taste was 
 in some degree influenced by a standard created by her 
 own loveliness. 
 
 The dress of the stranger was as unique as his personal 
 attractions were extraordinary. The fashion of the gar¬ 
 ments resembled that already described as worn by the 
 man who has announced himself as Master Tiller; but 
 the materials were altogether richer, and, judging only 
 from the exterior, more worthy of the wearer. 
 
 The light frock was of a thick purple silk, of an Indian 
 manufacture, cut with exceeding care to fit the fine outlines 
 of a form that was rather round than square, active than 
 athletic. The loose trousers were of a fine white jean, 
 the cap of scarlet velvet, ornamented with gold, and the 
 body was belted with a large cord of scarlet silk, twisted 
 in the form of a ship’s cable. At the ends of the latter, 
 little anchors, wrought in bullion, were attached as gay 
 and fitting appendages. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 87 
 
 In contrast to an attire so whimsical and uncommon, 
 however, a pair of small and richly mounted pistols were 
 at the stranger’s girdle, and the haft of a curiously carved 
 Asiatic dagger was seen projecting rather ostentatiously 
 from between the folds of the upper garment. 
 
 “ What cheer ? what cheer ? ” cried a voice, that was 
 more in harmony with the appearance of the speaker, than 
 with the rough, professional salutation he uttered, so soon 
 as he had fairly landed in the centre of Alida’s little 
 saloon. “ Come forth, my dealer in the covering of the 
 beaver, for here is one who bringeth gold to thy coffers. 
 Ha ! now that this trio of lights hath done its office 
 they may be extinguished, lest they pilot others to the for¬ 
 bidden haven ! ” 
 
 “ Your pardon, sir,” said the mistress of the pavilion, 
 advancing from behind the curtain, with an air of coolness 
 that her beating heart had nigh betrayed to be counterfeit: 
 “ having so unexpected a guest to entertain, the additional 
 candles are necessary.” 
 
 The start, recoil, and evident alarm of the intruder, lent 
 Alida a little more assurance ; for courage is a quality that 
 appears to gain force, in a degree proportioned to the 
 amount in which it is abstracted from the dreaded object. 
 Still, when she saw a hand on a pistol, the maiden was 
 again about to flee, nor was her resolution to remain con¬ 
 firmed, until she met the mild and alluring eye of the in¬ 
 truder, as, quitting his hold of the weapon, he advanced 
 with an air so mild and graceful, as to cause curiosity to 
 take the place of fear. 
 
 u Though Alderman Van Beverout be not punctual to his 
 appointment,” said the gay young stranger, “ he has more 
 than atoned for his absence by the substitute he sends. I hope 
 she comes authorised to arrange the whole of our treaty ? ” 
 
 “ I claim no right to hear, or to dictate in matters not 
 my own. My utmost powers extend to expressing a desire 
 that this pavilion may be exempt from the discussion of 
 affairs, as much beyond my knowledge as they are sepa¬ 
 rated from my interests.” 
 
 “ Then why this signal? ” demanded the stranger, point¬ 
 ing, with a serious air, to the lights that still burned near 
 
 g 4 
 
88 
 
 TB 1 ® WATER WITCH. 
 
 each other, in face of an open window. “ It is awkward 
 to mislead in transactions that are so delicate! ” 
 
 “ Your allusion, sir, is not understood. These lights 
 are no more than what are usually seen in my apartment 
 at this hour — with, indeed, the addition of a lamp, left by 
 my uncle, Alderman Van Beverout-” 
 
 ee Your uncle!” exclaimed the other, advancing so near 
 Alida, as to cause her to retire a step, his countenance ex¬ 
 pressing a newly awakened interest — “ your uncle ! — 
 This, then, is one far-famed and justly extolled —la Belle 
 Barberie ! ” he added, gallantly lifting his cap, as if he had 
 just discovered the condition and the unusual personal at¬ 
 tractions of his companion. 
 
 It was not in nature for Alida to be displeased. All her 
 fancied causes of terror were forgotten, for, in addition to 
 their improbable and uncertain nature, the stranger had 
 sufficiently given her to understand that he was expected 
 by her uncle. If we add that the singular attraction and 
 softness of his face and voice aided in quieting her fears, 
 we shall probably do no violence, either to the truth, or to 
 a very natural feeling. Profoundly ignorant of the details 
 of commerce, and accustomed to hear its mysteries extolled 
 as exercising the keenest and best faculties of man, she 
 saw nothing extraordinary in those who were actively en¬ 
 gaged in the pursuit, having reasons for concealing their 
 movements from the jealousy and rivalry of competitors. 
 Like most of her sex, she had great dependence on the 
 characters of those she loved; and though nature, edu¬ 
 cation, and habit had created a striking difference between 
 the guardian and his ward, their harmony had never been 
 interrupted by any breach of affection. 
 
 “ This, then, is la Belle Barberie ! ” repeated the young 
 sailor, for such his dress denoted him to be, studying her 
 features with an expression of countenance, in which plea¬ 
 sure vied with evident and touching melancholy. “ Fame 
 hath done no injustice, for here is all that might justify 
 the folly or madness of man ! ” 
 
 This is familiar dialogue for an utter stranger,” re¬ 
 turned Alida blushing, though the quick eye that seemed 
 to fathom all her thoughts saw it was not in anger. Cf I 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 89 
 
 do not deny that the partiality of friends, coupled with 
 my origin, have obtained the appellation, which is given, 
 however, more in playfulness than in any serious opinion 
 of its being merited — and now, as the hour is getting late, 
 and this visit is at least unusual, you will permit me to seek 
 my uncle.” 
 
 <f Stay,” interrupted the stranger — “ it is long — very 
 long, since so soothing, so gentle a pleasure has been mine! 
 This is a life of mysteries, beautiful Alida, though its inci¬ 
 dents seem so vulgar and of every day occurrence. There 
 is mystery in its beginning and its end; in its impulses; 
 its sympathies, and all its discordant passions. No, do not 
 quit me. I am from off the sea, where none but coarse 
 and vulgar-minded men have long been my associates, and 
 thy presence is a halm to a bruised and wounded spirit.” 
 
 Interested, if possible, more by the touching and me¬ 
 lancholy tones of the speaker, than by his extraordinary 
 language, Alida hesitated. Her reason told her that pro¬ 
 priety, and even prudence, required she should apprise her 
 uncle of the stranger’s presence; but propriety and pru¬ 
 dence lose much of their influence, when female curiosity 
 is sustained by a secret and powerful sympathy. Her 
 own eloquent eye met the open and imploring look of 
 organs that seemed endowed with the fabled power to 
 charm, and while her judgment told her there was so 
 much to alarm, her senses pleaded powerfully in behalf of 
 the gentle mariner. 
 
 “ An expected guest of my uncle will have leisure to 
 repose after the privations and hardships of so weary a 
 voyage,” she said. “ This is a house whose door is never 
 closed against the right of hospitality.” 
 
 “ If there is aught about my person or attire to alarm 
 you,” returned the stranger, earnestly, “ speak, that it may 
 be cast away. These arms — these foolish arms had 
 better not have been here,” he added, casting the pistols 
 and dagger indignantly through a window, into the shrub¬ 
 bery ; f ‘ ah ! if you knew how unwillingly I would harm 
 any — and least of all a woman — you would not fear me !” 
 
 “ I fear you not,” returned la Belle, firmly. “ I dread 
 the misconceptions of the world.” 
 
90 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 ff What world is here to disturb us ? Thou livest in thy 
 pavilion, beautiful Alida, remote from towns and envy, like 
 some favoured damsel, over whose happy and charmed life 
 presides a benignant genius. See, here are all the pretty 
 materials with which thy sex seeks innocent and happy 
 amusement. Thou touchest this lute, when melancholy 
 renders thought pleasing; here are colours to mock or to 
 eclipse the beauties of the fields and the mountain, the 
 flower and the tree ; and from these pages are culled 
 thoughts, pure, and rich in imagery, as thy spirit is spot¬ 
 less, and thy person lovely !” 
 
 Alida listened in amazement, for, while he spoke, the 
 young mariner touched the different articles he named, 
 with a melancholy interest, which seemed to say how 
 deeply he regretted that fortune had placed him in a pro¬ 
 fession in which their use was nearly denied. 
 
 “ It is not common for those who live on the sea to feel 
 this interest in the trifles which constitute a woman’s plea¬ 
 sure,” she said, lingering, spite of her better resolution to 
 depart. 
 
 “ The spirit of our rude and boisterous trade is, then, 
 known to you ? ” 
 
 It were not possible for the relation of a merchant so 
 extensively known as my uncle, to be ignorant altogether 
 of mariners.” 
 
 w Ay, here is proof of it,” returned the stranger, 
 speaking so quick as again to betray how sensitively his 
 mind was constructed. “ The History of the American 
 Buccaneers is a rare book to be found in a lady’s library ! 
 What pleasure can a mind like that of la Belle Barberie 
 find in these recitals of bloody violence ? ” 
 
 “ What pleasure, truly! ” returned Alida, half tempted, 
 by the wild and excited eye of her companion, notwith¬ 
 standing all the contradictory evidence which surrounded 
 him, to believe she was addressing one of the very rovers 
 in question. “ The book was lent me by a brave seaman, 
 who holds himself in readiness to repress their depreda¬ 
 tions ; and while reading of so much wickedness, I endea¬ 
 vour to recal the devotion of these who risk their lives, in 
 order to protect the weak and innocent. — My uncle will 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 91 
 
 be angered, should I longer delay to apprise him of your 
 presence.” 
 
 “ A single moment! It is long—very long, since I 
 have entered a sanctuary like this ! Here is music ! and 
 there the frame for the gaudy tambour—these windows 
 look on a landscape soft as thine own nature, and yonder 
 ocean can be admired without dreading its terrifie power, 
 or feeling disgust at its coarser scenes. Thou shouldst be 
 happy here! ” 
 
 The stranger turned and perceived that he was alone. 
 Disappointment was strongly painted on his handsome 
 face ; but ere there was time for second thought, another 
 voice was heard grumbling at the door of the saloon. 
 
 “ Compacts and treaties ! What, in the name of good 
 faith, hath brought thee hither ? Is this the way to keep 
 a cloak on our movements, or dost suppose that the queen 
 will knight me for being known as thy correspondent ? ” 
 
 “ Lanterns and false beacons! ” returned the other, 
 mimicking the voice of the disconcerted burgher, and 
 pointing to the lights that still stood where last described. 
 “ Can the port be entered without respecting the land¬ 
 marks and signals ? ” 
 
 “ This comes of moonlight and sentiment! When the 
 girl should have been asleep, she is up gazing at tire 
 stars, and disconcerting a burgher’s speculations. But 
 fear thee not. Master Seadrift; my niece hath discretion, 
 and if we have no better pledge for her silence, there is 
 that of necessity, since there is no one here for a con¬ 
 fidant, but her old Norman valet, and the Patroon of 
 Kinderhook, both of whom are dreaming of other matters 
 than a little gainful traffic.” 
 
 (t Fear thee not, alderman,” returned the other, still 
 maintaining his air of mockery; “ we have the pledge of 
 character, if no other, since the uncle cannot part with 
 reputation, without the niece sharing in the loss.” 
 
 “ What sin is there in pushing commerce a step beyond 
 the limits of the law ? These English are a nation of 
 monopolists, and they make no scruple of tying us of the 
 colonies, hand and foot, heart and soul, with their acts of 
 parliament, saying, f With us shalt thou trade, or not at 
 
92 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 all/ By the character of the best burgomaster of Amster¬ 
 dam, and they came by the province, too, in no such 
 honesty that we should lie down and obey ! ” 
 
 “ Wherein there is much comfort to a dealer in the 
 contraband. Justly reasoned, my worthy alderman. Thy 
 logic will, at any time, make a smooth pillow, especially 
 if the adventure be not without its profit. And now', 
 having so commendably disposed of the moral of our 
 bargain, let us approach its legitimate, if not its lawful 
 conclusion. There,” he added, drawing a small bag from 
 an inner pocket of his frock, and tossing it carelessly on a 
 table, “ there is thy gold. Eighty broad Johannes is no 
 bad return for a few packages of furs, and even avarice 
 itself will own that six months is no long investment for 
 the usury ? ” 
 
 “ That boat of thine, most lively Seadrift, is a marine 
 humming-bird!” returned Myndert, with a joyful tremor 
 of the voice that betrayed his deep and entire satisfaction. 
 <e Didst say just eighty ? But spare thyself the trouble 
 of looking for the memorandum; I will tell the gold 
 myself, to spare thee the trouble. Truly, the adventure 
 hath not been bad ! A few kegs of Jamaica, with a little 
 powder and lead, and a blanket or two, with now and then 
 a penny bauble for a chief, are knowingly, ay, and speedily 
 transmuted into the yellow metal by thy good aid. — This 
 affair was managed on the French coast ?” 
 
 “ More northward, where the frost helped the bargain. 
 Thy beavers and martens, honest burgher, will be flaunt¬ 
 ing in the presence of the emperor, at the next holidays. 
 What is there in the face of the Braganza, that thou 
 studiest it so hard ? ” 
 
 “ The piece seems none of the heaviest—but luckily I 
 have scales at hand-” 
 
 Hold!” said the stranger, laying his hand, which, 
 according to a fashion of that day, was clad in a delicate 
 and scented glove, lightly on the arm of the other: “ no 
 scales between us, sir ! That was taken in return for thy 
 adventure ; heavy or light, it must go down. We deal 
 in confidence, and this hesitation offends me. Another such 
 doubt of my integrity, and our connection is at an end.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 e< A calamity I should deplore quite or nearly as much 
 as thyself/’ returned Myndert, affecting to laugh, though 
 he slipped the suspected doubloon into the bag again, in a 
 manner that at once removed the object of contention 
 from view. “ A little particularity in the balance part of 
 commerce serves to maintain friendships. But a trifle 
 shall not cause us to waste the precious time. Hast 
 brought goods suited to the colonies ? ” 
 
 “ In plenty.” 
 
 <e And ingeniously assorted ? Colonies and monopoly ! 
 but there is a two-fold satisfaction in this clandestine 
 traffic! I never get the notice of thy arrival. Master 
 Seadrift, but the heart within me leapeth for gladness f 
 There is a double pleasure in circumventing the legislation 
 of your London wiseacres ! ” 
 
 “ The chiefest of which is- ” 
 
 “ A goodly return for the investment, truly. I desire 
 not to deny the agency of natural causes; but trust me, 
 there is a sort of professional glory in thus defeating the 
 selfishness of our rulers. What, are we born of woman, 
 to be used as the instruments of their prosperity ! Give 
 us equal legislation, a right to decide on the policy of 
 enactments, and then, like a loyal and obedient sub¬ 
 ject-” 
 
 “ Thou wouldst still deal in the contraband !” 
 et Well, well, multiplying idle words is not multiply¬ 
 ing gold. The list of the articles introduced can be 
 forthcoming ? ” 
 
 “ It is here, and ready to be examined. But there is 
 a fancy come over me, Alderman Van Beverout, which, 
 like others of my caprices, thou knowest must have its 
 way. There should be a witness to our bargain.” 
 
 “ Judges and juries ! Thou forgettest, man, that a 
 clumsy galliot could sail through the tightest clause of these 
 extra-legal compacts. The courts receive the evidence of 
 this sort of traffic as the grave receives the dead — to 
 swallow all and be forgotten.” 
 
 <c I care not for the courts, and little desire do I feel to 
 enter them. But the presence of la Belle Barberie may 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 94 
 
 serve to prevent any misconceptions that might bring our 
 connections to a premature close. Let her be summoned.” 
 
 “ The girl is altogether ignorant of traffic, and it might 
 unsettle her opinions of her uncle’s stability. If a man 
 does not maintain credit within his own doors, how can he 
 expect it in the streets ? ” 
 
 <( Many have credit on the highway who receive none 
 at home. But thou knowest my humour; no niece’—on 
 traffic.” 
 
 <e Alida is a dutiful and affectionate child, and I would 
 not willingly disturb her slumbers. Here is the Patroon 
 of Kinderhook, a man who loves English legislation as 
 little as myself—he will be less reluctant to see an honest 
 shilling turned into gold. I will awake him; no man 
 was ever yet offended at an offer to share in a profitable 
 adventure.” 
 
 “ Let him sleep on. I deal not with your lords of 
 manors and mortgagees. Bring forth the lady, for there 
 will be matter fit for her delicacy.” 
 
 Duty and the ten commandments! You never had 
 the charge of a child, Master Seadrift, and cannot know 
 the weight of responsibility-” 
 
 ec No niece—no traffic!” interrupted the wilful dealer 
 in contraband, returning his invoice to his pocket and 
 preparing to rise from the table where he had already 
 seated himself. “ The lady knows of my presence, and it 
 were safer for us both that she entered more deeply into 
 our confidence.” 
 
 “ Thou art as despotic as the English navigation law! 
 I hear the foot of the child still pacing her chamber, and 
 she shall come. But there need be no explanations to 
 recal old intercourse. The affair can pass as a bit of acci¬ 
 dental speculation — a by-play in the traffic of life.” 
 
 “ As thou pleasest. I shall deal less in words than in 
 business. Keep thine own secrets, burgher, and they are 
 safe. Still I would have the lady, for there is a presenti¬ 
 ment that our connection is in danger.” 
 
 “ I like not that word presentiment,” grumbled the 
 alderman, taking a light and snuffing it with deliberate 
 care ; “ drop but a single letter, and one dreams of the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 95 
 
 pains and penalties of the exchequer. Remember thou art 
 a trafficker, who conceals his appearance on account of the 
 cleverness of his speculations ! ” 
 
 “ That is my calling to the letter. Were all others 
 as clever, the trade would certainly cease. Go, bring the 
 lady.” 
 
 The alderman, who probably saw the necessity of making 
 some explanation to his niece, and who, it would seem, 
 fully understood the positive character of his companion, 
 no longer hesitated; but first casting a suspicious glance 
 out of the still open window, he left the room. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Alack, what heinous sin is it in me 
 To be ashamed to be my father’s child ! 
 
 But though I am a daughter to his blood, 
 
 I am not to his manners. Merchant of Venice. 
 
 The moment the stranger was again alone, the entire 
 expression of his countenance underwent a change. The 
 reckless and bold expression deserted his eye, which once 
 more became soft, if not pensive, as it wandered over the 
 different elegant objects that served to amuse the leisure of 
 la Belle Barberie. He arose and touched the strings of a 
 lute, and then, like Fear, started back recoiling at the sound 
 he had made. All recollection of the object of his visit 
 was evidently forgotten in a new and livelier interest; and 
 had there been one to watch his movements, the last mo¬ 
 tive imputed to his presence would probably have been the 
 one that was true. There was so little of that vulgar and 
 common character which is usually seen in men of his 
 pursuit, in the gentle aspect and subdued air of his fine 
 features, that it might be fancied he was thus singularly 
 endowed by nature, in order that deception might triumph. 
 If there were moments when a disregard of opinion was 
 een in his demeanour, it rather appeared assumed than 
 easy, and even when most disposed to display lawless in¬ 
 difference to the ordinary regulations of society in his 
 
96 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 interview with the alderman, it had been blended w r ith a 
 reserve of manner that was strangely in contrast to his 
 humour. 
 
 On the other hand, it were idle to say that Alida de 
 Barberie had no unpleasant suspicions concerning the cha¬ 
 racter of her uncle’s guest. That baneful influence which 
 necessarily exerts itself near an irresponsible power, coupled 
 with the natural indifference with which the principal re¬ 
 gards the dependent, had caused the English ministry to 
 till too many of their posts of honour and profit in the 
 colonies with needy and dissolute men of rank, or of high 
 political connections at home. The province of New York 
 had in this respect been particularly unfortunate. The 
 gift of Charles to his brother and successor had left it 
 without the protection of those charters and other privi¬ 
 leges that had been granted to most of the governments of 
 America. The connection with the Crown was direct; 
 and for a long period the majority of the inhabitants were 
 considered as of a different race, and of course as of one 
 less to be considered than that of their conquerors. Such 
 was the laxity of the times on the subject of injustice to 
 the people of this hemisphere, that the predatory expe¬ 
 ditions of Drake and others against the wealthy occupants 
 of the more southern countries seem to have left no spots 
 on their escutcheons, and the honours and favours of Queen 
 Elizabeth had been liberally extended to men who would 
 now be deemed freebooters. In short, that system of vio¬ 
 lence and specious morality which commenced with the 
 gifts of Ferdinand and Isabella and the bulls of the popes, 
 was continued with more or less of modification, until the 
 descendants of those single-minded and virtuous men who 
 peopled the Union took the powers of government into 
 their own hands, and proclaimed political ethics that were 
 previously as little practised as they were understood. 
 
 Alida knew that both the Earl of Bellamont and the 
 unprincipled nobleman who has been introduced in the 
 earlier pages of this tale, had not escaped the imputation 
 of conniving at acts on the sea far more flagrant than any 
 of an unlawful trade; and it will therefore create little 
 surprise that she saw reason to distrust the legality of some 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 97 
 
 of her uncle’s speculations, with less pain than might be 
 felt by one of her sex and opinions at the present hour. 
 Her suspicions, however, fell far short of the truth, for it 
 was scarce possible to have presented a mariner, who bore 
 about him fewer of those signs of his rude calling than 
 he whom she had so unexpectedly met. 
 
 Perhaps, too, the powerful charm that existed in the 
 voice and countenance of one so singularly gifted by 
 nature, had its influence in persuading Alida to re-appear. 
 At all events, she was soon seen to enter the room with an 
 air that manifested more of curiosity and wonder than of 
 displeasure. 
 
 “ My niece has heard that thou comest from the old 
 countries, Master Seadrift,” said the wary alderman, who 
 preceded Alida, “ and the woman is uppermost in her 
 heart. Thou wilt never be forgiven should the eye of any 
 maiden in Manhattan get sight of thy finery before she has 
 passed judgment on its merit.” 
 
 “ I cannot wish a more impartial or a fairer judge,” 
 returned the other, doffing his cap in the gallant and care¬ 
 less manner of his trade. “ Here are silks from the looms 
 of Tuscany, and Lyonnais brocades, that any Lombard or 
 dame of France might envy. Ribands of every hue and 
 dye, and laces that seem to copy the fret-work of the 
 richest cathedral of your Fleming ! ” 
 
 “ Thou hast journeyed much in thy time, Mastei Sea- 
 drift, and speakest of countries and usages with understand¬ 
 ing,” said the alderman. ff But how stand the prices of 
 these precious goods ? Thou knowest the long war, and 
 the moral certainty of its continuance: this German suc¬ 
 cession to the throne, and the late earthquakes in the 
 country, too, have much unsettled prices, and cause us 
 thoughtful burghers to be wary in our traffic. Didst 
 enquire the cost of geldings when last in Holland ?” 
 
 “ The animals go a-begging. As to the value of my 
 goods, that you know is fixed ; for I admit of no parley 
 between friends.” 
 
 Thy obstinacy is unreasonable. Master Seadrift. A 
 wise merchant will always look to the state of the market, 
 and one so practised should know that a nimble sixpence 
 
 H 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 98 
 
 multiplies faster than a slow-moving shilling. ’T is the 
 constant rolling of the hall that causes the snow to cleave. 
 Goods that come light should not go heavy, and quick 
 settlements follow sudden bargains. Thou knowest our 
 York saying, that ‘ first offers are the best.’ ” 
 
 “ He that likes may purchase, and he that prefers his 
 gold to fine laces, rich silks, and stiff brocades, has only to 
 sleep with his money-bags under his pillow. There are 
 others who wait with impatience to see the articles, and I 
 have not crossed the Atlantic with a freight that scarcely 
 ballasts the brigantine, to throw away the valuables on the 
 lowest bidder/' 
 
 “ Nay, uncle,” said Alida, in a little trepidation, “ we 
 cannot judge of'the quality of Master Seadrift’s articles by 
 report. I dare to say he has not landed without a sample 
 of his wares ? ” 
 
 “ Custom and friendships!” muttered Myndert, “of 
 what use is an established correspondence, if it is to be 
 broken on account of a little cheapening ? But produce thy 
 stores, Mr. Dogmatism ; I warrant me the fashions are of 
 some rejected use, or that the colour of the goods be im¬ 
 paired by the usual negligence of thy careless mariners. 
 We will, at least, pay thee the compliment to look at the 
 effects.” 
 
 “ 'T is as you please,” returned the other. “ The bales 
 are in the usual place, at the wharf, under the inspection 
 of honest Master Tiller; but if so inferior in quality, they 
 will scarce repay the trouble of the walk.” 
 
 “ I ’ll go, I ’ll go,” said the alderman, adjusting his wig 
 and removing his spectacles ; “'t would not be treating an 
 old correspondent well, to refuse to look at his samples,— 
 thou wilt follow. Master Seadrift, and so I will pay thee 
 the compliment to examine the effects—though the long 
 war, the glut of furs, the over-abundance of the last year’s 
 harvests, and the perfect quiet in the mining districts, have 
 thrown all commerce flat on its hack. I '11 go, however, 
 lest thou shouldst say thy interests were neglected. Thy 
 Master Tiller is an indiscreet agent; he gave me a fright 
 to-day that exceeds any alarm I have felt since the failure 
 f f Van Halt, Balance, and Diddle.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 99 
 
 The voice of Myndert became inaudible, for, in bis 
 baste not to neglect the interests of bis guest, the tenacious 
 trader bad already quitted the room, and half of his 
 parting speech was uttered in the antechamber of the 
 pavilion. 
 
 “ ’T would scarce comport with the propriety of my sex 
 to mingle with the seamen, and the others who doubtless 
 surround the bales ? ” said Alida, in whose face there was 
 a marked expression of hesitation and curiosity. 
 
 “ It will not he necessary,” returned her companion. 
 “ I have, at hand, specimens of all that you would see. 
 But why this haste? We are yet in the early hours of the 
 night, and the alderman will be occupied long, ere he 
 comes to the determination to pay the prices my people are 
 sure to ask. I am lately from off the sea, beautiful Alida, 
 and thou canst not know the pleasure I find in breathing 
 even the atmosphere of a woman’s presence.” 
 
 La Belle Barberie retired a step or two, she knew not 
 why, and her hand was placed upon the cord of the bell 
 before she was aware of the manner in which she betrayed 
 her alarm. 
 
 “ To me it does not seem that I am a creature so terrific 
 that thou needst dread my presence,” continued the gay 
 mariner, with a smile that expressed as much of secret 
 irony, as of that pensive character which had again taken 
 possession of his countenance; “ but ring, and bring your 
 attendants to relieve fears that are natural to thy sex, and 
 therefore seducing to mine. Shall I pull the cord ? — for 
 this pretty hand trembles too much to do its office. ’ 
 
 “ I know not that any would answer, for it is past the 
 hour of attendance ;—it is better that I go to the examina¬ 
 tion of the bales.” 
 
 The strange, and singularly attired being, who occa¬ 
 sioned so much uneasiness to Alida, regarded her for a 
 moment with a kind and melancholy solicitude. t 
 
 “ Thus they are all, till altered by too much intercourse 
 with a cold and corrupt world !” he rather whispered than 
 uttered aloud. “ Would that thus they might all continue ! 
 Thou art a singular compound of thy sex’s weakness and 
 of manly resolution, Belle Barberie; but trust me,” and 
 
 h 2 
 
100 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 he laid his hand on his heart with an earnestness that spoke 
 well for his sincerity ; “ ere word, or act, to harm or to 
 offend thee, should proceed from any who obey will of 
 mine, nature itself must undergo a change. Start not, for 
 I call one to show the specimens you would see.” 
 
 He then applied a little silver whistle to his lips, and 
 drew a low signal from the instrument, motioning to Alida 
 to await the result without alarm. In half a minute, there 
 was a rustling among the leaves of the shrubbery, a mo¬ 
 ment of attentive pause, and then a dark object entered the 
 window and rolled heavily to the centre of the floor. 
 
 “ Here are our commodities, and trust me the price 
 shall not be dwelt on between us,” resumed Master Seadrift, 
 undoing the fastenings of the little bale that had entered 
 the saloon seemingly without the aid of hands. “ These 
 goods are so many gages of neutrality between us; so 
 approach and examine without fear. You will find some 
 among them to reward the hazard.” 
 
 The bale was now open, and as its master appeared to 
 be singularly expert in suiting a female fancy, it became 
 impossible for Alida to resist any longer. She gradually 
 lost her reserve as the examination proceeded; and before 
 the owner of the treasures had got into the third of his 
 packages, the hands of the heiress were as actively em¬ 
 ployed as his own in gaining access to their view. 
 
 “ This is a stuff of the Lombard territories,” said the 
 vender of the goods, pleased with the confidence he had 
 succeeded in establishing between his beautiful customer 
 and himself; “thou seest it is rich, flowery, and varie¬ 
 gated as the land it came from. One might fancy the 
 vines and vegetation of that deep soil were shooting from 
 this labour of the loom — nay, the piece is sufficient for 
 any toilette, however ample; see, it is endless as the 
 plains that reared the little animal who supplies the tex¬ 
 ture. I have parted of that fabric to many dames of Eng¬ 
 land, who have not disdained to traffic with one that risks 
 much in their behalf.” 
 
 ee I fear there are many who find a pleasure in these 
 stuffs, chiefly because their use is forbidden.” 
 
 * e ’ Twould not be out of nature ' Look ; this box con- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 101 
 
 tains ornaments of the elephant’s tooth, cut by a cunning 
 artificer in the far Eastern lands; they do not disfigure a 
 lady’s dressing-table, and have a moral, for they remind 
 her of countries where the sex is less happy than at home. 
 Ah ! here is a treasure of Mechlin, wrought in a fashion 
 of my own design.” 
 
 “ ’T is beautifully fancied ! and might do credit to one 
 who professed the painter’s art.” 
 
 (< My youth was much employed in these conceits,” re¬ 
 turned the trader, unfolding the rich and delicate lace in a 
 manner to show that he had still pleasure in contemplating 
 its texture and quality. “ There was a compact between 
 me and the maker, that enough should be furnished to 
 reach from the high church tower of his town to the pave¬ 
 ment beneath ; and yet you see how little remains ! The 
 London dames found it to their taste, and it was not easy 
 to bring even this trifle into the colonies.” 
 
 “ You chose a remarkable measure for an article that 
 was to visit so many different countries without the formal¬ 
 ities of law ? ” 
 
 “ We thought to start in the favour of the church, 
 which rarely frowns on those who respect its privileges. 
 Under the sanction of such authority, I will lay aside all 
 that remains, certain it will be needed for thy use ? ’’ 
 
 “ So rare a manufacture should be costly ? ” 
 
 La Belle Barberie spoke hesitatingly, and as she raised 
 her eyes, they met those of her companion fixed on her 
 face, in a manner that seemed to express a consciousness of 
 the ascendancy he was gaining. Startled, at she knew not 
 what, the maiden again added hastily, — 
 
 “ This may be fitter for a court lady than for a girl 
 of the colonies ? ” 
 
 “ None who have yet worn of it will so well become 
 it; I lay it here as a make-weight in my bargain with 
 the alderman. — This is satin of Tuscany; a country 
 where nature exhibits its extremes, and one whose mer¬ 
 chants were princes. Your Florentine was subtle in his 
 fabrics, and happy in his conceits of forms and colours, 
 for which he stood indebted to the riches of his own 
 climate. Observe, the hue of this glossy surface is scarcely 
 
 h 3 
 
102 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 so delicate as I have seen the rosy light at even, playing 
 on the sides of his Apennines !” 
 
 “ You have then visited the regions in whose fabrics you 
 deal ? ” said Alida, suffering the articles to fall from her 
 hand, in the stronger interest she began to feel in their 
 owner. 
 
 “ ’Tis my habit. Here have we a chain from the City 
 of the Isles. The hand of Venetian eould alone form 
 these delicate and nearly insensible links. I refused a 
 string of spotless pearls for that same golden web.” 
 
 “ It was indiscreet in one who trades at so much 
 hazard ? ” 
 
 “ I kept the bauble for my pleasure ! Whim is some¬ 
 times stronger than the thirst of gain ; and this chain does 
 not quit me, till I bestow it on the lady of my love. ” 
 
 “ One so actively employed, can scarce spare time to seek 
 a fitting object for the gift.” 
 
 “ Is merit and loveliness in the sex so rare ? La Belle 
 Barberie speaks in the security of many conquests, or she 
 would not deal thus lightly in a matter that is so serious 
 with most females f ” 
 
 " Among other countries, your vessel hath visited a 
 land of witchcraft, or you would not pretend to a know¬ 
 ledge of things, that in their very nature must be hidden 
 from a stranger. — Of what value may be those beautiful 
 feathers of the ostrich?” 
 
 “ They came of swarthy Africa, though so spotless 
 themselves. The bunch was had by secret traffic from a 
 Moorish man, in exchange for a few skins of lachrymae 
 Christi, that he swallowed with his eyes shut. I dealt with 
 the fellow, only in pity for his thirst, and do not pride 
 myself on the value of the commodity. It shall go too, 
 to quicken love between me and thy uncle.” 
 
 Alida could not object to this liberality, though she was 
 not without a secret opinion that the gifts were no more 
 than delicate and well-concealed offerings to herself. The 
 effect of this suspicion was two-fold ; it caused her to be¬ 
 come more reserved in the expression of her tastes, though 
 it in no degree lessened her confidence in, and admiration 
 of the wayward and remarkable trader. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 103 
 
 e My uncle will have cause to commend thy generous 
 spirit,” said the heiress, bending her head a little coldly 
 at this repeated declaration of her companion’s intentions, 
 “ though it would seem that in trade, justice is as much to 
 be desired as generosity ; —this seemeth a curious design 
 wrought with the needle ? ” 
 
 “ It is the labour of many a day, fashioned by the 
 hand of a recluse. I bought it of a nun in France, who 
 passed years in toil upon the conceit, which is of more 
 value than the material. The meek daughter of solitude 
 wept when she parted with the fabric, for, in her eyes, it 
 had the tie of association and habit. A companion might 
 he lost by one who lives in the confusion of the world, and 
 it should not cause more real sorrow than parting from 
 the product of her needle gave that mild resident of the 
 cloisters !” 
 
 “ And is it permitted for your sex to visit those places 
 of religious retirement ? ” asked Alida. “ I come of a 
 race that pays little deference to monastic life, for we are 
 refugees from the severity of Louis, but yet I never heard 
 my father charge these females with being so regardless of 
 their vows.” 
 
 The fact was so repeated to me, for surely my sex are 
 not admitted to traffic directly with the modest sisters ” 
 (a smile that Alida was half disposed to think bold, played 
 about the handsome mouth of the speaker) ; “ but it was 
 so reported. What is your opinion of the merit of woman, 
 in thus seeking refuge from the cares, and haply from the 
 sins of the world, in institutions of this order?” 
 
 “ Truly, the question exceedeth my knowledge. This is 
 not a country to immure females, and the custom causes 
 us of America little thought.” 
 
 “ The usage hath its abuses,’’ continued the dealer in 
 contraband, speaking thoughtfully; “ but pt is not with¬ 
 out its good. There are many of the weak and vain that 
 would be happier in the cloisters, than if left to the seduc¬ 
 tions and follies of life; — ah, here is ivork of English 
 hands. I scarcely know how the articles found their way 
 into the company of the products of the foreign looms. 
 My bales contain, in general, little that is vulgarly sane- 
 
 h 
 
104 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 tioned by the law. Speak me frankly, Belle Alida, and 
 say if you share in the prejudices against the character of 
 us free-traders ?” 
 
 “ I pretend not to judge of regulations that exceed the 
 knowledge and practices of my sex, ” returned the maiden 
 with commendable reserve. “ There are some who think 
 the abuse of power a justification of its resistance, while 
 others deem a breach of law to be a breach of morals. ” 
 
 “ The latter is the doctrine of your man of invested 
 monies and established fortune ! He has entrenched his 
 gains behind acknowledged barriers, and he preaches their 
 sanctity because they favour his selfishness. We skimmers 
 of the sea-” 
 
 Alida started so suddenly, as to cause her companion to 
 cease speaking. 
 
 “ Are my words frightful, that you pale at their sound?” 
 
 te I hope they were used rather in accident than with 
 any serious meaning. I would not have it said—no ! ’tis 
 but a chance that springs from some resemblance in your 
 callings. One like you can never be the man whose name 
 has grown into a proverb ’’? 
 
 “ One like me, beautiful Alida, is much as fortune wills. 
 Of what man, or of what name wouldst speak ? ” 
 
 “ ’T is nothing,” returned la Belle Barberie, gazing 
 unconsciously at the polished and graceful features of the 
 stranger longer than was her wont when regarding one of 
 the other sex. “ Proceed with your explanation;—these 
 are rich velvets ! ” 
 
 “ They come of Venice, too; but commerce is like the 
 favour which attends the rich, and the queen of the 
 Adriatic is already far on the decline. That which causes 
 the increase of the husbandman, occasions the downfall of 
 a city. The lagunes are filling with fat soil, and the keel 
 of the trader is less frequent there than of old. Ages 
 hence the plough may trace furrows where the Bucentaur 
 has floated ! The outer India passage has changed the 
 current of prosperity, which ever rushes in the widest and 
 newest track. Nations might learn a moral by studying 
 die sleepy canals and instructive magnificence of that fallen 
 town; but pride fattens on its own lazy recollections to the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 105 
 
 last! — As I was saying, we rovers deal little in musty 
 maxims, that are made by the great and prosperous at 
 home, and are trumpeted abroad, in order that the weak 
 and unhappy should be the more closely riveted in their 
 fetters.” 
 
 “ Methinks you push the principle further than is 
 necessary for one whose greatest offence against established 
 usage is a little hazardous commerce. These are opinions 
 that might unsettle the world.” 
 
 “ Rather settle it by referring all to the rule of right. 
 When governments shall lay their foundations in natural 
 justice, when their object shall be to remove the tempt¬ 
 ations to err instead of creating them, and when bodies of 
 men shall feel and acknowledge the responsibilities of 
 individuals—why, then the Water Witch herself might 
 become a revenue cutter, and her owner an officer of the 
 customs! ” 
 
 The velvet fell from the hands of la Belle Barberie, and 
 she arose from her seat in precipitation. 
 
 cc Speak plainly,” said Alida, with all her natural firm¬ 
 ness ; “ with whom am I about to traffic ? ” 
 
 “ With an outcast of society — a man condemned in the 
 opinions of the world—the outlaw—the flagrant wanderer 
 of the ocean—the lawless Skimmer of the Seas !” cried a 
 voice at the open window. 
 
 In another minute, Ludlow was in the room. Alida 
 uttered a shriek, veiled her face in her robe, and rushed 
 from the apartment. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Truth will come to light; 
 
 Murder cannot be hid long, a man’s son may ; 
 
 But in the end, truth will out.” Launcelot. 
 
 The officer of the queen had leaped into the pavilion with 
 the flushed features and all the hurry of an excited man. 
 The exclamations and retreat of la Belle Barberie for a 
 single moment diverted his attention, and then he turned 
 
106 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 suddenly, not to say fiercely, towards her companion. It 
 is not necessary to repeat the description of the stranger’s 
 person, in order to render the change which instantly 
 occurred in the countenance of Ludlow intelligible to the 
 reader. His eye at first refused to believe there was no 
 other present ; and when it had again and again searched 
 the whole apartment, it returned to the face and form of 
 the dealer in contraband with an expression of incredulity 
 and wonder. 
 
 “ Here is some mistake !” exclaimed the commander of 
 the Coquette, after time had been given for a thorough 
 examination of the room. 
 
 “ Your gentle manner of entrance,” returned the stranger, 
 across whose face there had passed a glow that might have 
 come equally of anger or of surprise, “ has driven the lady 
 from the room. But as you wear the livery of the queen, 
 I presume you have authority for invading the dwelling of 
 the subject ? ” 
 
 “ I had believed—nay, there was reason to be certain 
 that one whom all of proper loyalty execrate, was to be 
 found here,” stammered the still confused Ludlow. “ There 
 can scarce be a deception, for I plainly heard the discourse 
 of my captor’s, — and yet here is none ! ” 
 
 “ I thank you for the high consideration you bestow on 
 my presence.” 
 
 The manner, rather than the words of the speaker, in¬ 
 duced Ludlow to rivet another look on his countenance. 
 There was a mixed expression of doubt, admiration, and 
 possibly of uneasiness, if not of actual jealousy, in the 
 gaze which slowly read all his lineaments, though the 
 former seemed the stronger sensation of the three. 
 
 “ We have never met before!” cried Ludlow, when 
 his eye began to grow dim with the length and steadiness 
 of its gaze. 
 
 The ocean has many paths, and men may journey on 
 them long, without crossing each other.” 
 
 “ Thou hast served the queen, though I see thee in this 
 doubtful situation ?” 
 
 “ Never. I am not one to bind myself to the servitude 
 of any woman that lives,” returned the free-trader, a wild 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 107 
 
 smile playing about his lip, “ though she wore a thousand 
 diadems ! Anne never had an hour of my time, nor a 
 single wish of my heart.” 
 
 “ This is bold language, sir, for the ear of her officer. 
 The arrival of an unknown brigantine, certain incidents 
 which have occurred to myself this night, your presence 
 here, that bale of articles forbidden by the law, create sus¬ 
 picions that must be satisfied. Who are you ? ” 
 
 “ The flagrant wanderer of the ocean — the outcast of 
 society — the condemned in the opinions of the world — 
 the lawless Skimmer of the Seas ! ” 
 
 “ This cannot be ! The tongues of men speak of the 
 personal deformity of that wanderer, no less than of hifl 
 bold disregard of the law. You would deceive me ? ” 
 
 “ If then men err so much in that which is visible and 
 unimportant/’ returned the other, proudly, f< is there not 
 reason to doubt their accuracy in matters of more weight ? 
 I am surely what I seem, if I am not what I say.” 
 
 “ I will not credit so improbable a tale:—give me 
 some proof that what I hear is true.” 
 
 “ Look at that brigantine, whose delicate spars are 
 almost confounded with the back-ground of trees,” said 
 the other, approaching the window, and directing the atten¬ 
 tion of his companion to the cove. “ ’T is the bark that 
 has so often foiled the efforts of all thy cruisers, and which 
 transports me and my wealth whither I will, without the 
 fetters of arbitrary laws, and the meddling enquiries of 
 venal hirelings. The scud which floats above the sea, is 
 not freer than that vessel, and scarcely more swift. Well 
 is she named the Water Witch ! for her performances on 
 the wide ocean have been such as seem to exceed any na¬ 
 tural means. The froth of the sea does not dance more 
 lightly above the waves, than yonder graceful fabric when 
 driven by the breeze. She is a thing to be loved, Ludlow; 
 trust me, I never yet set affections on woman, with the 
 warmth I feel for that faithful and beautiful machine ! ” 
 
 “ This is little more than any mariner could say in 
 praise of a vessel that he admired.” 
 
 “ Will you say it, sir, in favour of yon lumbering sloop 
 of Queen Anne? Your Coquette is none of the fairest. 
 
108 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 and there was more of pretension than of truth at her 
 christening.” 
 
 ee By the title of my royal mistress, young beardless, 
 but there is an insolence in this language that might 
 become him you wish to represent! My ship, heavy or 
 light of foot, as she may be, is fated to bring yonder false 
 trader to the judgment.” 
 
 ff By the craft and qualities of the Water Witch, but 
 this is language that might become one who was at liberty 
 to act his pleasure,” returned the stranger, tauntingly imi¬ 
 tating the tone in which his angry companion had spoken. 
 “ Yon would have proof of my identity ? listen. There 
 is one who vaunts his power that forgets he is a dupe of 
 my agent, and that even while his words are so full of 
 boldness, he is a captive !” 
 
 The brown cheek of Ludlow reddened, and he turned 
 toward the lighter and far less vigorous frame of his com¬ 
 panion, as if about to strike him to the earth, when a door 
 opened, and Alida appeared in the saloon. 
 
 The meeting between the commander of the Coquette 
 and his mistress was not without embarrassment. The 
 anger of the former and the confusion of the latter, for a 
 moment kept both silent; but as la Belle Barberie had 
 not returned without an object, she was quick to speak. 
 
 “ I know not whether to approve or to condemn the 
 boldness that has prompted Captain Ludlow to enter my 
 pavilion at this unseasonable hour, and in so unceremonious 
 a manner,” she said, “ for I am still ignorant of his mo¬ 
 tive. When he shall please to let me hear it, I may judge 
 better of the merit of the excuse.” 
 
 “ True, we will hear his explanation before condemn¬ 
 ation,” added the stranger, offering a seat to Alida, which 
 she coldly declined. “ Beyond a doubt, the gentleman has 
 a motive.” 
 
 If looks could have destroyed, the speaker would have 
 been annihilated. But as the lady seemed indifferent to the 
 last remark, Ludlow prepared to enter on his vindication. 
 
 cc I shall not attempt to conceal that an artifice has been 
 practised,” he said, (< w T hich is accompanied by conse¬ 
 quences that I find awkward. The air and manner of 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 109 
 
 the seaman whose bold conduct you witnessed in the boat, 
 induced me to confide in him more than was prudent, and 
 I have been rewarded by deception.” 
 
 “ In other words, Captain Ludlow is not as sagacious as 
 he had reason to believe ! ” said an ironical voice at his 
 elbow. 
 
 “ In what manner am I to blame, or why is my privacy 
 to be interrupted, because a wandering seaman has de¬ 
 ceived the commander of the Coquette?” rejoined Alida. 
 ec Not only that audacious mariner, but this — this per¬ 
 son,” she added, adopting a word that use has appropriated 
 to the multitude, i( is a stranger to me. There is no other 
 connection between us than that you see.” 
 
 “ It is not necessary to say why I landed,” continued 
 Ludlow ; u but I was weak enough to allow that unknown 
 mariner to quit my ship in my company, and when I would 
 return he found means to disarm my men and make me a 
 prisoner.” 
 
 “ And yet art thou, for a captive, tolerably free! ” 
 added the ironical voice. 
 
 “ Of what service is this freedom, without the means Gf 
 using it ? The sea separates me from my ship, and my 
 faithful boat’s crew are in fetters. I have been little 
 watched myself, it is true ; but, though forbidden to ap¬ 
 proach certain points, enough has been seen to leave no 
 doubts of the character of those whom Alderman Van 
 Beverout entertains.” 
 
 te Thou wouldst also say, and his niece, Ludlow ? ” 
 
 “ I would say nothing harsh to, or disrespectful of Alida 
 de Barberie. I will not deny that a harrowing idea pos¬ 
 sessed me, — but I see my error, and repent having been 
 so hasty.” 
 
 “ We may then resume our commerce,” said the trader, 
 coolly seating himself before the open bale, while Ludlow 
 and the maiden stood regarding each other in mute surprise. 
 “ It is pleasant to exhibit these forbidden treasures to an 
 officer of the queen ! It may in the end prove the means of 
 gaining the royal patronage. We were last among the 
 velvets, and on the lagunes of Venice. Here is of a colour 
 and quality to form a bridal dress for the doge himself, in 
 
110 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 his nuptials with the sea ! We men of the ocean look upon 
 that ceremony as a pledge Hymen will not forget us, 
 though we may wander from his altars. Do I justice to 
 the faith of the craft, Captain Ludlow?—or are you a 
 sworn devotee of Neptune, and content to breathe your 
 sighs to Venus, when afloat? Well, if the damps and salt 
 air of the ocean rust the golden chain, it is the fault of 
 
 cruel Nature ! — Ah ! here is-” 
 
 A shrill whistle sounded among the shrubbery, and the 
 speaker became mute. Throwing his cloths carelessly on 
 the bale, he arose again, and seemed to hesitate. Through¬ 
 out the interview with Ludlow, the air of the free-trader 
 had been mild, though, at times, it was playful, and not 
 for an instant had he seemed to return the resentment 
 which the other had so plainly manifested. It now be¬ 
 came perplexed, and by the workings of his features, it 
 would seem that he vacillated in his opinions. The sounds 
 of the whistle were heard again. 
 
 Ay, ay, Master Tom,” muttered the dealer in contra¬ 
 band ; “ thy note is audible, but why this haste ? Beau¬ 
 tiful Alida, this shrill summons is to say that the moment 
 of parting is arrived !” 
 
 (i We met with less of preparation,” returned la Belle 
 Barberie, who preserved the distant reserve that became 
 her sex, under the jealous eye of her admirer. 
 
 “ We met without a ■warning, but shall our separation 
 be without a memorial ? Am I to return with all these 
 valuables to the brigantine, or in their place, must I take 
 the customary golden tribute ? ” 
 
 I know not that I dare make a traffic which is not 
 sanctioned by the law, in presence of a servitor of the 
 queen,” returned Alida, smiling. “ I will not deny that 
 you have much to excite a woman’s envy, but our royal 
 mistress might forget her sex, and show little pity were 
 she to hear of my weakness.” 
 
 u No fear of that lady. * T is they who are most stern 
 in creating these harsh regulations, that show most frailty 
 in their breach. By the virtues of honest Leadenhall itself, 
 but I should like to tempt the royal Anne in her closet 
 with such a display of goodly laces and heavy brocades!” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 Ill 
 
 f{ That might be more hazardous than wise!” 
 iC I know not. Though seated on a throne, she is but 
 woman. Disguise nature as thou wilt, she is a universal 
 tyrant, and governs all alike. The head that wears a crown 
 dreams of the conquests of the sex, rather than of the con¬ 
 quests of states; the hand that wields the sceptre is fitted 
 to display its prettiness with the pencil or the needle; and 
 though words and ideas may be taught and sounded forth 
 with the pomp of royalty, the tone is still that of woman.” 
 
 “ Without bringing into question the merits of our pre¬ 
 sent royal mistress,” said Alida, who was a little apt to as¬ 
 sert her-sex’s rights, “ there is the example of the glorious 
 Elizabeth to refute this charge.” 
 
 “ Ay, we have had our Cleopatras in the sea-fight, but 
 fear was found stronger than love ! The sea has monsters, 
 it is true, and so may have the land. He that made the 
 earth gave it laws that ’tis not good to break. We men 
 are jealous of our qualities, and little like to see them 
 usurped; and trust me, lady, she that forgets the means 
 that Nature bestows, may mourn in sorrow over the fatal 
 error! — But, shall we deal in velvet, or is your taste 
 more leaning to brocade ? ” 
 
 Alida and Ludlow listened in admiration to the capri¬ 
 cious and fanciful language of the unaccountable trader, 
 and both were equally at a loss to estimate his character. 
 The equivocal air was in general well maintained, though 
 the commander of the Coquette had detected an earnestness 
 and feeling in his manner, when he more particularly ad¬ 
 dressed la Belle Barberie, that excited an uneasiness he was 
 ashamed to admit, even to himself.. That the maiden her¬ 
 self observed this change, mignt also be inferred from a 
 richer glow which diffusea itoeif over her features, though it 
 is scarce probable that she was conscious of its effects. When 
 questioned as to her determination concerning his goods, 
 she again regarded Ludlow doubtingly ere she answered. 
 
 “ That you have not studied woman in vain,” she laugh¬ 
 ingly replied, “ I must fain acknowledge. And yet, ere I 
 make a decision, suffer me to consult those who, being more 
 accustomed to deal with the laws, are better judges of the 
 propriety of the purchases.” 
 
112 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 ce If this request were not reasonable in itself, it were 
 due to your beauty and station, lady, to grant it. I leave 
 the bale in your care, and before to-morrow’s sun has set, 
 one will await the answer. Captain Ludlow, are we to 
 part in friendship, or does your duty to the queen proscribe 
 the word ? ’’ 
 
 “ If what you seem,” said Ludlow, “ you are a being 
 inexplicable ! If this be some masquerade, as I half sus¬ 
 pect, ’tis well maintained, at least, though not worthily 
 assumed. 
 
 “ You are not the first who has refused credit to his 
 senses, in a matter wherein the Water Witch and her 
 commander have been concerned. Peace, honest Tom — 
 thy whistle will not hasten Father Time ! Friend or not. 
 Captain Ludlow need not be told he is my prisoner.” 
 
 “ That I have fallen into the power of a miscreant-’* 
 
 “ Hist ! if thou hast love of bodily ease and whole 
 bones. Master Thomas Tiller is a man of rude humour, 
 and he as little likes contumely as another. Besides, the 
 honest mariner did but obey my orders, and his character 
 is protected by a superior responsibility.” 
 
 “ Thy orders! ” repeated Ludlow, with an expression 
 of eye and lip that might have offended one more disposed 
 to take offence than him he addressed. “ The fellow who 
 so well succeeded in his artifice, is one much more likely 
 to command than to obey. If any here be the Skimmer of 
 the Seas, it is he.” 
 
 “ We are all no more than the driving spray, which 
 goes whither the winds list. But in what hath the man 
 offended, that he finds so little favour with the queen’s 
 captain ? He has not had the boldness to propose a secret 
 traffic with so loyal a gentleman ?” 
 
 “ ’T is well, sir; you choose a happy occasion for 
 this pleasantry. I landed to manifest the respect that I 
 feel for this lady, and I care not if the world knows the 
 object of the visit. ’T was no silly artifice that led me 
 hither.” 
 
 “ Spoken with the frankness of a seaman ! ” said the 
 inexplicable dealer in contraband, though his colour lessened 
 and his voice appeared to hesitate. “ I admire this loyalty 
 
TIIE WATER WITCH. 
 
 113 
 
 in man to woman, for as custom has so strongly fettered 
 them in the expression of their inclinations, it is due from 
 us to leave as little doubt as possible of our intentions. It 
 is difficult to think that la Belle Barberie can do wiser 
 than to reward so much manly admiration ! ” 
 
 The stranger cast a glance, -which Alida fancied betrayed 
 solicitude, as he spoke, at the maiden, and he appeared to 
 expect she would reply. 
 
 “ When the time shall come for a decision,” returned 
 the half-pleased and yet half-offended subject of his allu¬ 
 sion, “ it may be necessary to call upon very different 
 counsellors for advice. I hear the step of my uncle — 
 Captain Ludlow, I leave it to your discretion to meet him 
 or not.” ' 
 
 The heavy footstep was approaching through the 
 outer rooms of the pavilion. Ludlow hesitated, cast a re¬ 
 proachful look at his mistress, and then he instantly quitted 
 the apartment by the place through which he had entered. 
 A noise in the shrubbery sufficiently proved that his return 
 was expected, and that he was closely watched. 
 
 “ Noah’s ark and our grandmothers ! ” exclaimed Myn- 
 dert, appearing at the door with a face red with his ex¬ 
 ertions. “ You have brought us the cast-off finery of our 
 ancestors. Master Seadrift. Here are stuffs of an age that 
 is past, and they should be bartered for gold that hath 
 been spent.” 
 
 “ What now- ! what now !” responded the free-trader, 
 whose tone and manner seemed to change at will, in order 
 to suit the humour of whomsoever he was brought to speak 
 with. “ What now, pertinacious burgher, that thou 
 shouldst cry down wares that are but too good for these 
 distant regions ! Many is the English duchess who pines 
 to possess but the tithe of these beautiful stuffs I offer thy 
 niece, and faith, rare is the English duchess that would 
 become them half so well.” 
 
 “ The girl is seemly, and thy velvets and brocades are 
 passable, but the heavy articles are not fit to offer to a 
 Mohawk sachem. There must be a reduction of prices, 
 or the invoice cannot pass.” 
 
 “ The greater the pity. But if sail we must, sail we 
 
 1 
 
114 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 will! The brigantine knows the channel over the Nan. 
 tucket sands ; an cl, my life on it, the Yankees will find 
 others than the Mohawks for chapmen.” 
 
 “ Thou art as quick in thy motions. Master Seadrift, 
 as the boat itself. Who said that a compromise might not 
 be made, when discussion was prudently and fairly ex¬ 
 hausted ? Strike off the odd florins, leave the balance in 
 round thousands, and thy trade is done for the season.” 
 
 ^ Not a stiver. Here, count me back the faces of the 
 Braganza; throw enough of thin ducats into the scales to 
 make up the sum, and let thy slaves push inland with the 
 articles, before the morning light comes to tell the story. 
 Here has been one among us, who may do mischief if he 
 will, though I know not how far he is master of the main 
 secret.” 
 
 Alderman Van Beverout stared a little wildly about him, 
 adjusted his wig, like one fully conscious of the value of 
 appearances in this world, and then cautiously drew the 
 curtains before the windows. 
 
 “ I know of none more than common, my niece ex¬ 
 cepted,” he said, when all these precautions had been ob¬ 
 served. “ ’Tis true, the Patroon of Kinderbook is in 
 the house; but, as the man sleeps, he is a witness in our 
 favour. We have the testimony of his presence, while his 
 tongue is silent.” 
 
 “ Well, be it so,” rejoined the free-trader, reading, in 
 the imploring eyes of Alida, a petition that he would say 
 no more. “ I knew by instinct there was one unusual, 
 and it was not for me to discover that he sleeps. There 
 are dealers on the coast, who, for the sake of insurance, 
 would charge his presence in their bills.” 
 
 “ Say no more, worthy Master Seadrift, and take the 
 gold. To confess the truth, the goods are in the periagua, 
 and fairly out of the river already. I knew we should 
 come to conclusions in the matter, and time is precious, as 
 there is a cruiser of the queen so nigh. The rogues will 
 pass the pennant like innocent market people, and I ’ll risk 
 a Flemish gelding against a Virginia nag, that they enquire 
 if the captain lias no need of vegetables for his soup ! 
 Ah, ha, ha, ha! That Ludlow is a simpleton, niece of 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 115 
 
 mine, and he is not yet fit to deal with men of mature 
 years. You’ll think better of his qualities one day, and 
 bid him begone like an unwelcome dun.” 
 
 “ I hope these proceedings may be legally sanctioned, 
 uncle ? ” 
 
 “ Sanctioned ! Luck sanctions all. It is in trade as in 
 war. Success gives character and booty in both. Ycur 
 rich dealer is sure to be your honest dealer. Plantations 
 and orders in council! what are our rulers doing at home, 
 that they need be so vociferous about a little contraband ? 
 The rogues will declaim by the hour concerning bribery 
 and corruption, while more than half of them get their 
 seats as clandestinely — ay, and as illegally — as you get 
 these rare Mechlin laces ! Should the queen take offence at 
 our dealings. Master Seadrift, bring me another season or 
 two as profitable as the last, and I’ll be your passenger to 
 London, go on ’Change, buy a seat in parliament, and 
 answer to the royal displeasure from my place, as they call 
 it. By the responsibility of the States-General ! but I 
 should expect, in such a case, to return Sir Myndert, and 
 then the Manhattanese might hear of a Lady Van Bever- 
 out, in which case, pretty Alida, thy assets would be sadly 
 diminished ! — so go to thy bed, child, and dream of fine 
 laces and rich velvets, and duty to old uncles, and discre¬ 
 tion, and all manner of agreeable things — eiss me, jade, 
 and then to thy pillow ! ” 
 
 Alida obeyed, and was preparing to quit the room, when 
 the free-trader presented himself before her with ah air at 
 once so gallant and respectful, that she could scarce take 
 offence at the freedom. 
 
 “ I should fail in gratitude,” he said, “ were I to part 
 from so generous a customer, without thanks for her liber¬ 
 ality. The hope of meeting again will hasten my return.” 
 
 “ I know not that you are my debtor for these thanks,” 
 returned Alida, though she saw that the alderman was 
 carefully collecting the contents of the bale, and that he 
 had already placed three or four of the most tempting of 
 its articles on her dressing-table. “ We cannot be said to 
 have bargained! ” 
 
 “ 1 have parted with more than is visible to vulgar 
 
 i 2 
 
116 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 eyes/’ returned the stranger, dropping his voice, and speak¬ 
 ing with an earnestness that caused his auditor to start. 
 “ Whether there will be a return for the gift, or perhaps 
 I had better call it loss, time and my stars must show! *’ 
 
 He then took her hand, and raised it to his lips by an 
 action so graceful and so gentle as not to alarm the maiden 
 until the freedom was done. La Belle Barberie reddened 
 to her forehead, seemed disposed to condemn the liberty, 
 frowned, smiled, and, curtsying in confusion, withdrew. 
 
 Several minutes passed in profound silence after Alida 
 had disappeared. The stranger was thoughtful, though 
 his bright eye kindled as if merry thoughts were upper¬ 
 most, and he paced the room, entirely heedless of the ex¬ 
 istence of the alderman. The latter, however, soon took 
 occasion to remind his companion of his presence. 
 
 “ No fear of the girl’s prating,” exclaimed the aider- 
 man, when his task was ended. “ She is an excellent and 
 a dutiful niece, and here you see is a balance on her side 
 of the account that would shut the mouth of the wife of 
 the first lord of the treasury. I disliked the manner in 
 which you would have the child introduced ; for, look you, 
 I do not think that either Monsieur Barberie or my late 
 sister would altogether approve of her entering into traffic 
 so very young ; but what is done is done, and the Norman 
 himself could not deny that I have made a fair set-off of 
 very excellent commodities for his daughter’s benefit. 
 When dost mean to sail. Master Seadrift ?” 
 
 With the morning tide. I little like the neighbour¬ 
 hood of these meddling guarda-costas.” 
 
 “ Bravely answered. Prudence is a cardinal quality in 
 a private trader, and it is a quality that I esteem in Master 
 Skimmer next to his punctuality. Dates and obligations ! 
 I wish half of the firms of three and four names, without 
 counting the Co.’s, were as much to be depended on. 
 Dost not think it safer to repass the inlet under favour of 
 the darkness ? ” 
 
 ef ’Tis impossible. The flood is entering it like water 
 rushing through a raceway, and we have the wind at east. 
 But fear not, the brigantine carries no vulgar freight; 
 your commerce has given us a swept hold. The queen 
 
THi5 WATER WITCH. 
 
 117 
 
 and the Braganza, with Holland ducats, might show their 
 faces even in the royal exchequer itself! We have no want 
 of passes, and the Miller’s Maid is just as good a name to 
 hail by as the Water Witch. We begin to tire of this 
 constant running, and have half a mind to taste the plea¬ 
 sures of your Jersey sports for a week. There should be 
 shooting on the upper plains?” 
 
 “ Heaven forbid ! Heaven forbid ! Master Seadrift. I 
 had all the deer taken for the skins, ten years ago ; and as 
 to the birds, they deserted us to a pigeon when the last 
 tribe of the savages went west of the Delaware. Thou 
 hast discharged thy brigantine to better effect than thou 
 couldst ever discharge thy fowling-pieces. I hope the 
 hospitality of the Lust-in-Rust is no problem ; but, blushes 
 and curiosity ! I could wish to keep a fair countenance 
 among my neighbours. Art sure the impertinent masts of 
 the brigantine will not be seen above the trees when the 
 day comes ? This Captain Ludlow is no laggard when he 
 thinks his duty actually concerned.” 
 
 “ We shall endeavour to keep him quiet. The cover 
 of the trees and the berth of the boat make all snug as re¬ 
 spects his people. I leave worthy Tiller to settle balances 
 between us, and so I take my leave. Master alderman — 
 a word at parting. Does the Viscount Cornbury still tarry 
 in the provinces ? ’’ 
 
 “ Like a fixture. There is not a mercantile house in 
 the colony more firmly established/’ 
 
 “ There are unsettled affairs between us. A small pre¬ 
 mium would buy the obligations.’’ 
 
 “ Heaven keep thee. Master Seadrift, and pleasant voy¬ 
 ages back and forth. As for the viscount’s responsibility, 
 the queen may trust him with another province, but Myn- 
 dert Van Beverout would not give him credit for the tail 
 of a marten ; and so again. Heaven preserve thee !” 
 
 The dealer in contraband appeared to tear himself from 
 the sight of all the little elegancies, that adorned the apart¬ 
 ment of La Belle Barberie, with reluctance. His adieus 
 to the alderman were rather cavalier, for he still main¬ 
 tained a cold and abstracted air; but as the other scarcely 
 observed the forms of decorum in his evident desire to get 
 
 i 3 
 
118 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 rid of liis guest, the latter was finally obliged to depart. 
 He disappeared by the low balcony where he had entered. 
 
 When Myndert Van Beverout was alone, he shut the 
 windows of the pavilion of his niece, and retired to his own 
 part of the dwelling. Here the thrifty burgher first bu¬ 
 sied himself in making sundry calculations, with a zeal 
 that proved how much his mind was engrossed by the oc¬ 
 cupation. After this preliminary step, he gave a short but 
 secret conference to the mariner of the India shawl, during 
 which there was much clinking of gold pieces. But when 
 the latter retired, the master of the villa first looked to the 
 trifling securities which were then as now observed in the 
 fastenings of an American country house, when he walked 
 forth upon the lawn like one who felt the necessity of 
 breathing the open air. He cast more than one enquiring 
 glance at the windows of the room which was occupied by 
 Olcff Van Staats, where all was happily silent, at the 
 equally immovable brigantine in the cove, and at the more 
 distant and still motionless hull of the cruiser of the 
 crown. All around him was in the quiet of midnight. 
 Even the boats, which he knew to be plying between the 
 land and the little vessel at anchor, were invisible ; and he 
 re-entered his habitation with the security one would be 
 apt to feel under similar circumstances, in a region so little 
 tenanted and so little watched as that in which he lived. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand. 
 
 That you yet know not of. Merchant of Venice. 
 
 Notwithstanding the active movements which had taken 
 place in and around the buildings of the Lust-in-Rust, 
 during the night which ended with our last chapter, none 
 but the initiated were in the smallest degree aware of their 
 existence. Oloff Van Staats was early afoot, and when 
 he appeared on the lawn to scent the morning air, there 
 was nothing visible to give rise to a suspicion that aught 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 119 
 
 extraordinary had occurred during his slumbers. La Corn- 
 des Fees was still closed, but the person of the faithful 
 Francois was seen near the abode of his young mistress, 
 busied in some of those pretty little offices that can easily 
 be imagined would be agreeable to a maiden of her years 
 and station. Van Staats of Kinderhook had as little of 
 romance in his composition as could well be in a youth of 
 five and twenty, who was commonly thought to bo 
 enamoured, and who was not altogether ignorant of the 
 conventional sympathies of the passion. The man was 
 mortal, and as the personal attractions of la Belle Barberie 
 were sufficiently obvious, he had not entirely escaped the 
 fate which seems nearly inseparable from young fancy when 
 excited by beauty. He drew nigh to the pavilion, and, by 
 a guarded but decisive manoeuvre, he managed to come so 
 close to the valet as to render a verbal communication not 
 only natural, but nearly unavoidable. 
 
 “ A fair morning and a healthful air, Monsieur Francois,” 
 commenced the young Patroon, acknowledging the low 
 salute of the domestic by gravely lifting his own beaver. 
 “ This is a comfortable abode for the warm months, and 
 once it might be well to visit oftener.” 
 
 “ When Monsieur le Patteron shall be de lor’ of ce 
 manoir aussi, he shall come when he shall have la volonte,” 
 returned Francois, who knew that a pleasantry of his ought 
 not to be construed into an engagement on the part of her 
 he served, while it could not fail to be agreeable to him who 
 heard it. “ Monsieur de Van Staats est deja grand pro- 
 prietaire sur la riviere, and one day, peut-etre, he shall be 
 proprietaire sur la mer ! ” 
 
 “ I have thought of imitating the example of the 
 alderman, honest Francis, and of building a villa on the 
 coast; but there will be time for that when I shall find 
 myself more established in life. Your young mistress is 
 not yet moving, Francis ? ” 
 
 “ Ma foi, non—Mam’selle Alide sleep! — ’tis good 
 symptome. Monsieur Patteron, pour les jeunes personnes 
 to tres-bien sleep. Monsieur, et toute la familie de 
 Barberie, sleep a merveille ! Oui, cest toujours une familie 
 remarquable pour le sommeil! ” 
 
 i 4 
 
120 
 
 THE WATER WITCH 
 
 i( Yet one would wish to breathe this fresh and invigor, 
 ating air, which comes from off the sea like a balm, in the 
 early hours of the day.” 
 
 “ Sans doute. Monsieur. C’est un miracle how mam’- 
 selle love de air ! Personne do not love air more as 
 Mam’selle Alide. Bah ! It was grand plaisir to see how 
 Monsieur de Barberie love de air ! ’’ 
 
 “ Perhaps, Mr. Francis, your young lady is ignorant of 
 the hour. It might be well to knock at the door, or perhaps 
 at the window. I confess, I should much admire to see 
 her bright face smiling from that window on this soft 
 morning scene.” 
 
 It is not probable that the imagination of the Patroon of 
 Kinderhook ever before took so high a flight; and there was 
 reason to suspect, by the wavering and alarmed glance that 
 he cast around him, after so unequivocal an expression of 
 weakness, that he already repented his temerity. Francois, 
 who would not willingly disoblige a man that was known 
 to possess a hundred thousand acres of land, with manorial 
 rights, besides personals of no mean amount, felt em¬ 
 barrassed by the request, but he was able to recollect in 
 time that the heiress was known to possess a decision of 
 character that might choose to control her own pleasures. 
 
 ee Well, I shall be too happy to knock ; mais Monsieur 
 sait dat sleep est si agreable pour les jeunes personnes ! On 
 n’a jamais knock dans la famille de Monsieur de Barberie, 
 and je suis sur, que Mam’selle Alide do not love to hear de 
 knock — pourtant, si Monsieur le Patteron le veut, I shall 
 consult ses—Yoila! Monsieur Bevre, qui vient sans knock 
 a la fenetre. J’ai l’honneur de vous laisser avec Monsieur 
 Arerman.” 
 
 And so the complaisant but still considerate valet bowed 
 himself out of a dilemma that he found, as he muttered to 
 himself while retiring, “ tant soit peu ennuyant.” 
 
 The air and manner of the alderman, as he approached 
 his guest, were, like the character of the man, hale, hearty, 
 and a little occupied with his own enjoyments and feelings. 
 He hemmed thrice ere he was near enough to speak, and 
 each of the strong expirations seemed to invite the admir¬ 
 ation of the Patroon at the strength of his lungs, and for the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 121 
 
 purity of the atmosphere around a villa which acknowledged 
 him for its owner. 
 
 <f Zephyrs and Spas ! but this is the abode of health, 
 Patroon ! ” cried the burgher, as soon as these demonstrations 
 of his own bodily condition had been sufficiently repeated. 
 “ One sometimes feels in this air equal to holding a dis¬ 
 course across the Atlantic with his friends at Scheveling 
 or the Helder. A broad and deep chest, air like this from 
 the sea, with a clear conscience, and a lucky hit in the way 
 of trade, cause the lungs of a man to play as easily and as 
 imperceptibly as the wings of a humming-bird.— Let me 
 see ; there are few fourscore men in thy stock. The last 
 Patroon closed the books at sixty-six ; and his father went 
 but a little beyond seventy. I wonder there has never 
 been an intermarriage among you with the Van Courtlandts; 
 that blood is as good as an insurance to fourscore and ten 
 of itself.” 
 
 “ I find the air of your villa, Mr. Van Beverout, a 
 cordial that one could wish to take often,” returned the 
 other, who had far less of the brusque manner of the trader 
 than his companion. “ It is a pity that all who have the 
 choice, do not profit by their opportunities to breathe it.” 
 
 “ You allude to the lazy mariners in yonder vessel! 
 Her majesty’s servants are seldom in a hurry, and as for 
 this brigantine in the cove, the fellow seems to have gotten 
 in by magic ! I warrant me now the rogue is there for no 
 good, and that the queen’s exchequer will be none the 
 richer for his visit. Harkee, you Brom,” calling to an 
 aged black, who was working at no great distance from 
 the dwelling, and who was deep in his master’s confidence, 
 “ hast seen any boats plying between yonder roguish- 
 looking brigantine and the land ? ” 
 
 The negro shook his head like the earthen image of a 
 mandarin, and laughed loud and heartily. 
 
 “ I b’rieve he do all he mischief among a Yankee, an’ 
 he only come here to take he breat’/’ said the wily slave. 
 “ Well, I wish wid all a heart dere would come free trader 
 some time along our shore. Dat gib a chance to poor 
 black man to make an honest penny .” 
 
 “ You see, Patroon, human nature itself rises against 
 
122 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 monopoly ! That was the voice of instinct speaking with 
 the tongue of Brom ; and it is no easy task for a merchant 
 to keep his dependants obedient to laws, which in them¬ 
 selves create so constant a temptation to break them. 
 Well, well; we will always hope for the best, and endea¬ 
 vour to act like dutiful subjects. The boat is not amiss, 
 as to form and rig, let her come from where she will.— 
 Dost think the wind will be off the land this morning ? ” 
 
 “ There are signs of a change in the clouds. One 
 could wish that all should be out in the air to taste this 
 pleasant sea-breeze while it lasts.” 
 
 “ Come, come,” cried the alderman, who had for a moment 
 studied the state of the heavens with a solicitude that he 
 feared might attract his companion’s attention, “we will taste 
 our breakfast. This is the spot to show the use of teeth ! 
 The negroes have not been idle during the night, Mr. Van 
 Staats — he-e-em — I say, sir, they have not been idle— 
 and we shall have a choice among the dainties of the river 
 and bay.—That cloud above the mouth of Rariton appears 
 to rise, and we may yet have a breeze at west! ” 
 
 “ Yonder comes a boat in the direction of the city,” 
 observed the other, reluctantly obeying a motion of the 
 alderman to retire to the apartment where they were ac¬ 
 customed to break their fasts. (i To me it seems to ap¬ 
 proach with more than ordinary speed.” 
 
 “ There are stout arms at its oars! Can it be a mes¬ 
 senger for the cruiser ! no — it rather steers more for our 
 own landing. These Jersey-men are often overtaken by the 
 night between York and their own doors. And now, 
 Patroon, we will to our knives and forks like men who 
 have taken the best stomachics.” 
 
 “ And are we to refresh ourselves alone ? ” demanded 
 the young man, who ever and anon cast a sidelong and 
 wistful glance at the closed and immovable shutters of La 
 Cour des Fe'es. 
 
 “ Thy mother hath spoilt thee, young Oloff: unless 
 the coffee comes from a pretty female hand, it loses its 
 savour. I take thy meaning, and think none the worse of 
 thee, for the weakness is natural at thy years. Celibacy 
 and independence ! A man must get beyond forty, before 
 
THE WATER WITCH 
 
 123 
 
 he is ever sure of being his own master. Come hither 
 Master Francis. It is time my niece had shaken off this 
 laziness, and shown her bright face to the sun. We wait 
 for her fair services at the table. I see nothing of that 
 lazy hussy Dinah, any more than of her mistress.” 
 
 “ Assurement non, monsieur,” returned the valet. 
 “ Mam’selle Dinah do not love trop d’activite. Mais, 
 monsieur al’erman, elles sont jeunes, toutes le deux ! Le 
 sommeil est bien salutaire pour la jeunesse.” 
 
 “ The girl is no longer in her cradle, Francis, and it 
 is time to rattle at the windows. As for the black minx 
 who should have been up and at her duty this hour, there 
 will be a balance to settle between us. Come, Patroon: 
 — the appetite will not await the laziness of a wilful girl; 
 we will to the table. — Dost think the wind will stand at 
 west this morning ? ” 
 
 Thus saying, the aldefman led the way into the little 
 parlour, where a neat and comfortable service invited them 
 to break their morning fast. He was followed by Oloff 
 Van Staats with a lingering step, for the young man 
 really longed to see the windows of the pavilion open, and 
 the fair face of Alida smiling amid the other beautiful ob¬ 
 jects of the scene. Francois proceeded to take such measures 
 to arouse his mistress as he believed to comport with his 
 duty to her uncle and his own ideas of bienseance. After 
 some little delay the alderman and his guest took their seaU 
 at the table, the former loudly protesting against the neces¬ 
 sity of waiting for the idle, and throwing in an occasional 
 moral concerning the particular merit of punctuality in 
 domestic economy as well as in the affairs of commerce. 
 
 The ancients divided time,” said the somewhat perti¬ 
 nacious commentator, “ into years, months, weeks, days, 
 hours, minutes, and moments, as they divided number# 
 into units, tens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thou-, 
 sands ; and both with an object. If we commence at the 
 bottom, and employ well the moments, Mr. Van Staats, we 
 turn the minutes into tens, the hours into hundreds, and 
 the weeks and months into thousands—ay, and when 
 there is a happy state of trade, into tens of thousands ! 
 Missing an hour, therefore, is somewhat like dropping an 
 
124 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 important figure in a complex calculation, and the whole 
 labour may be useless for want of punctuality in one as for 
 want of accuracy in the other. Your father, the late Pa- 
 troon, was what may be called a minute man. He was as 
 certain to be seen in his pew at church at the stroke of the 
 clock, as to pay a bill when its items had been properly 
 examined. Ah! it was a blessing to hold one of his notes, 
 though they were far scarcer than broad pieces of bullion. 
 I have heard it said, Patroon, that the manor is backed by 
 plenty of Johannes* and Dutch ducats.” 
 
 “ The descendant has no reason to reproach his ances¬ 
 tors for want of foresight.” 
 
 “ Prudently answered — not a word too much nor a 
 word too little: a principle on which all honest men settle 
 their accounts. By proper management such a foundation 
 might be made to uphold an estate that should count thou¬ 
 sands with the best of Holland or England. Growth and 
 majority ! Patroon; but we of the colonies must come to 
 man’s estate in time, like our cousins on the dikes of the 
 Low Countries, or our rulers among the smithies of Eng¬ 
 land.— Erasmus, look at that cloud over the Rariton, and 
 tell me if it rises.” 
 
 The negro reported that the vapour was stationary, and 
 at the same time, by way of episode, he told his master 
 that the boat which had been seen approaching the land 
 had reached the wharf, and that some of its crew were 
 ascending the hill towards the Lust-in-Rust. 
 
 “ Let them come of all hospitality,” returned the aider- 
 man, heartily; “ I warrant me they are honest farmers 
 from the interior, a-hungered with the toil of the night. 
 Go tell the cook to feed them with the best, and bid them 
 welcome. And harkee, boy ; if there be among them any 
 comfortable yeoman, bid the man enter and sit at our table. 
 This is not a country, Pacroon, to be nice about the quality 
 of the cloth a man has on his back, or whether he wears a 
 wig or only his own hair. What is the fellow gaping at ?’ 
 
 Erasmus rubbed his eyes, and then showing his teeth to 
 
 * Previously to the revolution, the colonies had no coin of their own except 
 copper. The proximity of the West Indies, and the trade with the southern 
 parts of the continent, brought a great deal of foreign coin into them, the cir* 
 culation being chiefly composed of Spanish pieces. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 125 
 
 the full extent of a double row that glittered like pearls, he 
 gave his master to understand that the negro introduced to 
 the reader under the name of Euclid, and who was his own 
 brother of the half blood, or by the mother’s Side, was 
 entering the villa. The intelligence caused a sudden cessa¬ 
 tion of the masticating process in the alderman, who had 
 not, however, time to express his wonder ere two doors 
 simultaneously opened, and Francois presented himself at 
 the one, while the shining and doubting face of the slave 
 from town darkened the other. The eyes of Myndert 
 rolled first to this side, and then to that, a certain misgiving 
 of the heart preventing him from speaking to either of the 
 intruders; for he saw, in the disturbed features of each, 
 omens that bade him prepare himself for unwelcome tidings. 
 The reader w r ill perceive, by the description we shall now 
 give, that there was abundant reason for the sagacious 
 burgher’s alarm. 
 
 The visage of the valet, at all times meagre and long, 
 seemed extended to far more than its usual dimensions, the 
 under jaw appearing fallen and trebly attenuated. The 
 light blue protruding eyes were open to the utmost, and 
 they expressed a certain confused wildness that was none 
 the less striking for the painful expression of mental suf¬ 
 fering with which it was mingled. Both hands were raised 
 with the palms outward, while the shoulders of the poor 
 fellow were elevated so high as entirely to destroy the little 
 symmetry that nature had bestowed on that particular part 
 of his frame. 
 
 On the other hand, the look of the negro was guilty, 
 dogged, and cunning. His eye leered askance, seeming to 
 wish to play around the person of his master, as it will be 
 seen his language endeavoured to play around his under¬ 
 standing. The hands crushed the crown of a woollen hat 
 between their fingers, and one of his feet described semi¬ 
 circles with its toe, by performing nervous evolutions on 
 its heel. 
 
 “ Well!” ejaculated Myndert, regarding each in turn ; 
 “ what news from the Canadas? — Is the queen dead, or 
 has she restored the colony to the United Provinces?” 
 
 (c Mam’selle Alide! ” exclaimed, or rather groaned, 
 Francis 
 
126 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 <f The poor dumb beast,” muttered Euclid. 
 
 The knives and the forks fell from the hands of Myndert 
 and his guest as it were by a simultaneous paralysis. The 
 latter involuntarily arose, while the former planted his solid 
 person still more firmly in its seat, like one who was pre¬ 
 paring to meet some severe and expected shock with all 
 the physical resolution he could muster. 
 
 “ What of my niece? — What of my gelding?—You 
 have called upon Dinah ? ” 
 
 “ Sans doute, monsieur.” 
 
 “ And you kept the keys of the stable ? ” 
 
 “ I nebber let him go at all.” 
 
 “ And you bade her call her mistress?” 
 
 “ She no make answair, du tout.” 
 
 <c The animals were fed and watered as I ordered ? ” 
 
 “ Em nebber take he food better.” 
 iC You entered the chamber of my niece yourself to 
 awake her ? ” 
 
 “ Monsieur a raison.” 
 
 “ What the devil has befallen the innocent ? ” 
 
 He lose he stomach quite, and I t’ink it great time 
 ’fore it ebber come back.” 
 
 Mister Francis, I desire to know the answer of Mon¬ 
 sieur Barberie’s daughter?” 
 
 “ Mam’selle no repond, monsieur ; pas un syllabe !” 
 
 “ Physic and fleams! The beauty should have been 
 drenched and blooded.” 
 
 “ He’m too late for dat, masser, on honour.” 
 
 “ The obstinate hussy ! This comes of her Huguenot 
 breed, a race that would quit house and lands rather than 
 change its place of worship.” 
 
 “ La famille de Barberie est honorable, monsieur, mais 
 le grand monarque fut un peu trop exigeant. Vraiment, la 
 dragonade etoit mal avisee, pour faire des chretiens ! ” 
 
 “ Apoplexies and hurry ! you should have sent for the 
 farrier to administer to the sufferer, thou black hound!” 
 
 “ E'm go for a butcher, masser, to save he skin, for he 
 war’ already dead.” 
 
 The word dead produced a sudden pause. The pre¬ 
 ceding dialogue had been so rapid, and question and an- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 127 
 
 swer, no less than the ideas of the principal speaker, had 
 got so confused, that, for a moment, he was actually at a 
 loss to understand whether the last great debt of nature 
 had been paid by la Belle Barberie, cr one of the Flemish 
 geldings. Until now, consternation, as well as the confusion 
 of the interview, had constrained the Patroon to be silent, 
 but he profited by the breathing time to interpose. 
 
 “ It is evident, Mr. Van Beverout,” he said, speaking 
 with a tremor in the voice which betrayed his own uneasi¬ 
 ness, “ that some untoward event has occurred. Perhaps 
 the negro and I had better retire, that you may question 
 Francis concerning that which hath befallen Mademoiselle 
 Barberie more at your leisure.” 
 
 The alderman was recalled from a profound stupor by 
 this gentlemanlike and considerate proposal. He bowed 
 his acknowledgments, and permitted Mr. Van Staats to 
 quit the room ; but when Euclid would have followed, he 
 signed to the negro to remain. 
 
 “ I may have occasion to question thee farther,” he said, 
 in a voice that had lost most of that compass and depth 
 for which it was so remarkable. “ Stand there, sirrah, 
 and be in readiness to answer. And now. Mister Francis, 
 I desire to know why my niece declines taking her break¬ 
 fast with myself and my guest ? ” 
 
 “ Mon JDieu, monsieur, it is not possible y repondre. 
 Les sentiments des demoiselles are nevair decides ! ” 
 
 (i Go then, and say to her, that my sentiments are de¬ 
 cided to curtail certain bequests and devises, which have 
 consulted her interests more than strict justice to others of 
 my blood, ay, and even of my name, might dictate.” 
 
 “ Monsieur y reflechira. Mam’selle Alide be so young 
 personne! ” 
 
 “ Old or young, my mind is made up; and so to your 
 Cour des Fees, and tell the lazy minx as much. Thou 
 hast ridden that innocent, thou scowling imp of darkness!” 
 
 “ Mais, pensez-y, je vous en prie, monsieur. Mam’selle 
 shall nevair se sauver encore; jamais, je vous en repond.” 
 
 “ What is the fellow jabbering about ? ” exclaimed the 
 alderman, whose mouth fell nearly to the degree that ren¬ 
 dered the countenance of the valet so singularly expressive 
 
128 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 of distress. “ Where is my niece, sir ? and what means 
 this allusion to her absence ? ” 
 
 “ La fille de Monsieur de Barberie n’y est pas ! ” cried 
 Francois, whose heart was too full to utter more. The 
 aged and affectionate domestic laid his hand on his breast, 
 with an air of acute suffering, and then, remembering the 
 presence of his superior, he turned, bowed with a manner 
 of profound condolence, struggled manfully with his own 
 emotion, and succeeded in getting out of the room with 
 dignity and steadiness. 
 
 It is due to the character of Alderman Van Beverout to 
 say, that the blow occasioned by the sudden death of the 
 Flemish gelding lost some of its force, in consequence of 
 so unlooked-for a report concerning the inexplicable ab¬ 
 sence of his niece. Euclid was questioned, menaced, and 
 even anathematised, more than once during the next ten 
 minutes; but the cunning slave succeeded in confounding 
 himself so effectually with the rest of his connections of 
 the half blood, during the search which instantly followed 
 the report of Francis, that his crime was partially for¬ 
 gotten. 
 
 * On entering la Cour des Fees, it was, in truth, found to 
 want her whose beauty and grace had lent its chief attrac¬ 
 tion. The outer rooms, which were small, and ordinarily 
 occupied during the day by Francois and the negress called 
 Dinah, and in the night by the latter only, were in the 
 state in which they might be expected to be seen. The 
 apartment of the attendant furnished evidence that its 
 occupant had quitted it in haste, though there was every 
 appearance of her having retired to rest at the usual hour. 
 Clothes were scattered carelessly about, and, though most 
 of her personal effects had disappeared, enough remained 
 to prove that her departure had been hurried and un¬ 
 foreseen. 
 
 On the other hand, the little saloon, with the dressing- 
 room and bed-room of la Belle Barberie, were in a state of 
 the most studied arrangement. Not an article of furniture 
 was displaced, a door ajar, or a window open. The pavi¬ 
 lion had evidently been quitted by its ordinary passage, and 
 the door had been closed in the customary manner, without 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 129 
 
 using the fastenings. The bed had evidently not been en¬ 
 tered, for the linen was smooth and untouched. In short, 
 so complete was the order of the place, that, yielding to a 
 powerful natural feeling, the alderman called aloud on his 
 truant niece by name, as if he expected to see her appear 
 from some place in which she had secreted her person in 
 idle sport. But this touching expedient was vain. The 
 voice sounded hollow through the deserted rooms, and 
 though all waited long to listen, there came no playful or 
 laughing answer back. 
 
 “ Alida ! ” cried the burgher, for the fourth and last 
 time, “ come forth, child; I forgive thee thy idle sport, 
 and all I have said of disinheritance was but a jest. Come 
 forth, my sister’s daughter, and kiss thy old uncle!” 
 
 The Patroon turned aside, as he heard a man so known 
 for his worldliness yielding to the power of nature, and the 
 lord of a hundred thousand acres forgot his own disap¬ 
 pointment, in the force of sympathy. 
 
 “ Let us retire,” he said, gently urging the burgher to 
 quit the place. “ A little reflection will enable us to decide 
 what should be done.” 
 
 The alderman complied. Before quitting the place, 
 however, its closets and drawers were examined, and the 
 search left no further doubts of the step which the young 
 heiress had taken. Her clothes, books, utensils for draw¬ 
 ing, and even the lighter instruments of music, had dis¬ 
 appeared. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Av, that way goes the game : 
 
 Now 1 perceive that she hath made compare 
 
 Between our statures. Midsummer Night's Bream . 
 
 The tide of existence floats downward, and with it go, in 
 their greatest strength, all those affections that unite fami¬ 
 lies and kindred. We learn to know our parents in the 
 fulness of their reason, and commonly in the perfection of 
 their bodily strength. Reverence and respect mingle with 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 our love; but the affection with which we watch the help¬ 
 lessness of infancy, the interest with which we see the 
 ingenuous and young profiting by our care, the pride of 
 improvement, and the magic of hope, create an intensity 
 of sympathy in their favour, that almost equals the iden¬ 
 tity of self-love. There is a mysterious and double exist¬ 
 ence in the tie that binds the parent to the child. With a 
 volition and passions of its own, the latter has power to 
 plant a sting in the bosom of the former, that shall wound 
 as acutely as the errors which arise from mistakes, almost 
 from crimes of its own. But, when the misconduct of the 
 descendant can be traced to neglect, or to a vicious instruc¬ 
 tion, then, indeed, even the pang of a wounded conscience 
 may be added to the sufferings of those who have gone 
 before. Such, in some measure, was the nature of the 
 pain that Alderman Van Beverout was condemned to feel, 
 when at leisure to reflect on the ill-judged measure that 
 had been taken by la Belle Barberie. 
 
 “ She was a pleasant and coaxing minx, Patroon/ > said 
 the burgher, pacing the room they occupied with a quick 
 and heavy step, and speaking unconsciously of his niece, 
 as of one already beyond the interests of life, “ and as 
 wilful and headstrong as an unbroken colt. — Thou hard- 
 riding imp ! I shall never find a match for the poor dis¬ 
 consolate survivor.—But the girl had a thousand agreeable 
 and delightful ways with her, that made her the delight of 
 my old days. She has not done wisely to desert the friend 
 and guardian of her youth, ay, even of her childhood, in 
 order to seek protection from strangers. This is an un¬ 
 happy world, Mr. Van Staats ! All our calculations come 
 to nought, and it is in the power of Fortune to reverse the 
 most reasonable and wisest of our expectations. A gale of 
 wind drives the richly-freighted ship to the bottom ; a 
 sudden fall in the markets robs us of our gold as the No¬ 
 vember wind strips the oak of its leaves; and bankruptcies 
 and decayed credit often afflict the days of the oldest houses, 
 like disease sapping the strength of the body. — Alida ! 
 Alida ! thou hast wounded one that never harmed thee, 
 and rendered my age miserable !” 
 
 It is vain to contend with the inclinations, returned 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 131 
 
 the proprietor of the manor, sighing in a manner that did 
 no discredit to the sincerity of his remark. “ I could have 
 been happy to have placed your niece in the situation that 
 my respected mother filled with so much dignity and 
 credit, but it is now too late-” 
 
 “We don’t know that;—we don’t know that,” inter¬ 
 rupted the alderman, who still clung to the hope of effect¬ 
 ing the first great wish of his heart, with the pertinacity 
 with which he would have clung to the terms of any other 
 fortunate bargain; “ we should never despair, Mr. Van 
 Staats, as long as the transaction is left open.” 
 
 “ The manner in which Mademoiselle Barberie has ex¬ 
 pressed her preference is so very decided, that I see no 
 hope of completing the arrangement.” 
 
 “ Mere coquetry, sir, mere coquetry! The girl has 
 disappeared, in order to enhance the value of her future 
 submission. One should never regard a treaty at an end, 
 so long as reasonable hopes remain that it may be produc¬ 
 tive to the parties.” 
 
 “ I fear, sir, there is more of the coquette in this step 
 of the young lady, than a gentleman can overlook,” re¬ 
 turned the Patroon, a little drily, and with far more point 
 than he was accustomed to use. “ If the commander of 
 her majesty’s cruiser be not a happy man, he will not have 
 occasion to reproach his mistress with disdain !” 
 
 “ I am not certain, Mr. Van Staats, that in the actual 
 situation of our stipulations I ought to overlook an innuendo 
 that seems to reflect on the discretion of my ward. Captain 
 Ludlow—Well, sirrah, what is the meaning of this 
 impertinence ? ” 
 
 “ He’m waiting to see masser,” returned the gaping 
 Erasmus, who stood with the door in his hand, admiring 
 the secret intelligence of his master, who had so readily 
 anticipated his errand. 
 
 “ Who is waiting ?—What does the simpleton mean ?” 
 
 “ I mean, a gentle’um masser say.” 
 
 “ The fortunate man is here to remind us of his suc¬ 
 cess,” haughtily observed Van Staats of Kinderhook. 
 
 There can be no necessity of my presence at an inter- 
 
 k 2 
 
1S2 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 view between Alderman Van Beverout and his new 
 nephew. ” 
 
 The justly mortified Patroon bowed ceremoniously to 
 the equally disappointed burgher, and he left the room the 
 moment he had done speaking. The negro took his retreat 
 as a favourable symptom for one who was generally known 
 to be his rival, and he hastened to inform the young 
 captain that the coast was clear. 
 
 The meeting that instantly succeeded was sufficiently 
 constrained and awkward. Alderman Van Beverout as¬ 
 sumed a manner of offended authority and wounded affec¬ 
 tion, w r hile the officer of the queen wore an air of compelled 
 submission to a duty that he found to be disagreeable. 
 The introduction of the discourse was consequently cere¬ 
 monious, and punctiliously observant of courtesy. 
 
 <( It has become my office,” continued Ludlow, after the 
 preliminaries had been observed, “ to express the surprise 
 I feel that a vessel of the exceedingly equivocal appearance 
 of the brigantine that is anchored in the cove, should be 
 found in a situation to create unpleasant suspicions con¬ 
 cerning the commercial propriety of a merchant so well 
 known as Mr. Alderman Van Beverout.’’ 
 
 “ The credit of Myndert Van Beverout is too well esta¬ 
 blished, Captain Cornelius Ludlow, to be affected by the 
 accidental position of ships and bays. I see two vessels 
 anchored near the Lust-in-Rust, and if called upon to give 
 my testimony before the queen in council, I should de¬ 
 clare that the one which wears her royal pendant had done 
 more wrong to her subjects than the stranger. But what 
 harm is known of the latter ? ” 
 
 ftr I shall not conceal any of the facts, for I feel that 
 this is a case m which a gentleman of your station has the 
 
 fullest right to the benefit of explanations-” 
 
 Hem — ” interrupted the burgher, who disliked the 
 manner in which his companion had opened the interview, 
 and who thought he saw the commencement of a forced 
 compromise in the turn it was taking— C( Hem—I com¬ 
 mend your moderation. Captain Ludlow. Sir, we are 
 flattered in having a native of the province in so honour¬ 
 able a command on the coast. Be seated, I pray you. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 133 
 
 young gentleman, that we may converse more at leisure. 
 The Ludlows are an ancient and a well-established family 
 in the colonies, and though they were no friends of King 
 Charles, why we have others here in the same predica¬ 
 ment. There are few crowns in Europe that might not 
 trace some of their discontented subjects to these colonies, 
 and the greater the reason, say I, why we should not be 
 too hasty in giving faith to the wisdom of this European 
 legislation. I do not pretend, sir, to admire all the com¬ 
 mercial regulations which flow from the wisdom of her 
 majesty’s counsellors. Candour forbids that I should deny 
 this truth—but what of the brigantine in the cove ?” 
 
 “ It is not necessary to tell one so familiar with the 
 affairs of commerce of the character of a vessel called the 
 Water Witch, nor of that of its lawless commander, the 
 notorious Skimmer of the Seas.” 
 
 “ Captain Ludlow is not about to accuse Alderman Van 
 Beverout of a connection with such a man !” exclaimed 
 the burgher, rising as it were involuntarily, and actually 
 recoiling a foot or two, apparently under the force of in¬ 
 dignation and surprise. 
 
 V Sir, I am not commissioned to accuse any of the 
 queen’s subjects. My duty is to guard her interests on 
 the water, to oppose her open enemies, and to uphold her 
 royal prerogatives. ” 
 
 “ An honourable employment, and one I doubt not that 
 is honourably discharged. Resume your seat, sir, for I 
 foresee that the conference is likely to end as it should 
 between a son of the late very respectable king’s counsellor 
 and his father’s friend. You have reason, then, for think¬ 
 ing that this brigantine, which has so suddenly appeared in 
 the cove, has some remote connection with the Skimmer of 
 the Seas !” 
 
 “ I believe the vessel to be the famous Water Witch 
 itself, and her commander to be, of course, that well-known 
 adventurer.” 
 
 “ Well, sir—-well, sir — this may be so. It is im¬ 
 possible for me to deny it; but what should such a repro¬ 
 bate be doing here, under the guns of a queen’s cruiser ? ” 
 
 k 3 
 
134 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 ic Mr. Alderman, my admiration of your niece is not 
 unknown to you.” 
 
 (C I have suspected it, sir,” returned the burgher, who 
 believed the tenour of the compromise was getting clearer, 
 but who still waited to know the exact value of the conces¬ 
 sions the other party would make, before he closed a bar¬ 
 gain in a hurry, of which he might repent at his leisure 
 — “ indeed, it has even been the subject of some discourse 
 between us.” 
 
 “ This admiration induced me to visit your villa the 
 past night. ” 
 
 “ This is a fact but too well established, young gentle¬ 
 man.” 
 
 “ Whence I took away—” Ludlow hesitated, as if 
 anxious to select his words,— 
 
 ec Alida Barberie.” 
 
 “ Alida Barberie ! ” 
 
 “ Ay, sir; my niece or perhaps I should say my heiress, 
 as well as the heiress of old Etienne de Barberie. The 
 cruise was short, Captain Cornelius Ludlow, but the prize- 
 money will be ample — unless, indeed, a elaim to neutral 
 privileges should be established in favour of part of the 
 cargo ! ” 
 
 “ Sir, your pleasantry is amusing, but I have little 
 leisure for its enjoyment. That I visited the Cour des 
 Fees shall not be denied. I think la Barberie will not be 
 offended, under the circumstances, with this acknowledg¬ 
 ment.” 
 
 “ If she is, the jade has a rare squeamishness, after 
 what has passed ! ’’ 
 
 “ I pretend not to judge of more than my duty. The 
 desire to serve my royal mistress had induced me, Mr. Van 
 Beverout, to cause a seaman of odd attire and audacious 
 deportment to enter the Coquette. You will know the 
 man, when I tell you he was your companion in the island 
 ferry-boat.” 
 
 Yes, yes, I confess there was a mariner of the long 
 voyage there, who caused much surprise and some uneasi¬ 
 ness to myself and niece, as well as to Van Staats of 
 Kinderhook.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 135 
 
 Ludlow smiled like one not to be deceived, as he conti¬ 
 nued, — 
 
 “ Well, sir, this man so far succeeded as to tempt me 
 to suffer him to land, under the obligation of some half- 
 extorted promise — we came into the river together, and 
 we entered your grounds in company.” 
 
 Alderman Van Beverout now began to listen like a man 
 who dreaded, while he desired to catch each syllable. 
 Observing that Ludlow paused and watched his counte¬ 
 nance with a cool and steady eye, he recovered his self- 
 command, and affected a more ordinary curiosity, while he 
 signed to him to proceed. 
 
 “ I am not sure I tell Alderman Van Beverout any thing 
 that is new,” resumed the young officer, “ when I add, 
 that the fellow suffered me to visit the pavilion, and then 
 contrived to lead me into an ambush of lawless men, 
 having previously succeeded in making captives of my 
 boat’s crew.” 
 
 “ Seizures and warrants! ” exclaimed the burgher, in his 
 natural, strong, and hasty manner of speaking. (( This is 
 the first I have heard of the affair. It was ill-judged, to 
 call it by no other term/’ 
 
 Ludlow seemed relieved, when he saw. by the undis¬ 
 guised amazement of his companion, that the latter was 
 in truth ignorant of the manner in which he had been 
 detained. 
 
 u It might not have been, sir, had our watch been as 
 vigilant as their artifice was deep,” he continued. <e But 
 I was little guarded, and having no means to reach my 
 ship, I-” 
 
 “ Ay, ay, Captain Ludlow ; it is not necessary to be so 
 circumstantial; you proceeded to the wharf, and-” 
 
 “ Perhaps, sir, I obeyed my feelings rather than my 
 duty,” observed Ludlow, colouring high, when he perceived 
 that the burgher paused to clear his throat. “ I returned 
 to the pavilion, where-” 
 
 “ You persuaded a niece to forget her duty to her uncle 
 and protector ? ” 
 
 <e This is a harsh and most unjustifiable charge, both 
 as respects the young lady and myself. I can distinguish 
 
 k 4 
 
136 
 
 THE WATER WITCH 
 
 between a very natural desire to possess articles of com¬ 
 merce that are denied by the laws, and a more deliberate 
 and mercenary plot against the revenue of the country. 
 I believe there are few of her years and sex, who would 
 refuse to purchase the articles I saw presented to the eyes 
 of la Belle Barberie, especially when the utmost hazard 
 could be no more than their loss, as they were already 
 introduced into the country.” 
 
 “ A just discrimination, and one likely to render the 
 arrangement of our little affairs less difficult! I was sure 
 that my old friend the counsellor would not have left a son 
 of his ignorant of principles, more especially as he was 
 about to embark in a profession of so much responsibility.— 
 And so my niece had really the imprudence to entertain a 
 dealer in contraband ? ” 
 
 (C Alderman Van Beverout, there were boats in motion 
 on the water, between this landing and the brigantine in 
 the cove. A periagua even left the river for the city, at 
 the extraordinary hour of midnight! ” 
 
 “ Sir, boats will move on the water when the hands of 
 man set them in motion; but what have 1 to answer for in 
 the matter? If goods have entered the provinces without 
 licence, why they must be found and condemned ; and if 
 free traders are on the coast, they should be caught. Would 
 it not be well to proceed to town and lay the fact of this 
 strange brigantine’s presence before the governor without 
 delay ? ” 
 
 “ I have other intentions. If, as you say, goods have 
 gone up the bay, it is too late for me to stop them, but it 
 is not too late to attempt to seize yon brigantine. Now I 
 would perform this duty in a manner as little likely to 
 offend any of reputable name as my allegiance will admit.’’ 
 
 Sir, I extol this discretion—not that there is any 
 testimony to implicate more than the crew; but credit is a 
 delicate flower, and it should be handled tenderly. I see 
 an opening for an arrangement—but we will, as in duty 
 bound, hear your propositions first, since you may be said 
 to speak with the authority of the queen. I will merely 
 surmise that terms should be moderate between friends; — 
 perhaps, I should say, between connections. Captain LucC 
 low." 
 
TIIE WATER WITCH. 
 
 137 
 
 “ I am flattered by the word, sir,” returned the young 
 sailor, smiling with an expression of delight. <l First suffer 
 me to be admitted to the charming Cour des Fees but for 
 a moment.” 
 
 “ That is a favour which can hardly be refused you, 
 who may be said to have a right now to enter the pavilion 
 at pleasure,” returned the alderman, unhesitatingly leading 
 the way through the long passage to the deserted apart¬ 
 ments of his niece, and continuing the blind allusions to 
 the affairs of the preceding night, in the same indirect 
 manner as had distinguished the dialogue during the whole 
 interview. “ I shall not be unreasonable, young gentleman, 
 and here is the pavilion of my niece; I wish I could add, 
 and here also is its mistress !” 
 
 “ And is la Belle Barberie no longer a tenant of la Cour 
 des Fees?” demanded Ludlow, in a surprise too natural to 
 be feigned. 
 
 Alderman Van Beverout regarded the young man in 
 wonder; pondered a moment to consider how far denying 
 a knowledge of the absence of his niece might benefit the 
 officer in the pending negotiation, and then he drily ob¬ 
 served, “ Boats passed on the water during the night. If 
 the men of Captain Ludlow were at first imprisoned, I pre¬ 
 sume they were set at liberty at the proper time ? ” 
 
 “ They are carried I know not whither—the boat itself 
 is gone, and I am here alone.” 
 
 (C Am I to understand. Captain Ludlow, that Alida Bar¬ 
 berie has not fled my house during the past night to seek a 
 refuge in your ship ? ” 
 
 “ Fled! ” echoed the young man, in a voice of horror. 
 
 Has Alida de Barberie fled from the house of her uncle, 
 at all ? ” 
 
 “ Captain Ludlow, this is not acting. On the honour of 
 a gentleman, are you ignorant of my niece’s absence ? ” 
 
 The young commander did not answer, but, striking his 
 head fiercely, he smothered words that were unintelligible 
 to his companion. When this momentary burst of feeling 
 was past, he sunk into a chair, and gazed about him in 
 stupid amazement. All this pantomime was inexplicable to 
 the alderman who, however, began to see that more of the 
 
138 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 conditions of the arrangement in hand, were beyond the 
 control of his companion than he had at first believed. Still 
 the plot thickened rather than grew clear, and he was afraid 
 to speak, lest he might utter more than was prudent. The 
 silence, therefore, continued for quite a minute, during 
 which time the parties sat gazing at each other in dull 
 wonder. 
 
 <f I shall not deny, Captain Ludlow, that I believed 
 you had prevailed on my niece to fly aboard the Coquette; 
 for, though a man who has always kept his feelings in his 
 own command, as the safest manner of managing particular 
 interests, yet I am not to learn that rash youth is often 
 guilty of folly. I am now equally at a loss with yourself 
 to know what has become of her, since here she is not.” 
 
 “ Hold ! ” eagerly interrupted Ludlow. ee A boat left 
 your wharf for the city, in the earlier hours of the morn¬ 
 ing : is it not possible that she may have taken a passage 
 in it?” 
 
 “ It is not possible. I have reasons to know—in short, 
 sir, she is not there.” 
 
 “ Then is the unfortunate, the lovely, the indiscreet 
 girl, for ever lost to herself and us ! ” exclaimed the young 
 sailor, actually groaning under his mental agony. “ Rash, 
 mercenary man ! to what an act of madness has this thirst 
 of gold driven one so fair — would I could say, so pure 
 and so innocent! ” 
 
 But while the distress of the lover was thus violent, and 
 caused him to be so little measured in his terms of re¬ 
 proach, the uncle of the fair offender appeared to be lost in 
 surprise. Though la Belle Barberie had so well preserved 
 the decorum and reserve of her sex, as to leave even her 
 suitors in doubt of the way her inclinations tended, the 
 watchful alderman had long suspected that the more ardent, 
 open, and manly commander of the Coquette was likely to 
 triumph over one so cold in exterior and so cautious in his 
 advances as the Patroon of Kinderhook. When, there¬ 
 fore, it became apparent Alida had disappeared, he quite 
 naturally inferred that she had taken the simplest manner 
 of defeating all his plans for favouring the suit of the 
 latter, by throwing herself at once into the arms of the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 139 
 
 young sailor. The laws of the colonies offered few obsta¬ 
 cles to the legality of their union; and when Ludlow ap¬ 
 peared that morning, he firmly believed that he beheld 
 one who, if he were not so already, was inevitably soon to 
 become his nephew. But the suffering of the disappointed 
 youth could not he counterfeited ; and, prevented from ad¬ 
 hering to his first opinion, the perplexed alderman seemed 
 utterly at a loss to conjecture what could have become of 
 his niece. Wonder rather than pain possessed him, and 
 when he suffered his ample chin to repose on the finger 
 and thumb of one hand, it was with the air of a man that 
 revolved in his mind all the plausible points of some knotty 
 question. 
 
 Holes and corners!” he muttered, after a long silence, 
 “ the wilful minx cannot be playing at hide and seek with 
 her friends ! The hussy had ever too much of la famille 
 de Barberie, and her high Norman blood about her, as that 
 silly old valet has it, to stoop to such childish trifling. 
 Gone she certainly is,” he continued, looking again into 
 the empty drawers and closets, “ and with her the valuables 
 have disappeared. The guitar is missing—the lute I sent 
 across the ocean to purchase, an excellently toned Dutch 
 lute, that cost every stiver of one hundred guilders, is also 
 wanting, and all the — hem — the recent accessions have 
 disappeared. And there, too, are my sister’s jewels, that I 
 persuaded her to bring along, to guard against accidents 
 while our backs are turned, they are not to be seen. 
 Francois ! Francois ! thou long-tried servitor of Etienne 
 Barberie, what the devil has become of thy mistress ?” 
 
 “ Mais, monsieur,” returned the disconsolate valet, 
 whose decent features exhibited all the signs of unequivocal 
 suffering, (< she no tell le pauvre Francois! En sup- 
 posant, que monsieur ask le capitaine, he shall probable- 
 ment know.” 
 
 The burgher cast a quick suspicious glance at Ludlow, 
 and shook his head to express his belief that the young 
 man was true. 
 
 “ Go ; desire Mr. Van Staats of Kinderhook to favour 
 us with his company.” 
 
 “ Hold,” cried Ludlow, motioning to the valet to with- 
 
140 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 draw. (C Mr. Beverout, an uncle should be tender of the 
 errors of one so dear as this cruel, unreflecting girl. You 
 cannot think of abandoning her to so frightful a fortune! ” 
 
 “ I am not addicted to abandoning any thing, sir, to 
 which my title is just and legal. But you speak in 
 enigmas. If you are acquainted with the place where my 
 niece is secreted, avow it frankly, and permit me to take 
 those measures which the case requires.” 
 
 Ludlow reddened to his forehead, and he struggled pow¬ 
 erfully with his pride and his regrets. 
 
 “ It is useless to attempt concealing the step which Alida 
 Barberie has been pleased to take,” he said, a smile so 
 bitter passing over his features, as to lend them the expres¬ 
 sion of severe mockery : “ she has chosen more worthily 
 than either of us could have believed ; she has found a 
 companion more suited to her station, her character, and 
 her sex, than Van Staats of Kinderhook, or a poor com¬ 
 mander of a queen’s ship ! ” 
 
 “ Cruisers and manors ! what in the name of mysteries 
 is thy meaning ? The girl is not here; you declare she is 
 not on board of the Coquette, and there remains only-” 
 
 “ The brigantine! ” groaned the young sailor, uttering 
 the word by a violent effort of the will. 
 
 “ The brigantine! ” repeated the alderman, slowly. 
 “ My niece can have nothing to do aboard a dealer in con¬ 
 traband. That is to say, Alida Barberie is not a trader.” 
 
 £e Alderman Van Beverout, if we wish to escape the 
 contamination of vice, its society must be avoided. There 
 was one in the pavilion of a mien and assurance the past 
 night that might delude an angel. Ah, woman ! woman ! 
 thy mind is composed of vanities, and thy imagination is 
 thy bitterest foe!” 
 
 <c Women and vanities!” echoed the amazed burghei, 
 ce My niece, the heiress of old Etienne Marie de Barberie, 
 she who is sought by so many of honourable names and re¬ 
 spectable professions, to be a refugee with a rover !—always 
 supposing your opinions of the character of the brigantine 
 to be just. The conjecture is too improbable to be true.” 
 
 “ The eye of a lover, sir, may be keener than that of a 
 guardian — call it jealousy, if you will — would to Heaven 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 141 
 
 my suspicions were untrue ! — but if she be not there, 
 where is she ? ” 
 
 The opinion of the alderman seemed staggered. If la 
 Belle Barberie had not yielded to the fascinations of that 
 wayward but seductive eye and smile, to that singular 
 beauty of face, and to the secret and often irresistible 
 charm that encircles eminent personal attractions when 
 aided by mystery, to what had she yielded, and whither 
 had she fled ? 
 
 These were reflections that now began to pass through 
 tire thoughts of the alderman, as they had already planted 
 stings in the bosom of Ludlow. With reflection, convic¬ 
 tion began slowly to assert its power. But the truth did 
 not gleam upon the mind of the calculating and wary mer¬ 
 chant with the same instinctive readiness that it had flashed 
 upon the jealous faculties of the lover. He pondered on 
 each circumstance of the interview between the dealer in 
 contraband and his niece, recalled the manner and dis¬ 
 course of the former, drew certain general and vague con¬ 
 jectures concerning the power which novelty, when coupled 
 by circumstances of romance, might exercise over a female 
 fancy, and dwelt long and secretly on some important facts 
 that were alone known to himself, before his judgment 
 finally settled down into the same opinion as that which 
 his companion had formed with the ready sensitiveness of 
 jealous alarm. 
 
 “ Woman and vagaries!” muttered the burgher, after 
 his study was ended. “ Their conceits are as uncertain as 
 the profits of a whaling voyage, or the luck of a sportsman. 
 Captain Ludlow, your assistance will be needed in this 
 affair; and as it may not be too late, since there are few 
 priests in the brigantine — always supposing her character 
 to be what you affirm — my niece may yet see her error, 
 and be disposed to reward so much assiduity and attach¬ 
 ment.” 
 
 My services shall always be ready, so long as they can 
 be useful to Alida Barberie,” returned the young officer 
 with ha^te, and yet a little coldly. “ It will be time 
 enough to speak of the reward when we shall have suc¬ 
 ceeded.” 
 
142 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ The less noise that is made about a little domestic 
 inconvenience like this, the better ; and I would, therefore, 
 suggest the propriety of keeping our suspicions of the cha¬ 
 racter of the vessel a secret, until we shall be better in¬ 
 formed.” 
 
 The captain bowed assent. 
 
 te And now that we are of the same mind in the preli¬ 
 minaries, we will seek the Patroon of Kinderhook, who has 
 a claim to participate in our confidence.” 
 
 Myndert then led the way from the empty and me¬ 
 lancholy Cour des Fees, with a step that had regained its 
 busy and firm tread, and a countenance that expressed far 
 more of vexation and weariness than of real sorrow. 
 
 END OF TETC FIRST VOLUME. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 143 
 
 VOLUME THE SECOND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 I’ll give thee a wind. 
 
 Thou art kind. 
 
 And I another. 
 
 I myself have all the other. Macbeth. 
 
 The cloud above the mouth of the Rariton had not 
 risen. On the contrary, the breeze still came from off 
 the sea, and the brigantine in the cove, with the cruiser 
 of the queen, still lay at their anchors, like two floating 
 habitations that were not intended to be removed. The 
 hour was that at which the character of the day becomes 
 fixed, and there was no longer any expectation that a land 
 wind would enable the vessel of the free-trader to repass 
 the inlet before the turn of the tide, which was again run¬ 
 ning swiftly on the flood. 
 
 The windows of the Lust-in-Rust were open, as when 
 its owner was present, and the menials were employed in 
 and about the villa in their customary occupations ; though 
 it was evident, by the manner in which they stopped to 
 converse, and by the frequent conferences which had place 
 in secret corners, that they wondered none the less at the 
 unaccountable disappearance of their young mistress. In 
 all other respects the villa and its grounds were, as usual, 
 quiet and seemingly deserted. 
 
 But there was a group collected beneath the shade of an 
 oak on the margin of the cove, and at a point where it was 
 rare for man to be seen. This little party appeared to be 
 in waiting for some expected communication from the 
 brigantine, since they had taken post on the side of the 
 
144 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 Inlet next the cape, and in a situation so retired as to be 
 entirely hid from any passing observation of those who 
 might enter or leave the mouth of the Shrewsbury. In 
 short, they were on the long, low, and narrow barrier of 
 sand that now forms the projection of the Hook, and which, 
 by the temporary breach that the cove had made between 
 its own waters and that of the ocean, was then an island. 
 
 <e Snug should be the motto of a merchant,” observed 
 one of these individuals, whose opinions will sufficiently 
 announce his name to the reader. “ He should be snug in 
 his dealings, and snug in his manner of conducting them ; 
 snug in his credits, and, above all, snug in his speculations. 
 There is as little need, gentlemen, in calling the aid of a 
 posse comitatus for a sensible man to keep his household in 
 order, as that a discreet trader should go whistling through 
 the public markets with the history of his operations. I 
 gladly court two so worthy assistants as Captain Cornelius 
 Ludlow and Mr. Oloff Van Staats, for I know there will 
 be no useless gossip concerning the trifling derangement 
 that hath occurred. Ah! the black hath had communi¬ 
 cations with the free-trader—always supposing the opinion 
 of Mr. Ludlow concerning the character of the vessel to be 
 just — and he is Quitting the brigantine.” 
 
 Neither of the companions of tne alderman made any 
 reply. Each watched the movement of the skiff that con¬ 
 tained their messenger, and each seemed to feel an equal 
 interest in the result of his errand. Instead, however, of 
 approaching the spot where his master and his two friends 
 expected him, the negro, though he knew that his boat was 
 necessary to enable the party to recross the inlet, pulled 
 directly for the mouth of the river, a course that was 
 exactly contrary to the one he was expected to take. 
 
 “ Rank disobedience!” grumbled the incensed master. 
 “ The irreverent dog is deserting us on this neck of barren 
 sand, where we are cut off from all communication with 
 the interior, and are as completely without intelligence of 
 the state of the market and other necessaries, as it might 
 be expressed, as men in a desert! ” 
 
 “ Here comes one that seems disposed to bring us to a 
 parley,” observed Ludlow, whose practised eye had first 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 145 
 
 detected a boat quitting the side of the brigantine, as well 
 as the direction it was about to steer. 
 
 The young commander was not deceived, for a ligh. 
 cutter, that played like a bubble on its element, was soon 
 approaching the spot on the shore where the three expect¬ 
 ants were seated. When it was near enough to render 
 sight perfectly distinct, and speech audible without an 
 effort, the crew ceased rowing, and permitted the boat to 
 lie in a state of rest. The mariner of the India shawl then 
 arose in the stern sheets, and examined the thicket behind 
 the party with a curious and suspicious eye. After a suf¬ 
 ficient search, he signed to his crew to force the cutter still 
 nigher to the land, and spoke. 
 
 “ Who has affairs with any of the ' brigantine ? ” he 
 coolly demanded, wearing the air of one who had no reason 
 to anticipate the object of their visit. “ She has little left 
 that can turn to profit, unless she parts with her beauty. 5 * 
 iC Truly, good stranger, 55 returned the alderman, laying 
 a sufficient emphasis on the latter word, “ here are none 
 disposed to a traffic, which might not be pleasing to the 
 authorities of the country, were its nature known. We 
 come with a desire to be admitted to a conference with 
 the commander of the vessel, on a matter of especial, but 
 private concern.” 
 
 <£ Why send a public officer on the duty ? I see one 
 there in the livery of Queen Anne. We are no lovers of 
 her majesty’s servants, and would not willingly form dis¬ 
 agreeable acquaintances.” 
 
 Ludlow nearly bit through his lip, in endeavouring to 
 repress his anger at the cool confidence of one who had 
 already treated him with so little ceremony ; and then 
 momentarily forgetting his object in professional pride, 
 and perhaps we might add, in the habits of his rank, he 
 interrupted the dialogue. 
 
 If you see the livery of the royal authority, 55 he said, 
 haughtily, “ you must be sensible it is worn by one who 
 is commissioned to cause its rights to be respected. I de¬ 
 mand the name and character of yon brigantine ? ” 
 
 “ As for character, she is, like any other beauty, some¬ 
 thing vituperated; nay, some carry their envy so far, as 
 
 L 
 
146 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 to call it cracked ! But we are jolly mariners that sail 
 her, and little heed crazy reports at the expense of our 
 mistress. As for a name, we answer any hail that is 
 fairly spoken and well meant. Call us f Honesty’ if you 
 will, for want of the register.” 
 
 “ There is much reason to suspect your vessel of illegal 
 practices, and in the name of the queen, I demand access 
 to her papers, and the liberty of a free search into her 
 cargo and crew. Else will there be necessity to bring her 
 under the guns of the cruiser which lies at no great dis¬ 
 tance, waiting only for orders.” 
 
 “ It takes no scholar to read our documents. Captain 
 Ludlow, for they are written by a light keel on the rolling 
 waters, and he who follows in our wake may guess at their 
 authority. If you wish to overhaul our cargo, you must 
 look sharply into the cuffs and aprons, the negligees and 
 stomachers of the governor’s lady, at the next ball at the 
 fort ; or pry into the sail that is set above the farthingales 
 of the wife and daughters of your admiralty judge ! We 
 are no cheesemongers, to break the shins of a boarding 
 officer against boxes and butter-tubs.” 
 
 “ Your brigantine has a name, sirrah, and with her 
 majesty’s authority I demand to know it?” 
 
 “ Heaven forbid that any here should dispute the 
 queen’s right! You are a seaman, Captain Ludlow, and 
 have an eye for comeliness in a craft, as well as in a 
 woman. Look at those harpings ! There is no fall of a 
 shoulder can equal that curve in grace or richness ; this 
 sheer surpasses the justness and delicacy of any waist; and 
 there you see the transoms, swelling and rounded like the 
 outlines of a Venus. Ah ! she is a bewitching creature, 
 and no wonder that, floating as she does on the seas, they 
 should have called her-” 
 
 “ Water Witch !” said Ludlow, finding that the other 
 paused. 
 
 “ You deserve to be one of the sisterhood yourself. 
 Captain Ludlow, for so much readiness in divination ! ” 
 
 “ Amazement and surprise, Patroon !” exclaimed Myn- 
 dert, with a tremendous hem. “ Here is a discovery to 
 give a respectable merchant more uneasiness than the un- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 147 
 
 dutiful conduct of fifty nieces ! This vessel is then the 
 famous brigantine of the notorious Skimmer of the Seas, 
 a man whose misdeeds in commerce are as universally 
 noted as the stoppage of a general dealer ! Pray, Master 
 Mariner, do not distrust our purposes. We do not come, 
 sent by any authority of the country, to pry into your past 
 transactions, of which it is quite unnecessary for you to 
 speak, and far less to indulge in any unlawful thirst of 
 gain, by urging a traffic that is forbidden by the law. We 
 wish solely to confer, for a few minutes, with the celebrated 
 free-trader and rover, who must, if your account be true, 
 command the vessel, on an affair of common interest to 
 the three. This officer of the queen is obliged, by his 
 duty, to make certain demands of you, with which you 
 will comply or not, at your own good discretion ; and 
 since her majesty’s cruiser is so far beyond reach of bullet, 
 it cannot be expected you will do otherwise ; but further 
 than that, he has no present intention to proceed. Cap¬ 
 tain Ludlow, we must speak the man fair, or he will leave 
 us to get over the inlet, and back to the Lust-in-Rust as 
 we may, and that, too, as empty handed as we came. Re¬ 
 member our stipulations, without observing which I shall 
 withdraw from the adventure altogether.” 
 
 Ludlow bit his lip and continued silent. The seaman 
 of the shawl, or Master Tiller, as he has been more than 
 once called, again narrowly examined the back-ground, 
 and caused his boat to approach so near the land, that it 
 was possible to step into it by the stern. 
 
 " Enter,” he said to the captain of the Coquette, who 
 needed no second invitation ; “ enter, for a valuable hostage 
 is a safe pledge in a truce. The Skimmer is no enemy to 
 good company, and I have done justice to the queen’s 
 servitor, by introducing him already by name and cha¬ 
 racter.” 
 
 “ Fellow, the success of your deception may cause 
 you to triumph, for a time, but remember that the Co¬ 
 quette -” 
 
 “ Is a wholesome boat, whose abilities I have taken to 
 the admeasurement of her moment glass,” observed Tiller, 
 very coolly taking the words out of the other’s mouth. 
 
14S 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ But as there is business to be done with the Skimmer, 
 we will speak more of this anon.” 
 
 The mariner of the shawl, who had maintained his 
 former audacious demeanour, now became grave, and he 
 spoke to his crew with authority, bidding them pull the 
 boat to the side of the brigantine. 
 
 The exploits, the mysterious character, and the daring 
 of the Water Witch, and of him who sailed her, were, in 
 that day, the frequent subjects of anger, admiration, and 
 surprise. Those who found pleasure in the marvellous, 
 listened to the wonders that were recounted of her speed 
 and boldness, with pleasure ; they who had been so often 
 foiled in their attempts to arrest the hardy de-alers in con¬ 
 traband, reddened at her name ; and all wondered at the 
 success and intelligence with which her movements were 
 controlled. It will, therefore, create an astonishment when 
 we say that Ludlow and the Patroon drew near to the light 
 and graceful fabric, with no interest that deepened at each 
 stroke of the oars. So much of a profession which, in that 
 age, was particularly marked and apart from the rest of 
 mankind, had been interwoven into the character of the 
 former, that he could not see the just proportions, the 
 graceful outlines of the hull, or the exquisite symmetry 
 and neatness of the spars and rigging, without experiencing 
 a feeling somewhat allied to that which undeniable supe¬ 
 riority excites in the heart of even a rival. There was also 
 a taste in the style of the merely ornamental parts of the 
 delicate machine, which caused as much surprise as her 
 model and rig. 
 
 Seamen in all ages, and in every state of their art, have 
 been ambitious of bestowing on their floating habitations 
 style of decoration which, while appropriate to their ele¬ 
 ment, should be thought somewhat analogous to the archi¬ 
 tectural ornaments of the land. Piety, superstition, and 
 national usages affect these characteristic ornaments, which 
 are still seen, in different quarters of the world, occasioning 
 broad distinctions between the appearances of vessels. In 
 one, the rudder-head is carved with the resemblance of 
 some hideous monster; another shows goggling eyes and 
 lolling tongues from its cat-heads ! this has the patron 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 I4.q 
 
 saint, or the ever kind Maria, embossed upon its mould¬ 
 ings, or bows, while that is covered with the allegorical 
 emblems of country and duty. Few of these efforts of 
 imutical art are successful, though a better taste appears 
 to be gradually redeeming even this branch of human in¬ 
 dustry from the rubbish of barbarism, and to be elevating 
 it to a state which shall do less violence to the more fasti¬ 
 dious opinions of the age. But the vessel of which we 
 write, though constructed at so remote a period, would 
 have done credit to the improvements of our own time. 
 
 It has been said that the hull of this celebrated smuggler 
 was low, dark, moulded with exquisite art, and so justly 
 balanced as to ride upon its element like a sea-fowl. For 
 a little distance above the water, it showed a blue that vied 
 with the colour of the deep ocean, the use of copper being 
 then unknown, while the more superior parts were of a 
 jet-black, delicately relieved by two lines of a straw-colour, 
 that were drawn, with mathematical accuracy, parallel to 
 the plane of her upper works, and consequently converging 
 slightly towards the sea beneath her counter. Glossy ham¬ 
 mock-cloths concealed the persons of those who were on 
 the deck, while the close bulwarks gave the brigantine the 
 air of a vessel equipped for war. Still the eye of Ludlow 
 ran curiously along the whole extent of the two straw- 
 coloured lines, seeking in vain some evidence of the weight 
 and force of her armament. If she had ports at all, 
 they were so ingeniously concealed, as to escape the keen¬ 
 est of his glances. The nature of the rig has been already 
 described. Partaking of the double character of brig and 
 schooner — the sails and spars of the forward mast being 
 of the former, while those of the after-mast were of the 
 latter construction — seamen have given to this class of 
 shipping, the familiar name of hermaphrodites. But 
 though there might be fancied, by this term, some want 
 of the proportions that constitute seemliness, it will be re¬ 
 membered that the departure was only from some former 
 rule of art, and that no violence had been done to those 
 universal and permanent laws which constitute the charm 
 of nature. The models of glass, which are seen represent¬ 
 ing the machinery of a ship, are not more exact or just in 
 
 l 3 
 
150 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 their lines, than were the cordage and spars of this brigan¬ 
 tine. Not a rope varied from its true direction ; not a, sail, 
 but it resembled the neat folds of some prudent housewife ; 
 not a mast or a yard was there, but it rose into the air, or 
 stretched its arms, with the most fastidious attention to 
 symmetry. All was airy, fanciful, and full of grace, 
 seeming to lend to the fabric a character of unreal light¬ 
 ness and speed. As the boat drew near her side, a change 
 of the air caused the buoyant bark to turn like a vane, in 
 its current, and as the long and pointed proportions of her 
 head-gear came into view, Ludlow saw beneath the bow¬ 
 sprit an image that might be supposed to make, by means 
 of allegory, some obvious allusions to the character of the 
 vessel. A female form, fashioned with the best skill of 
 the carver, stood on the projection of the cut-water. The 
 figure rested lightly on the ball of one foot, while the other 
 was suspended in an easy attitude, resembling the airy 
 posture of the famous Mercury of the Bolognese. The 
 drapery was fluttering, scanty, and of a light sea-green 
 tint, as if it had imbibed a hue from the elements beneath. 
 The face was of that dark bronzed colour which human 
 ingenuity has from time immemorial adopted as the best 
 medium to pourtray a superhuman expression. The locks 
 were dishevelled, wild, and rich, the eye full of such a 
 meaning as might be fancied to glitter in the organs of a 
 sorceress, while a smile so strangely meaning and malign 
 played about the mouth, that the young sailor started when 
 it first met his view, as if a living thing had returned his 
 look. 
 
 “ Witchcraft and necromancy ! ** grumbled the aider- 
 man, as this extraordinary image came suddenly on his 
 vision also. “ Here is a brazen looking hussy! and one 
 who might rob the queen’s treasury itself without remorse ! 
 Your eyes are young, Patroon ; what is it that the minx 
 holds so impudently above her head ? ” 
 
 “ It seems an open book, with letters of red written on 
 its pages. One need not be a conjuror to divine it is no 
 extract from the Bible.” 
 
 “ Nor from the statute books of Queen Anne. I war¬ 
 rant me, ’t is a ledger of profit gained in her many wander- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 151 
 
 ings. Goggling and leers ! the bold air of the confident 
 creature is enough to put an honest man out of counte- 
 
 ' f 
 
 nance! 
 
 “ Wilt read the motto of the Witch ? ” demanded he 
 of the India shawl, whose eye had been studying the de¬ 
 tail of the brigantine’s equipment, rather than attending to 
 the object which so much attracted the looks of his com¬ 
 panions. “ The night-air has taut’ned the cordage of 
 that flying-jib-boom, fellows, until it begins to lift its 
 nose like a squeamish cockney when he holds it over salt¬ 
 water ! See to it, and bring the spar in line; else shall we 
 have a reproof from the sorceress, who little likes to have 
 any of her limbs deranged. Here, gentlemen, the opinions 
 of the lady may be read, as clearly as woman’s mind can 
 ever he fathomed.” 
 
 While speaking to his crew. Tiller had changed the 
 direction of the boat, and it was soon lying, in obedience 
 to a motion of his hand, directly beneath the wild and 
 significant-looking image just described. The letters in 
 red were now distinctly visible, and when Alderman Van 
 Beverout had adjusted his spectacles, each of the party 
 read the following sentence: — 
 
 Albeit I neither lend nor borrow. 
 
 By taking nor by giving of excess, 
 
 Yet to supply the ripe wants of my friend, 
 
 I ’ll break a custom. Merchant of Venice 
 
 “ The brazen ! ” exclaimed Myndert, when he had got 
 through this quotation from the immortal bard. “ Ripe 
 or green, one could not wish to be the friend of so impu¬ 
 dent a thing; and then to impute such sentiments to any 
 respectable commercial man, whether of Venice, or of 
 Amsterdam ! Let us board the brigantine at once, friend 
 . mariner, and end the connection ere foul mouths begin to 
 traduce our motives for the visit.” 
 
 The over-driven ship ploughs the seas too deep for 
 speed; we shall get into port in better season without this 
 haste. Wilt take another look into the dark lady’s pages ? 
 A woman’s mind is never known at the first answer! ” 
 
 The speaker raised the rattan he still carried, and caused 
 a page of painted metal to turn on hinges that were so 
 
 l 4 
 
152 
 
 THE WATER WITCH, 
 
 artfully Concealed as not to be visible. A new surface, 
 with another extract, was seen. 
 
 “ What is it, what is it, Patroon ? ” demanded the 
 burgher, who appeared greatly to distrust the discretion of 
 the sorceress. “ Follies and rhymes! but this is the way 
 of the whole sex; when nature has denied them tongues, 
 they invent other means of speech.” 
 
 “ Porters of the sea'and land. 
 
 Thus do go, about, about; 
 
 Thrice to thine, and thrice to thine. 
 
 And thrice again to make up nine.” 
 
 “ Rank nonsense ! ” continued the burgher; “ it is well 
 for those who can, to add thrice and thrice to their stores; 
 but look you, Patroon, it is a thriving trade that can 
 double the value of the adevnture, and that with reason¬ 
 able risks and months of patient watching.” 
 
 “We have other pages,” resumed Tiller; “but our 
 affairs drag for want of attending to them. One may 
 read much good matter in the book of the sorceress, when 
 there is leisure and opportunity. I often take occasion in 
 the calms to look into her volume, and it is rare to find 
 the same moral twice told, as these brave seamen can 
 swear.” 
 
 The mariners at the oars confirmed this assertion by 
 their grave and believing faces, while their superior caused 
 the boat to quit the place, and the image of the Water 
 Witch was left floating in solitude above her proper 
 
 element. 
 
 The arrival of the cutter produced no sensation among 
 those who were found on the deck of the brigantine. The 
 mariner of the shawl welcomed his companions frankly 
 and heartily, and then he left them for a minute to make 
 their observations, while he discharged some duty in the 
 interior of the vessel. The moments were not lost, as 
 powerful curiosity induced all the visiters to gaze about 
 them, in the manner in which men study the appearance of 
 any celebrated object that has long been known only by 
 reputation. It was quite apparent that even Alderman 
 Van Beverout had penetrated farther into the mysteries of 
 the beautiful brigantine, than he had ever before been. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 153 
 
 But Ludlow gathered most from this brief opportunity, 
 his understanding glances running rapidly and eagerly over 
 all that a seaman could wish to examine. 
 
 An admirable neatness reigned in every part. The planks 
 of the deck resembled the work of the cabinet-maker 
 rather than the coarser labour which is generally seen in 
 such a place, and the same excellence of material and ex¬ 
 actness in the finish were visible in the ceilings of the 
 light bulwarks, the railings, and all the other objects 
 which necessarily came conspicuously into view in the 
 construction of such a fabric. Brass w T as tastefully rather 
 than lavishly used, on many of those parts where metal 
 was necessary, and the paint of the interior was every 
 where of a light and delicate straw-colour. Armament 
 there was none, or at least none visible, nor did the fifteen 
 or twenty grave-looking seamen, who were silently lounging 
 with folded arms about the vessel, appear to be those who 
 would find pleasure in scenes of violence. They were, 
 without an exception, men who had reached the middle 
 age, being of weather-worn and thoughtful countenances, 
 many of them even showing heads that had begun to be 
 grizzled. Thus much, Ludlow had been enabled to ascer¬ 
 tain ere they were rejoined by Tiller. When the latter 
 again came on deck, he showed, however, no desire to 
 conceal any of the perfection of his habitation. 
 
 “ The wilful sorceress is no niggard in accommodating 
 her followers,” said the mariner, observing the manner in 
 which the queen’s officer was employed. Cf Here, you see, 
 the Skimmer keeps room enough for an admiral in his 
 cabins, and the fellows are berth’d aft, far beyond the 
 foremast, — wilt step to the hatch and look below ? ” 
 
 The captain and his companions did as desired. To 
 the amazement of the former, he perceived that with the 
 exception of a sort of room fitted with large and water¬ 
 tight lockers, which were placed in full view, all the rest 
 of the brigantine was occupied by the accommodations of 
 her officers and crew. 
 
 “ The world gives us the reputation of free-traders,” 
 continued Tiller, smiling maliciously ; “ but if the ad¬ 
 miralty court was here, big wigs and high staffs, judge 
 
154 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 and jury, it would be at a loss to bring us to conviction. 
 There is iron to keep the lady on her feet, and water, with 
 some garnish of Jamaica, and the wines of old Spain and 
 the islands, to cheer the hearts and cool the mouths of my 
 fellows, beneath that deck, and more than that there is 
 not. We have stores for the table and the breeze, beyond 
 yonder bulk-head, and here are lockers beneath you, that 
 are — empty ! See, one is open ; it is neat as any draw in 
 a lady’s bureau. This is no place for your Dutchman’s 
 strong waters, or the coarse skins of your tobacconist. 
 Odd’s my life ! he who would go on the scent of the Water 
 Witch’s lading, must follow your beauty in her satins, or 
 your parson in his band and gown. There would be 
 much lamentation in the church, and many a heavy hearted 
 bishop, were it known that the good craft had come to 
 harm.” 
 
 There must be an end to this audacious trifling with 
 the law,” said Ludlow, “ and the time may be nearer than 
 you suppose.” 
 
 “ I look at the pages of the lady’s book in the pride of 
 each morning ; for we have it aboard here, that when she 
 intends to serve us foul, she will at least be honest enough 
 to give a warning. The mottos often change, but her 
 words are ever true. ’Tis hard to overtake the driving 
 mist, Captain Ludlow; and he must hold good way with 
 the wind itself, who wishes to stay long in our company.” 
 
 “ Many a boastful sailor has been caught. The breeze 
 that is good for the light of draught, and the breeze that is 
 good for the deep keel, are different. You may live to 
 learn what a stout spar, a wide arm, and a steady hull can 
 do.” 
 
 “ The lady of the wild eye and wicked smile protect 
 me ! I have seen the Witch buried fathoms deep in brine, 
 and the glittering water falling from her tresses like golden 
 stars, but never have I read an untruth in her pages. 
 There is good intelligence between her and some on board : 
 and, trust me, she knows the paths of the ocean too well 
 ever to steer a wrong course. But we prate like gossiping 
 river-men. Wilt see the Skimmer of the Seas ?” 
 
 “ Such is the object of our visit,” returned Ludlow, 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 155 
 
 whose heart beat violently at the name of the redoubtable 
 rover. “ If you are not he, bring us where he is.” 
 
 “ Speak lower ; if the lady under the bowsprit hear such 
 treason against her favourite, I ’ll not answer for her good¬ 
 will. If I am not he ! ” added the hero of the India shawl, 
 laughing freely. “ Well, an ocean is bigger than a sea, 
 and a bay is not a gulf. You shall have an opportunity of 
 judging between us, noble captain, and then I leave*opinions 
 to each man’s wisdom. Follow.” 
 
 He quitted the hatchway, and led his companions towards 
 the accommodations in the stern of the vessel. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 God save you, sir! 
 
 And you, sir; you are welcome. 
 
 Travel you, sir, or are you at the furthest ? ” 
 
 Taming of the Shrew. 
 
 If the exterior of the brigantine was so graceful in form 
 and so singular in arrangement, the interior was still more 
 worthy of observation. There were two small cabins 
 beneath the main deck, one on each side of and immediately 
 adjoining the limited space that was destined to receive her 
 light but valuable cargoes. It was into one of these that 
 Tiller had descended, like a man who freely entered into 
 his own apartment; but partly above, and nearer to the 
 stern, were a suite of little rooms that were fitted and 
 furnished in a style altogether different. The equipments 
 were those of a yacht rather than those which might be 
 supposed suited to the pleasures of even the most successful 
 dealer in contraband. 
 
 The principal deck had been sunken several feet, com¬ 
 mencing at the aftermost bulk-head of the cabins of the 
 subordinate officers, in a manner to give the necessary 
 height, without interfering with the line of the brigantine’s 
 sheer. The arrangement was consequently not to be seen 
 by an observer who was not admitted into the vessel itself. 
 A descent of a step or two, however, brought the visiters to 
 
156 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the level of the cabin floor, and into an anteroom that was 
 evidently fitted for the convenience of the domestics. A 
 small silver hand-bell lay on a table. Tiller rung it lightly 
 like one whose ordinary manner was restrained by respect. 
 It was answered by the appearance of a boy, whose years 
 could not exceed ten, and whose attire was so whimsical as 
 to merit description. 
 
 The material of the dress of this young servitor of 
 Neptune, was a light rose-coloured silk, cut in a fashion to 
 resemble the habits formerly worn by pages of the great. 
 His body was belted by a band of gold, a collar of fine 
 thread lace floated on his neck and shoulders, and even his 
 feet were clad in a sort of buskins that were ornamented 
 with fringes of real lace and tassels of bullion. The form 
 and features of the child were delicate, and his air as unlike 
 as possible to the coarse and brusque manner of a vulgar 
 ship-boy. 
 
 “ Waste and prodigality !” muttered the alderman, when 
 this extraordinary little usher presented himself, in answer 
 to the summons of Tiller. “ This is the very wantonness 
 of cheap goods and an unfettered commerce ! There is 
 enough of Mechlin, Patroon, on the shoulders of that urchin 
 to deck the stomacher of the queen. ’Fore George, goods 
 were cheap in the market, when the young scoundrel had 
 his livery ? ” 
 
 The surprise was not confined, however, to the observ¬ 
 ant and frugal burgher. Ludlow and Van Staats of Kin- 
 derhook manifested equal amazement, though their wonder 
 was exhibited in a less characteristic manner. The former 
 turned short to demand the meaning of this masquerade, 
 when he perceived that the hero of the India shawl had 
 disappeared. They were then alone with the fantastic 
 page, and it became necessary to trust to his intelligence 
 for directions how to proceed. 
 
 “ Who art thou, child ? and who has sent thee hither ? ” 
 demanded Ludlow. The boy raised a cap of the same 
 rose-coloured silk, and pointed to an image of a female, 
 with a swarthy face and a malign smile, painted with ex¬ 
 ceeding art on its front. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 157 
 
 ee I serve the sea-green lady, with the others of the 
 brigantine.” 
 
 “ And who is this lady of the colour of shallow water t 
 and whence come you in particular ? ” 
 
 “ This is her likeness — if you would speak with her, 
 she stands on the cut-water, and rarely refuses an an¬ 
 swer.” 
 
 “ ’T is odd that a form of wood should have the gift of 
 speech ! ” 
 
 “ Dost think her then really of wood?” returned the 
 child, looking timidly, and yet curiously, up into the face 
 of Ludlow. “ Others have said the same, hut those who 
 know best deny it. She does not answer with a tongue, it 
 is true, but the book has always something to say.” 
 
 “ Here is a grievous deception practised on the super¬ 
 stition of this boy! I have read the book, and can make 
 but little of it.” 
 
 Then read again. ’T is by many reaches that the lee¬ 
 ward vessel gains upon the wind. My master has bid me 
 bring you in-” 
 
 “ Hold — thou hast both master and mistress. You 
 have told us of the latter, but we would know something 
 of the former. Who is thy master ? ” 
 
 The boy smiled and looked aside, as if he hesitated to 
 answer. 
 
 “ Nay, refuse not to reply. I come with the authority 
 of the queen.” 
 
 “ He tells us that the sea-green lady is our queen, and 
 that we have no other.” 
 
 “ Rashness and rebellion ! ” muttered Myndert ; “ this 
 fool-hardiness will one day bring as pretty a brigantine as 
 ever sailed in the narrow seas to condemnation, and then will 
 there be rumours abroad, and characters cracked, till every 
 lover of gossip in the Americas shall be tired of de¬ 
 famation.” 
 
 “ It is a bold subject that dares say this!” rejoined 
 Ludlow, who heeded not the by-play of the alderman; 
 “ your master has a name?” 
 
 “ We never hear it. When Neptune boards us under 
 the tropics, he always hails the Skimmer of the Seas, and 
 
158 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 then they answer. The old god knows us well, for we 
 pass his latitude oftener than other ships, they say.” 
 
 ff Y ou are then a cruiser of some service in the brigan¬ 
 tine— no doubt you have trod many distant shores, be¬ 
 longing to so swift a craft ? ” 
 
 “ I\ — I never was on the land! ” returned the boy, 
 thoughtfully. “ It must be droll to be there ; they say, one 
 can hardly walk, it is so steady! I put a question to the 
 sea-green lady before we came to this narrow inlet to know 
 when I was to go ashore.” 
 
 “ And she answered ? ” 
 
 “It was some time first. Two watches were past be¬ 
 fore a -word was to be seen, but at last I got the lines. I 
 believe she mocked me, though I have never dared show 
 it to my master, that he might say.” 
 
 “ Hast the words here ?— Perhaps we might assist thee, 
 as there are some among us who know most of the sea- 
 paths.” 
 
 The boy looked timidly and suspiciously around; then 
 thrusting a hand hurriedly into a pocket, he drew forth two 
 bits of paper, each of which contained a scrawl, and both 
 of which had evidently been much thumbed and studied. 
 
 “ Here,” he said, in a voice that was suppressed nearly 
 to a whisper, “ this was on the first page. I was so 
 frightened lest the lady should be angry, that I did not 
 look again till the next watch, and then,” turning the leaf, 
 “ I found this.” 
 
 Ludlow took the bit of paper first offered, and read, 
 written in a child’s hand, the following extract: — 
 
 “ I pray thee 
 
 Remember, I have done thee worthy service; 
 
 Told thee no lies, made no mistakings, served 
 
 Without or grudge, or grumblings.” 
 
 “ I thought that was in mockery,” continued the boy, 
 when he saw by the eye of the young captain, that he had 
 read the quotation; “ for’t was very like, though more 
 prettily worded, than that which I had said myself! ” 
 
 “ And what was the second answer! ” 
 
 “ This was found in the first morning-watch,” the child 
 returned, reading the second extract himself 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 159 
 
 " * Thou think’st 
 
 It much to tread the ooze of the salt deep, 
 
 And run upon the sharp wind of the north.’ 
 
 I never dared to ask again. But what matters that! 
 They say the ground is rough, and difficult to walk on ; 
 that earthquakes shake it, and make holes to swallow cities; 
 that men slay each other on the highways for money, and 
 that the houses I see on the hills must always remain in 
 the same spot. It must be very melancholy to live always 
 in the same spot; but then it must be so odd never to 
 feel a motion !” 
 
 “ Except the occasional rocking of an earthquake ! Thou 
 art better afloat, child ; — hut thy master, this Skimmer 
 of the Seas-” 
 
 “ Hist! ” whispered the hoy, raising a finger for silence. 
 “ He has come up into the great cabin: in a moment, we 
 shall have his signal to enter.” 
 
 A few light touches on the strings of a guitar followed, 
 and then a symphony was rapidly and beautifully executed, 
 by one in the adjoining apartment. 
 
 “ Alida herself is not more nimble-fingered,” whispered 
 the alderman, “and I never heard the girl touch the 
 Dutch lute, that cost a hundred Holland guilders, with a 
 livelier movement! ” 
 
 Ludlow signed for silence. A fine, manly voice, of 
 great richness and depth, was soon heard singing to an 
 accompaniment on the same instrument. The air was 
 grave, and altogether unusual for the social character of 
 one who dwelt upon the ocean, being chiefly in recitative. 
 The words, as near as might be distinguished, ran as 
 follows: — 
 
 “ My brigantine! 
 
 Just in thy mould, and beauteous in thy form. 
 
 Gentle in roll, and buoyant on the surge, 
 
 Light as the sea-fowl rocking in the storm, 
 
 In breeze and gale thy onward course we urge—• 
 
 My water queen! 
 
 “ Lady of mine! 
 
 More light and swift than thou, none thread the sea. 
 
 With surer keel, or steadier on its path: 
 
 We brave each waste of ocean-mystery. 
 
 And laugh to hear the howling tempest’s wrath! 
 
 For we are thine I 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 16.0 
 
 “ My brigantine! 
 
 Trust to the mystic power that points thy way, 
 
 Trust to the eye that pierces from afar, 
 
 Trust the red meteors that around thee play, 
 
 And fearless trust the sea-green lady’s star — 
 
 Thou bark divine! ” 
 
 “ He often sings thus,” whispered the boy, when the 
 song was ended, “ for they say, the sea-green lady loves 
 music that tells of the ocean and of her power. Hark ! 
 he has bid me enter.” 
 
 “ He did but touch the strings of the guitar again, 
 boy.” 
 
 “ *T is his signal when the weather is fair. When we 
 have the whistling of the wind, and the roar of the water, 
 then he has a louder call.” 
 
 Ludlow would have gladly listened longer, but the boy 
 opened a door, and pointing the way to those he conducted, 
 he silently vanished himself behind a curtain. 
 
 The visiters, more particularly the young commander of 
 the Coquette, found new subjects of admiration and won¬ 
 der on entering the main cabin of the brigantine. The 
 apartment, considering the size of the vessel, was spacious 
 and high. It received light from a couple of windows in 
 the stern, and it was evident that two smaller rooms, one 
 on each of the quarters, shared with it in this advantage. 
 The space between these state-rooms, as they are called 
 in nautical language, necessarily formed a deep alcove, 
 which might be separated from the outer portion of the 
 cabin by a curtain of crimson damask, that now hung in 
 festoons from a beam fashioned into a gilded cornice. A 
 luxuriously looking pile of cushions, covered with red 
 morocco, lay along the transom, in the manner of an 
 eastern divan, and against the bulk-head of each state-room 
 stood an agrippina of mahogany that was lined with 
 the same material. Neat and tasteful cases for books were 
 suspended here and there, and the guitar which had so 
 lately been used, lay on a small table of some precious wood 
 that occupied the centre of the alcove. There were also 
 other implements, like those which occupy the leisure of a 
 cultivated but perhaps an effeminate rather than a vigorous 
 mind, scattered around, some evidently long neglected, and 
 others appearing to have been more recently in favour. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 161 
 
 The outer portion of the cabin was furnished in a simi¬ 
 lar style, though it contained many more of the articles 
 that ordinarily belong to domestic economy. It had its 
 agrippina, its piles of cushions, its chairs of beautiful wood, 
 its cases for books, and its neglected instruments, inter¬ 
 mixed with fixtures of a more solid and permanent ap¬ 
 pearance, which were arranged to meet the violent motion 
 that was often unavoidable in so small a bark. There 
 was a slight hanging of crimson damask around the whole 
 apartment, and here and there a small mirror was let into 
 the bulk-heads and ceilings. All the other parts were of a 
 rich mahogany relieved by panels of rosewood, that gave 
 an appearance of exquisite finish to the cabin. The floor 
 was covered with a mat of the finest texture, and of a 
 fragrance that announced both its freshness, and the fact 
 that the grass had been the growth of a warm and luxu¬ 
 riant climate. The place, as was indeed the whole vessel, 
 so far as the keen eye of Ludlow could detect, was entirely 
 destitute of arms, not even a pistol or a sword being sus¬ 
 pended in those places where weapons of that description 
 are usually seen in vessels employed either in war, or in a 
 trade that might oblige those who sail them to deal in 
 violence. 
 
 In the centre of the alcove stood the youthful-looking 
 and extraordinary person who in so unceremonious a man¬ 
 ner had visited la Cour des Fees the preceding night. His 
 dress was much the same, in fashion and material, as when 
 last seen ; still it had been changed, for on the breast of 
 the silken frock was painted an image of the sea-green lady, 
 done with exquisite skill, and in a manner to preserve the 
 whole of the wild and unearthly character of the expression. 
 The wearer of this singular ornament leaned lightly against 
 the little table; and as he bowed with entire self-possession 
 to his guests, his face was lighted with a smile that seemed 
 to betray melancholy, no less than courtesy. At the same 
 time he raised his cap, and stood in the rich jet-black locks 
 with which nature had so exuberantly shaded his forehead. 
 
 The manner of the visiters was less easy. The deep 
 anxiety with which both Ludlow and the Patroon had 
 undertaken to board the notorious smuggler, had given 
 
 M 
 
162 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 place to an amazement and a curiosity that caused them 
 nearly to forget their errand, while Alderman Van Beverout 
 appeared shy and suspicious, manifestly thinking less of 
 his niece than of the consequences of so remarkable an 
 interview. They all returned the salutation of their host, 
 though each waited for him to speak. 
 
 They tell me I have the pleasure to receive a com¬ 
 mander of Queen Anne’s service, the wealthy and honour¬ 
 able Patroon of Kinderhook, and a most worthy and 
 respectable member of the city corporation, known as 
 Alderman Van Beverout/’ commenced the individual who 
 did the honours of the vessel on this occasion. “ It is not 
 often that my poor brigantine is thus favoured; and, in 
 the name of my mistress, I would express our thanks.” 
 
 As he ceased speaking, he bowed again with ceremonious 
 gravity, as if all were equally strangers to him, though the 
 young men saw plainly that a smothered smile played about 
 a mouth that even they could not refuse the praise of being 
 of rare and extraordinary attraction. 
 
 “ As we have but one mistress,” said Ludlow, “ it is 
 our common duty to wish to do her pleasure.” 
 
 “ I understand you, sir. It is scarce necessary to say, 
 however, that the wife of George of Denmark has little 
 authority here. Forbear, I pray you,” he added quickly, 
 observing that Ludlow was about to answer. “ These 
 interviews with the servants of that lady are not unfrequent ; 
 and as I know other matters have sent you hither, we will 
 imagine all said that a vigilant officer, and a most loyal 
 subject, could utter to an outlaw and a trifler with the 
 regulations of the customs. That controversy must be 
 settled between us under our canvass, and by virtue of our 
 speed, or other professional qualities, at a proper time and 
 in a proper place. We will now touch on different mat¬ 
 ters.” 
 
 “ I think the gentleman is right, Patroon. When mat¬ 
 ters are ripe for the exchequer, there is no use in worrying 
 the lungs with summing up the testimony, like a fee’d 
 advocate. Twelve discreet men, who have bowels of com¬ 
 passion for the vicissitudes of trade, and who know how 
 hard it is to earn and how easy it is to spend, will deal 
 
THE WATER WITCH. l63 
 
 with the subject better than all the idle talkers in the pro¬ 
 vinces.” 
 
 “ When confronted to the tw r elve disinterested Daniels, 
 I shall be fain to submit to their judgment,” rejoined the 
 other, still suffering the wilful smile to linger round his 
 lips. “ You, sir, I think, are called Mr. Myndert Van 
 Beverout. To what fall in peltry, or what rise in markets, 
 do I owe the honour of this visit ? ” 
 
 “ It is said that some from this vessel were so bold as 
 to land on my grounds during the past night, without the 
 knowledge and consent of their owner; — you will observe 
 the purport of our discourse, Mr. Van Staats, for it may 
 yet come before the authorities ; — as I said, sir, without 
 their owner’s knowledge, and that there were dealings in 
 articles that are contraband of law, unless they enter the 
 provinces purified and embellished by the air of the queen’s 
 European dominions—God bless her majesty !” 
 
 “ Amen.— That which quitteth the Water Witch com¬ 
 monly comes purified by the air of many different regions. 
 We are no laggards in movement here, and the winds of 
 Europe scarcely cease to blow upon our sails, before we 
 scent the gales of America. But this is rather exche¬ 
 quer matter, to be discussed before the twelve merciful 
 burghers you have named, than entertainment for such a 
 visit.” 
 
 “ I open with the facts, that there may be no errors. 
 But, in addition to so foul an imputation on the credit of 
 a merchant, a great calamity has befallen me and my house¬ 
 hold, during the past night. The daughter and heiress of 
 old Etienne de Barberie has left her abode, and we have 
 reason to think that she has been deluded so far as to come 
 hither. Faith and correspondence! Master Seadrift; but 
 I think this is exceeding the compass of even a trader in 
 contraband! I can make allowances for some errors in an 
 account; but women can be exported and imported without 
 duty, and when and where one pleases, and therefore the 
 less necessity for running them out of their old uncle’s 
 habitation in so secret a manner.” 
 
 ff An undeniable position and a feeling conclusion ! I 
 admit the demand to be made in all form, and I suppose 
 
 m 2 
 
164 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 these two gentlemen are to be considered as witnesses of 
 its legality.” 
 
 “ We have come to aid a wronged and distressed rela¬ 
 tive and guardian in searching for his misguided ward/’ 
 Ludlow answered. 
 
 The free-trader turned his eyes on the Patroon, who 
 acknowledged his assent by a silent bow. 
 
 “ ’T is well, gentlemen ; I also admit the testimony. 
 But though in common believed so worthy a subject for 
 justice, I have hitherto had but little direct communication 
 with the blind deity. Do the authorities usually give credit 
 to these charges, without some evidence of their truth ? ” 
 
 “ Is it denied ? ” 
 
 “ You are still in possession of your senses, Captain 
 Ludlow, and may freely use them. But this is an artifice 
 to divert pursuit. There are other vessels beside the brig¬ 
 antine, and a capricious fair may have sought a protector 
 even under a pennant of Queen Anne !” 
 
 (C This is a truth that has been but too obvious to my 
 mind, Mr. Van Beverout,” observed the sententious Pa- 
 troon. “ It would have been well to have ascertained 
 whether she we seek has not taken some less exceptionable 
 course than this, before we hastily believe that your niece 
 would so easily become the wife of a stranger.” 
 
 “ Has Mr. Van Staats any hidden meaning in his words, 
 that he speaks ambiguously ? ” demanded Ludlow. 
 
 “ A man, conscious of his good intentions, has little 
 occasion to speak equivocally. I believe, with this reputed 
 smuggler, that la Belle Barberie would be more likely to 
 fly with one she has long known, and whom I fear she has 
 but too well esteemed, than with an utter stranger over 
 whose life there is a shade of dark mystery.” 
 
 ee If the impression that the lady could yield her esteem 
 with too little discretion, be any excuse for suspicions, then 
 may I advise a search in the manor of Kinderhook !” 
 
 “ Consent and joy ! The girl need not have stolen to 
 church to become the bride of Oloff Van Staats !” inter¬ 
 rupted the alderman. She should have had my bene¬ 
 diction on the match, and a fat gift to give it unction.” 
 
 “ These suspicions are but natural between men bent on 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 165 
 
 the same object,” resumed the free-trader. “ The officer 
 of the queen thinks a glance of the eye from a wilful fair, 
 means admiration of broad lands and rich meadows, and 
 the lord of the manor distrusts the romance of warlike ser¬ 
 vice and the power of an imagination which roams the sea. 
 Still may I ask what is there here to tempt a proud and 
 courted beauty to forget station, sex, and friends ? ” 
 
 “ Caprice and vanity ! There is no answering for a 
 woman’s mind ! Here we bring articles at great risk and 
 heavy charges from the farther Indies to please their fan¬ 
 cies, and they change their modes easier than the beaver 
 casts his coat. Their conceits sadly unsettle trade, and I 
 know not why they may not cause a wilful girl to do any 
 other act of folly.” 
 
 “ This reasoning seems conclusive with the uncle. Do 
 the suitors assent to its justice ?” 
 
 The Patroon of Kinderhook stood gazing at the coun¬ 
 tenance of the extraordinary being who asked this question. 
 A movement which bespoke equally his conviction and his 
 regret escaped him, but he continued silent. Not so Lud¬ 
 low. Of a more ardent temperament, though equally sens¬ 
 ible of the temptation which had caused Alida to err, and 
 as keenly alive to all the consequences to herself as well as 
 to others, there was something of professional rivalry, and 
 of an official right to investigate, which still mingled with 
 his feelings. He had found time to examine the articles 
 that the cabin contained more closely ; and when their 
 singular host put his question, he pointed with an ironical 
 but mournful smile to a footstool richly wrought in flowers 
 of tints and shades so just as to seem natural. 
 
 “This is no work of a sail-maker’s needle !” said the 
 captain of the Coquette. (< Other beauties have been in¬ 
 duced to pass an idle hour in your gay residence, hardy 
 mariner, but sooner or later judgment will overtake the 
 light-heeled craft.” 
 
 ee On the wind, or off, she must some day lag, as we 
 seamen have it! Captain Ludlow, I excuse some harsh¬ 
 ness of construction that your language might imply, for it 
 becomes a commissioned servant of the crown to use free¬ 
 dom with one who, like the lawless companion of the 
 
 ai 3 
 
166 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 princely Hal, is but too apt to propose to rob me the 
 kings exchequer.’ But, sir, this brigantine and her cha¬ 
 racter are little known to you. We have no need of truant 
 damsels to let us into the mystery of the sex’s taste, for a 
 female spirit guides all our humours, and imparts some¬ 
 thing of her delicacy to all our acts, even though it be the 
 fashion among burghers to call them lawless. See,” throw¬ 
 ing a curtain carelessly aside, and exhibiting behind it 
 various articles of womanly employment, “here are the 
 offspring of both pencil and needle. The sorceress,” 
 touching the image on his breast, “ will not be entertained, 
 without some deference to her sex.” 
 
 “ This affair must be arranged, 1 see, by a compromise,” 
 observed the alderman. “By your leave, gentlemen, I 
 will make proposals in private to this bold trader, who per¬ 
 haps will listen to the offers I have to propose.” 
 
 “ Ah ! this savours more of the spirit of trade than of 
 that of the sea-goddess I serve,” cried the other, causing 
 his fingers to run lightly over the strings of the guitar. 
 “ Compromise and offers are sounds that become a burgh¬ 
 er’s lips. My tricksy spirit, commit these gentlemen to 
 the care of bold Thomas Tiller, while I confer with the 
 merchant. The character of Mr. Van Beverout, Captain 
 Ludlow, will protect us both from the suspicion of any 
 designs on the revenue 1” 
 
 Laughing at his own allusion, the free-trader signed to 
 the boy, who had appeared from behind a curtain, to show 
 the disappointed suitors of la Belle Barberie into another 
 part of the vessel. 
 
 “ Foul tongues and calumnies ! Master Seadrift, this 
 unlawful manner of playing round business, after accounts 
 are settled and receipts passed, may lead to other loss be¬ 
 sides that of character. The commander of the Coquette 
 is not more than half satisfied of my ignorance of your 
 misdoings in behalf of the customs already, and these jokes 
 are like so many punches into a smouldering fire on a dark 
 night: they give light and cause people to see the clearer. 
 Though, Heaven knows, no man has less reason to dread 
 an enquiry into his affairs than myself! I challenge the 
 best accountant in the colonies to detect a false footing, or 
 
THE WATER WITCH. l6? 
 
 a doubtful entry in any book I have, from the memorandum 
 to the ledger.” 
 
 “ The Proverbs are not more sententious, nor the Psalms 
 half as poetical as your library. But why this secret par¬ 
 ley ? The brigantine has a swept hold.” 
 
 “Swept! Brooms and Van Tromp ! thou hast swept 
 the pavilion of my niece of its mistress, no less than my 
 purse of its Johannes. This is carrying a little innocent 
 barter into a most forbidden commerce, and I hope the 
 joke is to end before the affair gets to be sweetening to the 
 tea of the province gossips. Such a tale would affect the 
 autumn importation of sugars !” 
 
 “ This is more vivid than clear. You have my laces 
 and velvets ; my brocades and satins are already in the 
 hands of the Manhattan dames, and your furs and Johannes 
 are safe where no boarding officer from the Coquette-” 
 
 “ Well, there is no need of speaking trumpets to tell a 
 man what he knows already to his cost! I should expect no 
 less than bankruptcy from two or three such bargains, and 
 you wish to add loss of character to loss of gold. Bulk¬ 
 heads have ears in a ship, as well as walls in houses. I 
 wish no more said of the trifling traffic that has been be¬ 
 tween us. If I lose a thousand florins by the operation, I 
 shall know how to be resigned. Patience and afflictions ! 
 have I not buried as full-fed and promising a gelding this 
 morning as ever trotted on a dike, and has any man heard 
 a complaint from my lips ? I know how to meet losses, I 
 hope, and so no more of an unlucky purchase.” 
 
 “ Truly, if it be not for the purposes of trade, there is 
 little in common between the mariners of the brigantine 
 and Alderman Van Beverout.” 
 
 “ The greater the necessity thou shouldst end this silly 
 joke, and restore his niece. I am not sure the affair can 
 be at all settled with either of these hot-headed young men, 
 though I should even offer to throw in a few thousands 
 more, by way of make-weight. When female reputation 
 gets a bad name in the market, 't is harder to dispose of 
 than falling stock, and your young lords of manors, and 
 commanders of cruisers, have stomachs like usurers; no 
 per centage will satisfy them; it must be all or nothing ! 
 
 m 4 
 
168 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 There was no such foolery in the days of thy worthy 
 father ! The honest trafficker brought his cutter into port 
 with as innocent a look as a mill-boat. We had our dis¬ 
 courses on the qualities of his wares, when here was his 
 price, and there was my gold. Odd or even ! it was all a 
 chance which had the best of the bargain. I was a thriving 
 man in those days. Master Seadrift; but thy spirit seems 
 the spirit of extortion itself.” 
 
 There was momentarily contempt on the lip of the 
 handsome smuggler, but it disappeared in an expression of 
 sadness. 
 
 “ Thou hast softened my heart, ere now, most liberal 
 burgher,” he answered, “ by these allusions to my parent; 
 many is the doubloon that I have paid for his eulogies.” 
 
 “ I speak as disinterestedly as a parson preaches ! What 
 is a trifle of gold between friends? Yes, there was happi¬ 
 ness in trade during the time of thy predecessor. He had 
 a comely and a deceptive craft, that might be likened to 
 an untrimmed racer. There was motion in it, at need, 
 and yet it had the air of a leisurely Amsterdammer. I 
 have known an exchequer cruiser hail him, and ask the 
 news of the famous free-trader with as little suspicion as 
 he would have in speaking the Lord High Admiral ! 
 There were no fooleries in his time; no unseemly hussies 
 stuck under his bowsprit, to put an honest man out of 
 countenance ; no high-flyers in sail and paint; no singing 
 and luting; but all was rational and gainful barter. Then 
 he was a man to ballast his boat with something valuable. 
 I have known him throw in fifty ankers of gin, without a 
 farthing for freight, when a bargain has been struck for the 
 finer articles—ay, and finish by landing them in England 
 for a small premium, when the gift was made !” 
 
 “ He deserves thy praise, grateful alderman; but to 
 what conclusion does this opening tend ? ” 
 
 “ Well, if more gold must pass between us,” continued 
 the reluctant Myndert, “ we shall not waste time in count¬ 
 ing it ; though Heaven knows, Master Seadrift, thou hast 
 already drained me dry. Losses have fallen heavy on me 
 of late. There is a gelding dead, that fifty Holland ducats 
 v?fl not replace on the boom-key of Rotterdam, to say 
 
THE WATER WITCH. l6’9 
 
 nothing of freight and charges, which come particularly 
 heavy-” 
 
 “ Speak to thy offer!” interrupted the other, who 
 evidently wished to shorten the interview. 
 
 “ Restore the girl, and take five and twenty thin pieces.” 
 
 “ Half-price for a Flemish gelding ! La Belle would 
 blush with honest pride, did she know her value in the 
 market! ” 
 
 “ Extortion and bowels of compassion ! Let it be a hun¬ 
 dred, and no further words between us.” 
 
 “ Harkee, Mr. Van Beverout ; that I sometimes trespass 
 on the queen’s perquisites is not to be denied, and least of 
 all to you ; for I like neither this manner of ruling a nation 
 by deputy, nor the principle which says that one bit of 
 earth is to make laws for another. ’T is not my humour, 
 sir, to wear an English cotton when my taste is for the 
 florentine, nor to swallow beer when I more relish the deli¬ 
 cate wines of Gascony. Beyond this, thou knowest I do 
 not trifle, even with fancied rights, and had I fifty of thy 
 nieces, sacks of ducats should not purchase one ! ” 
 
 The alderman stared in a manner that might have in¬ 
 duced a spectator to believe he was listening to an incom¬ 
 prehensible proposition. Still his companion spoke with a 
 warmth, that gave him no small reason to believe he uttered 
 no more than he felt, and inexplicable as it might prove, 
 that he valued treasure less than feeling. 
 
 “ Obstinacy and extravagance ! ” muttered Myndert, 
 “ what use can a troublesome girl be to one of thy habits ? 
 If thou hast deluded-” 
 
 “ I have deluded none. .The brigantine is not an Alge¬ 
 rine, to ask and take ransom.” 
 
 ff Then let it submit to what I believe it is yet a 
 stranger. If thou hast not enticed my niece aw^v, by. 
 Heaven knows, a most vain delusion ! let the vessel be 
 searched. This will make the minds of the young men 
 tranquil, and keep the treaty open between us, and the value 
 of the article fixed in the market.” 
 
 “ Freely, — but mark! If certain bales containing 
 worthless furs of martens and beavers, with other arti¬ 
 cles of thy colony trade, should discover the character of 
 
170 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 my correspondents, I stand exonerated of all breach of 
 faith ? ” 
 
 “ There is prudence in that. Yes, there must be no 
 impertinent eyes peeping into bales and packages. Well, 
 I see. Master Seadrift, the impossibility of immediately 
 coming to an understanding, and therefore I will quit thy 
 vessel, for truly a merchant of reputation should have no 
 unnecessary connection with one so suspected.” 
 
 The free-trader smiled, partly in scorn and yet much in 
 sadness, and he passed his fingers rapidly over the strings 
 of the guitar. 
 
 “ Show this worthy burgher to his friends, Zephyr,” he 
 said, and bowing to the alderman, he dismissed him in a 
 manner that betrayed a singular compound of feeling. One 
 quick to discover the traces of human passion, might have 
 fancied that regret and even sorrow were powerfully blended 
 with the natural or assumed recklessness of the smuggler’s 
 air and language. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 This will prove a brave kingdom to me ; 
 
 Where I shall have my music for nothing! Tempest. 
 
 During the time passed in the secret conference of the 
 cabin, Ludlow and the Patroon were held in discourse on the 
 quarter-deck by the hero of the India shawl. The dialogue 
 was strictly professional, Van Staats maintaining his ancient 
 reputation for taciturnity. The appearance of Myndert, 
 thoughtful, disappointed, and most evidently perplexed, 
 caused the ideas of all to take a new direction. It is pro¬ 
 bable ^hat the burgher believed he had not yet bid enough 
 to tempt the free-trader to restore his niece, it being ap¬ 
 parent his mind w r as far from being satisfied that she was 
 not in the vessel. Still, when questioned by his companions 
 concerning the result of his interview with the free-trader, 
 for reasons best understood by himself, he was fain to 
 answer evasively. 
 
THE WATER. WITCH. 
 
 171 
 
 “ Of one thing rest satisfied,” he said ; “ the misconcep¬ 
 tion in this affair will yet be explained, and Alida Barberie 
 return unfettered, and with a character as free from blemish, 
 as the credit of the Van Stoppers of Holland. The fanciful 
 looking person in the cabin denies that my niece is here, and 
 I am inclined to think the balance of truth is on his side. 
 I confess, if one could just look into the cabins, without the 
 trouble of rummaging lockers and cargo, the statement 
 would give more satisfaction, hut — hem — gentlemen, we 
 must take the assertion on credit, for want of more sufficient 
 security.” 
 
 Ludlow looked at the cloud above the mouth of the 
 Rariton, and his lip curled in a threatening smile. 
 
 “ Let the wind hold here, at east,” he said, “ and we 
 shall act our pleasure with both lockers and cabins.” 
 
 <f Llist, the worthy Master Tiller may overhear this 
 threat — and after all, I do not know whether prudence 
 does not tell us to let the brigantine depart.” 
 
 “ Mr. Alderman Van Beverout,” rejoined the captain, 
 whose cheek reddened to a glow, cc my duty must not be 
 gauged by your affection for your niece. Though content 
 that Alida Barberie should quit the country, like an article 
 of vulgar commerce, the commander of this vessel must get 
 a passport of her majesty’s cruiser, ere she again enter the 
 high sea.” 
 
 “ Wilt say as much to the sea-green lady ? ” asked the 
 mariner of the shawl, suddenly appearing at his elbow. 
 
 The question was so unexpected and so strange, that it 
 caused an involuntary start; but recovering his recollection, 
 the young sailor haughtily replied, — 
 
 “ Or to any other monster thou canst conjure!” 
 
 “ We will take you at the word. There is no more 
 certain method of knowing the past or the future, the 
 quarter of the heavens from which the winds are to come, 
 or the season of the hurricanes, than by putting a question 
 to our mistress. She who knows so much of hidden mat¬ 
 ters, may tell us what you wish to know. We will have 
 her called by the usual summons.” 
 
 Thus saying, the mariner of the shawl gravely quitted 
 his guests, and descended into the inferior cabins of the 
 
172 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 vessel. It was but a moment, before there arose sounds 
 from some secret, though not distant quarter of the brig¬ 
 antine, that caused, in some measure, both surprise and 
 pleasure to Ludlow and the Patroon. Their companion 
 had his motives for being insensible to either of these 
 emotions. 
 
 After a short and rapid symphony, a wind instrument 
 took up a wild strain, while a human voice was again heard 
 chanting to the music, words which were so much involved 
 by the composition of the air, as to render it impossible to 
 trace more than that their burden was a sort of mysterious 
 incantation of some ocean deity. 
 
 “ Squeaking and flutes!” grumbled Myndert, ere the 
 last sounds were fairly ended; “ this is downright heathen¬ 
 ish, and a plain dealing man who does business above board, 
 has good reason to wish himself honestly at church. What 
 have we to do with land witches, or water witches, or any 
 other witchcraft, that we stay in the brigantine, now it is 
 known that my niece is not to be found aboard her ? and, 
 moreover, even admitting that we were disposed to traffic, 
 the craft has nothing in her that a man of Manhattan 
 should want. The deepest bog of thy manor, Patroon, is 
 safer ground to tread on, than the deck of a vessel that has 
 got a reputation like that of this craft.” 
 
 The scenes of which he was a witness had produced a 
 powerful effect on Van Staats of Kinderhook. Of a slow 
 imagination, but of a powerful and vast frame, he was not 
 easily excited to indulge in fanciful images or to suffer 
 personal apprehension. Only a few years had passed since 
 men, who in other respects were enlightened, firmly be¬ 
 lieved in the existence of supernatural agencies in the control 
 of the affairs of this life, and though the New Netherlanders 
 had escaped the infatuation which prevailed so generally in 
 the religious provinces of New England, a credulous super¬ 
 stition of a less active quality possessed the minds of the 
 most intelligent of the Dutch colonists, and even of their 
 descendants so lately as in our own times. The art of 
 divination was particularly in favour, and it rarely happened 
 that any inexplicable event affected the fortunes or comforts 
 of the good provincialists ; without their having recourse to 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 173 
 
 some one of the more renowned fortune-tellers of the country 
 for an explanation. Men of slow faculties love high ex¬ 
 citement because they are insensible to less powerful im¬ 
 pulses, as men of hard heads find most enjoyment in strong 
 liquors. The Patroon was altogether of the sluggish cast, 
 and to him there was consequently a secret, but deep plea¬ 
 sure, in his present situation. 
 
 “ What important results may flow from this adventure 
 we know not, Mr. Alderman Van Beverout,” returned 
 Oloff Van Staats; “ and I confess a desire to see and hear 
 more before we land. This Skimmer of the Seas is alto¬ 
 gether a different man from what our rumours in the city 
 have reported, and by remaining, we may set public opi¬ 
 nion nearer the truth. I have heard my late venerable 
 aunt-” 
 
 Ci Chimney corners and traditions ! The good lady 
 was no bad customer of these gentry, Patroon, and it is 
 lucky that they got no more of thy inheritance in the way 
 of fees. You see the Lust-in-Rust against the mountain 
 there ? well, all that is meant for the public is on the out¬ 
 side, and all that is intended for my own private gratifi¬ 
 cation is kept wdthin doors. But here is Captain Ludlow, 
 w r ho has matters of the queen on his hands, and the 
 gentleman will find it disloyal to waste the moments in 
 this juggling.” 
 
 <c I confess the same desire to witness the end,” drily 
 returned the commander of the Coquette. “ The state of 
 the wind prevents any immediate change in the positions 
 of the tw r o vessels, and w T hy not get a further insight into 
 the extraordinary character of those who belong to the 
 brigantine ? ” 
 
 “ Ay, there it is !” muttered the alderman between his 
 teeth. “ Your insights and outsights lead to all the 
 troubles of life. One is never snug with these fantastics, 
 which trifle with a secret like a fly fluttering round a 
 candle until its wings get burnt.” 
 
 As his companions seemed resolved to stay, however, 
 there remained no alternative for the burgher but patience. 
 Although apprehension of some indiscreet exposure was 
 certainly the feeling uppermost in his mind, he was not 
 
174 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 entirely without some of the weakness which caused Oloff 
 Van Staats to listen and to gaze with so much obvious in¬ 
 terest and secret awe. 
 
 Even Ludlow himself felt more affected than he would 
 have willingly owned, by the extraordinary situation in 
 which he was placed. No man is entirely insensible to the 
 influence of sympathy, let it exert its power in what 
 manner it will. Of this the young sailor was the more 
 conscious, through the effect that was produced on him¬ 
 self by the grave exteriors and attentive manner of all the 
 mariners of the brigantine. He was a seaman of no mean 
 accomplishments, and among other attainments that 
 properly distinguish men of his profession, he had learned 
 to know the country of a sailor, by those general and 
 distinctive marks which form the principal difference 
 between men whose common pursuit has, in so great a 
 degree, created a common character. Intelligence, at that 
 day, was confined in narrow limits among those who 
 dwelt on the ocean. Even the officer was but too apt to 
 be one of rude and boisterous manners, of limited acquire¬ 
 ments, and of deep and obstinate prejudices. No wonder, 
 then, that the common man was, in general, ignorant of 
 most of those opinions which gradually enlighten society. 
 Ludlow had seen, on entering the vessel, that her crew 
 was composed of men of different countries. Age and 
 personal character seemed to have been more consulted, in 
 their selection, than national distinctions. There was a 
 Finlander, with a credulous and oval physiognomy, sturdy 
 but short frame, and a light vacant eye; and a dark- 
 skinned seaman of the Mediterranean, whose classical out¬ 
 line of feature was often disturbed by uneasy and sensitive 
 glances at the horizon. These two men had come and 
 placed themselves near the group on the quarter-deck, 
 when the last music was heard, and Ludlow had ascribed 
 the circumstance to a sensibility to melody, when the child 
 Zephyr stole to their side, in a manner to show that more 
 was meant by the movement than was apparent in the ac 
 tion itself. The appearance of Tiller, who invited the 
 party to re-enter the cabin, explained its meaning, by 
 showing that these men, like themselves, had business with 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 175 
 
 the being who, it was pretended, had so great an agency in 
 controlling the fortunes of the brigantine. 
 
 The party who now passed into the little anteroom, 
 was consequently governed by very different sensations. 
 The curiosity of Ludlow was lively, fearless, and a little 
 mingled with an interest that might be termed professional; 
 while that .of his two companions was not without some 
 inward reverence for the mysterious power of the sorceress. 
 The two seamen manifested dull dependence, while the 
 boy exhibited, in his ingenuous and half-terrified counte¬ 
 nance, most unequivocally the influence of childish awe. 
 The mariner of the shawl was grave, silent, and, what was 
 unusual in his deportment, respectful. After a moment’s 
 delay the door of the inner apartment was opened by 
 Seadrift himself, and he signed for the whole to enter. 
 
 A material change had been made in the arrangement of 
 the principal cabin. The light was entirely excluded from 
 the stern, and the crimson curtain had been lowered before 
 the alcove. A small window, whose effect was to leave a 
 dim obscurity within, had been opened in the side. The 
 objects on which its light fell strongest received a soft tint 
 from the colouring of its glass, as well as from the hues of 
 the hangings. 
 
 The free-trader received his guests with a more chas¬ 
 tened air, bowing silently, and with less of levity in his 
 mien, than in the former interview. Still Ludlow thought 
 there lingered a forced, but sad smile about his handsome 
 mouth, and the Patroon gazed at his fine features, with 
 the admiration that one might feel for the most favoured of 
 those who were believed to administer at some supernatural 
 shrine. The feelings of the alderman were exhibited 
 only by some half suppressed murmurs of discontent, that 
 from time to time escaped him notwithstanding a certain 
 degree of reverence, that-jvas gradually prevailing over his 
 ill-concealed dissatisfaction. 
 
 “ They tell me you would speak with our mistress,” 
 said the principal personage of the vessel, in a subdued 
 voice. “ There are others, too, it ivould seem, who wish 
 to seek counsel from her wisdom. It is now many months 
 since we have had direct converse with her, though the book 
 
17<3 
 
 THE WATER, WITCH. 
 
 is ever open to all applicants for knowledge. Have yon 
 nerves for the meeting ? ” 
 
 “ Her majesty's enemies have never reproached me 
 with their want/' returned Ludlow, smiling incredulously. 
 “ Proceed with your incantations, that we may know." 
 
 cC We are not necromancers, sir, but faithful mariners, 
 who do their mistress’s pleasure. I know that you are scep¬ 
 tical, but bolder men have confessed their mistakes with 
 less testimony. Hist! we are not alone. I hear the open¬ 
 ing and shutting of the brigantine’s transoms.” 
 
 The speaker then fell back, nearly to the line in which 
 the others had arranged themselves, and waited the result 
 in silence. The curtain rose to a low air on the same wind 
 instrument, and even Ludlow felt an emotion more power¬ 
 ful than interest, as he gazed on the object that was re¬ 
 vealed to view. 
 
 A female form, attired as near as might be like the 
 figure-head of the vessel, and standing in a similar attitude, 
 occupied the centre of the alcove. As in the image, one 
 hand held a book with its page turned towards the specta¬ 
 tors, while a finger of the other pointed ahead, apparently 
 to give the brigantine its course. The sea-green drapery 
 was floating behind, as if it felt the influence of the air, 
 and the face had the same dark and unearthly hue, with its 
 malign and remarkable smile. 
 
 When the start and the first gaze of astonishment were 
 over, the alderman and his companions glanced their eyes 
 at each other, in wonder. The smile on the look of 
 the free-trader became less hidden; it partook of tri¬ 
 umph. 
 
 f£ If any here has aught to say to the lady of our bark, 
 let him now declare it. She has come far at our call, and 
 will not tarry long." 
 
 “ I would then know," said Ludlow, drawing a heavy 
 breath, like one recovering from some sudden and powerful 
 sensation, “ if she I seek be within the brigantine ? ” 
 
 He who acted the part of mediator in this extraordinary 
 ceremony, bowed and advanced to the book, which, with an 
 air of deep reverence he consulted, reading, or appearing to 
 read, from its pages. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 177 
 
 “ You are asked here, in return for that you enquire, if 
 she you seek is sought in sincerity ?” 
 
 Ludlow reddened; his manliness, however, overcame 
 the reluctance natural to self-esteem, and he answered 
 firmly,— 
 
 “ She is.” 
 
 “ But you are a mariner: men of the sea place their 
 affections too often on the fabric in which they dwell. Is 
 the attachment for her you seek, stronger than love of wan¬ 
 dering, of your ship, your youthful expectations, and the 
 glory that forms a young soldier’s dreams ? ” 
 
 The commander of the Coquette hesitated. After a mo¬ 
 ment of pause, like that of self-examination, he said, — 
 
 “ As much so as may become a man.” 
 
 A cloud crossed the brow of his interrogator, who ad¬ 
 vanced, and again consulted the pages of the book. 
 
 “ You are required to say if a recent event has not dis¬ 
 turbed your confidence in her you seek?” 
 
 “ Disturbed—but not destroyed.” 
 
 The sea-green lady moved, and the pages of the myste¬ 
 rious volume trembled as if eager to deliver their oracles. 
 
 “ And could you repress curiosity, pride, and all the 
 other sentiments of your sex, and seek her favour, without 
 asking any explanation, as before the occurrence of late 
 events ? ” 
 
 “ I would do much to gain a kind look from Alida de 
 Barb^rie, but the degraded spirit of which you speak would 
 render me unworthy of her esteem. If I found her as I 
 lost her, my life should be devoted to her happiness; if 
 not, to mourning that one so fair should have so heedlessly 
 fallen !” 
 
 Have you ever felt jealousy ?” 
 
 “ First let me know if I have cause !” cried the young 
 man, advancing a step towards the motionless form, with 
 an evident intent to look closer into its character. 
 
 The hand of the mariner of the shawl arrested him with 
 the strength of a giant. 
 
 “ None trespass on the respect due to our mistress,” 
 coolly observed the vigorous seaman, while he motioned 
 peremptorily to the other to retreat. 
 
 N 
 
178 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 A fierce glance shot from his eye, and then the recollec¬ 
 tion of his present helplessness came in season to restrain 
 the resentment of the offended officer. 
 
 “ Have you ever felt jealousy ? ” continued his undis¬ 
 turbed interrogator. 
 
 “ Would any love, that have not ?” 
 
 A gentle respiration was heard in the cabin, during the 
 short pause that succeeded, though none could tell whence 
 it came. The alderman turned to regard the Patroon, as 
 if he believed the sigh was his, while the startled Ludlow 
 looked curiously around him, at a loss to know who acknow¬ 
 ledged, with so much sensibility, the truth of his reply. 
 
 “ Your answers are well,” resumed the free-trader, after 
 a pause longer than usual. Theij turning to Oloff Van 
 Staats, he said, “ Whom, or what do you seek ? ” 
 
 “ We come on a common errand.” 
 
 (C And do you seek in all sincerity ? ” 
 
 “ I could wish to find.” 
 
 You are rich in lands and houses ; is she you seek 
 dear to you as this wealth ? ” 
 
 I esteem them both, since one could not wish to tie a 
 woman he admired to beggary.” 
 
 The alderman hemmed so loud as to fill the cabin, and 
 then, startled at his own interruption, he involuntarily 
 bowed an apology to the motionless form in the alcove, and 
 regained his composure. 
 
 There is more prudence than ardour in your answer. 
 Have you ever felt jealousy ? ” 
 
 “ That has he ! ” eagerly exclaimed Myndert. f< I’ve 
 known the gentleman raving as a bear that has lost its cub, 
 when my niece has smiled, in church, for instance, though 
 it were only in answer to a nod from an old lady. Philo¬ 
 sophy and composure, Patroon ! who the devil knows but 
 Alida may hear of this questioning, and then her French 
 blood will boil at finding your heart has always gone as 
 regularly as a town-clock.” 
 
 “ Could you receive her withotit enquiring into past 
 events ? ” 
 
 “ That would he—that would he !” returned the aider- 
 man. I answer for it, that Mr. Van Staats complies 
 
THE WATER VITCH. 179 
 
 with all engagements, as punctually as the best house iu 
 Amsterdam itself.” 
 
 The book again trembled, but it was with a waving and 
 dissatisfied motion. 
 
 “ What is thy will with our mistress ? ” demanded the 
 free-trader of the fair-haired sailor. 
 
 “ I have bargained, with some of the dealers of my 
 country, for a wind to carry the brigantine through the 
 inlet.” 
 
 “ Go;—the Water Witch will sail when there is need. 
 And thou ? ” 
 
 “ I wish to know whether a few skins I bought last 
 night for a private venture, will turn to good account ? ” 
 
 “ Trust the sea-green lady for thy profits. When did 
 she ever let any fail in a bargain? Child, what has 
 brought thee hither ? ” 
 
 The boy trembled, and a little time elapsed before he 
 found resolution to answer. 
 
 “ They tell me it is so queer to be upon the land!” 
 
 “ Sirrah, thou hast been answered. When others go, 
 thou shalt go with them.” 
 
 “ They say it’s pleasant to taste the fruits from off the 
 very trees-” 
 
 “ Thou art answered. Gentlemen, our mistress departs. 
 She knows that one among you has threatened her favour¬ 
 ite brigantine with the anger of an earthly queen, but it is 
 beneath her office to reply to threats so idle. Hark ! her 
 attendants are in waiting.” 
 
 . The wind instrument was once more heard, and the 
 curtain slowly fell to its strains. A sudden and violent 
 noise, resembling the opening and shutting of some massive 
 door, succeeded, and then all was still. When the sor¬ 
 ceress had disappeared, the free-trader resumed his former 
 ease of manner, seeming to speak and act more naturally. 
 Alderman Van Beverout drew a long breath, like one re¬ 
 lieved, and even the mariner of the gay shawl stood in an 
 easier and more reckless attitude than while in her pre¬ 
 sence. The two seamen and the child withdrew. 
 
 Few who wear that livery have ever before seen the 
 lady of our brigantine,” continued the free-trader, address- 
 
 n 2 
 
180 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 ing himself to Ludlow ; “ it is a proof that she has less 
 aversion to your cruiser, than she in common feels to most 
 of the long pennants that are abroad on the water.” 
 
 “ Thy mistress, thy vessel, and thyself, are alike 
 amusing ! ” returned the young seaman, again smiling in¬ 
 credulously, and with some little official pride. “ It will 
 be well if you maintain this pleasantry much longer at the 
 expense of her majesty’s customs.” 
 
 “ We trust to the power of the Water Witch. She has 
 adopted our brigantine as her abode, given it her name, 
 and guides it with her hand. ’T would be weak to doubt, 
 when thus protected.” 
 
 There may be occasion to try her virtues. Were she 
 a spirit of the deep waters her robe would be blue. No¬ 
 thing of a light draught can escape the Coquette.” 
 
 “ Dost not know that the colour of the sea differs in 
 different climes ? We fear not, but you would have answers 
 to your questions. Honest Tiller will carry you all to the 
 land, and in passing the book may again be consulted. 1 
 doubt not she will leave us some further memorial of her 
 visit.” 
 
 The free-trader then bowed and retired behind the cur¬ 
 tain with the air of a sovereign dismissing his visiters from 
 an audience, though his eye glanced curiously behind him, 
 as he disappeared, as if to trace the effect which had been 
 produced by the interview. Alderman Van Beverout and 
 his friends were in the boat again before a syllable was 
 exchanged between them. They had followed the mariner 
 of the shawl, in obedience to his signal, and they quitted 
 the side of the beautiful brigantine, like men who pondered 
 on what they had just witnessed. 
 
 Enough has been betrayed in the course of the narrative, 
 perhaps, to show that Ludlow distrusted, though he could 
 not avoid wondering at what he had seen. He was not 
 entirely free from the superstition that was then so common 
 among seamen ; but his education and native good sense 
 enabled him in a great measure to extricate his imagination 
 from that love of the marvellous, which is more or less 
 peculiar to all. He had fifty conjectures concerning the 
 meaning of what had passed, and not one of them was 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 181 
 
 true; though each at the instant seemed to appease his 
 curiosity, while it quickened his resolution to pry further 
 into the affair. As for the Patroon of Kinderhook, the 
 present day was one of rare and unequalled pleasure. He 
 had all the gratification which strong excitement can pro¬ 
 duce on slow natures, and he neither wished a solution of 
 his doubts, nor contemplated any investigation that might 
 destroy so agreeable an illusion. His fancy was full of the 
 dark countenance of the sorceress, and when it did not 
 dwell on a subject so unnatural, it saw the handsome fea¬ 
 tures, ambiguous smile, and attractive air of her scarcely 
 less admirable minister. 
 
 As the boat got to a little distance from the vessel. Tiller 
 stood erect, and ran his eye complacently over the per¬ 
 fection of her hull and rigging. 
 
 “ Our mistress has equipped and sent upon the wide 
 and unbeaten sea many a bark,” he said, “ but never a 
 lovelier than our own ! — Captain Ludlow, there has been 
 some double-dealing between us ; but that which is to 
 follow, shall depend on our skill, our seamanship, and the 
 merits of the two crafts. You serve Queen Anne, and I 
 the sea-green lady. Let each be true to his mistress, and 
 Heaven preserve the deserving ! Wilt see the book before 
 we make the trial ? ” 
 
 Ludlow intimated his assent, and the boat approached 
 the figure-head. It was impossible to prevent the feeling 
 which each of our three adventurers felt, not excepting the 
 alderman, when they came in full view of the motionless 
 image. The mysterious countenance appeared endowed with 
 thought, and the malign smile seemed still more ironical 
 than before. 
 
 The first question was yours, and yours must be the 
 first answer,” said Tiller, motioning for Ludlow to consult 
 the page which was open. “ Our mistress deals chiefly in 
 verses from the old writer, whose thoughts are almost as 
 common to us all, as to human nature.” 
 
 “ What means this ? ” said Ludlow hastily. 
 
 “ She, Claudio, that you wrong’d, look you restore. 
 
 -love her, Angelo; 
 
 I have confess’d her, and I know her virtue.” 
 
 » 3 
 
182 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 These are plain words; but I would rather that 
 another priest should shrive her whom I love ! ” 
 
 “ Hist—young blood is swift and quickly heated. Our 
 lady of the bark will not relish hot speech over her oracles. 
 Come, Master Patroon, turn the page with the rattan, and 
 see what fortune will give.” 
 
 OlofF Van Staats raised his powerful arm with the he¬ 
 sitation, and yet with the curiosity, of a girl. It was easy 
 to read in his eye the pleasure his heavy nature felt in the 
 excitement, and yet it was easy to detect the misgivings of 
 an erroneous education, by the seriousness of all the other 
 members of his countenance. He read aloud,— 
 
 “ I have a motion much imports your good; 
 
 Whereto if you’ll a willing ear incline, 
 
 What’s mine is yours, and what is yours is mine: — 
 
 So bring us to our palace, where we’ll show 
 
 What’s yet behind, that’s meet you all should know.” 
 
 Measure for Measure. 
 
 “ Fair dealing and fairer speech ! c What’s yours is 
 mine, and what is mine is yours,’ is Measure for Measure 
 truly, Patroon ! ” cried the alderman. “ A more equitable 
 bargain cannot be made, when the assets are of equal value. 
 Here is encouragement in good sooth; and now. Master 
 Mariner, we will land, and proceed to the Lust-in-Rust, 
 which must be the palace meant in the verses. What’s 
 yet behind must be Alida, the tormenting baggage who has 
 been playing at hide and seek with us for no other reason 
 than to satisfy her womanish vanity, by showing how un¬ 
 comfortable she could make three grave and responsible men. 
 Let the boat go. Master Tiller, since that is thy name, and 
 many thanks for thy civilities.” 
 
 “ *T would give grave offence to leave the lady without 
 knowing all she has to say. The answer now concerns 
 you, worthy alderman, and the rattan will do its turn in 
 your hand as well as in that of another.” 
 
 “ I despise a pitiful curiosity, and content myself with 
 knowing what chance and good luck teaches,” returned 
 Myndert. There are men in Manhattan ever prying 
 into their neighbour’s credit, like frogs lying with their 
 noses out of water ; but it is enough for me to know the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 183 
 
 state of my books, with some insight into that of the 
 market.” 
 
 “ It will not do. This may appease a quiet conscience 
 like your own, sir, but we of the brigantine may not trifle 
 with our mistress. One touch of the rattan will tell you 
 whether the visit to the Water Witch is likely to prove 
 to your advantage.” 
 
 Myndert wavered. It has been said that, like most 
 others of his origin in the colony, he had a secret leaning 
 to the art of divination ; and the words of the hero of the 
 shawl contained a flattering allusion to the profits of his 
 secret commerce. He took the offered stick ; and, by the 
 time the page was turned, his eyes were ready enough to 
 consult its contents. There was but a line, which was also 
 quoted from the well-known comedy of “ Measure for 
 Measure.” 
 
 “ Proclaim it, provost, round about the city.” 
 
 In his eagerness Myndert read the oracle aloud, and 
 then he sunk into his seat, affecting to laugh at the whole 
 as a childish and vain conceit. 
 
 “ Proclamation me no proclamations! Is it a time of 
 hostilities or of public danger, that one should go shouting 
 with his tidings through the street ? Measure for Measure, 
 truly ! Harkee, Master Tiller, this sea-green trull of thine 
 is no better than she should be, and unless she mends her 
 manner of dealing, no honest man will be found willing to 
 be seen in her company. I am no believer in necromancy 
 — though the inlet has certainly opened this year altogether 
 in an unusual manner— and therefore I put little faith in 
 her words; but as for saying aught of me or mine, in town 
 or country, Holland or America, that can shake my credit, 
 why I defy her ! Still I would not willingly have any idle 
 stories to contradict ; and I shall conclude by saying you 
 will do well to stop her mouth.” 
 
 “ Stop a hurricane or a tornado ! Truth will come in 
 her book, and he that reads must expect to see it. Captain 
 Ludlow, you are master of your movements again, for the 
 inlet is no longer between you and your cruiser. Behind 
 yon hillock is the boat and crew you missed. The latter 
 
 n 4 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 184 
 
 expect you. And now, gentlemen, we leave the rest to the 
 green lady’s guidance, our own good skill, and the winds ! 
 I salute you.” 
 
 The moment his companions were on the shore, the hero 
 of the shawl caused his boat to quit it, and in less than 
 five minutes it was seen swinging by its tackles at the 
 stern of the brigantine. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Like Arion on the dolphin’s back, 
 
 I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves. 
 
 So long as I could see. Tempest. 
 
 There was another curious though half-confounded ob¬ 
 server of all that passed in and around the cove on the 
 morning in question. This personage was no other than 
 the slave called Bonnie, who was the factotum of his 
 master over the demesnes of the Lust-in-Rust, during the 
 time when the presence of the alderman was required in 
 the city, which was, in truth, at least four fifths of the 
 year. Responsibility and confidence had produced their 
 effect on this negro, as on more cultivated minds. He 
 had been used to act in situations of care, and practice had 
 produced a habit of vigilance and observation that was not 
 common in men of his unfortunate condition. There is 
 no moral truth more certain than that men, when once 
 accustomed to this species of domination, as readily submit 
 their minds as their bodies to the control of others. Thus 
 it is that we see entire nations maintaining so many erro¬ 
 neous maxims, merely because it has suited the interests of 
 those who do the thinking to give forth these fallacies to 
 their followers. Fortunately, however, for the improve¬ 
 ment of the race and the advancement of truth, it is only 
 necessary to give a man an opportunity to exercise his 
 natural faculties, in order to make him a reflecting, and, in 
 some degree, an independent being. Such, though to a 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 185 
 
 very limited extent, certainly, had been the consequence in 
 the instance of the slave just mentioned. 
 
 How far Bonnie had been concerned in the proceedings 
 between his master and the mariners of the brigantine, it 
 is unnecessary to say. Little passed at the villa of which 
 he was ignorant, and, as curiosity once awakened increases 
 its own desire for indulgence, could he have had his wish, 
 little would have passed any where near him without his 
 knowing something of its nature and import. He had 
 seen, -while seemingly employed with his hoe in the garden 
 of the alderman, the trio conveyed by Erasmus across the 
 inlet; had watched the manner in which they followed its 
 margin to the shade of the oak, and had seen them enter 
 the brigantine as related. That this extraordinary visit on 
 board a vessel which was in common shrouded by so much 
 mystery, had given rise to much and unusual reflection in 
 the mind of the black, was apparent by the manner in 
 which he often paused in his labour, and stood leaning on 
 the handle of his hoe like one who mused. He had never 
 known his master so far overstep his usual caution as to 
 quit the dwelling during the occasional visits of the free¬ 
 trader, and yet he had now gone as it were into the very 
 jaws of the lion, accompanied by the commander of a 
 royal cruiser himself. No wonder, then, that the vigilance 
 of the negro became still more active, and that not even 
 the slightest circumstance was suffered to escape his ad¬ 
 miring eye. During the whole time consumed by the visit 
 related in the preceding chapter, not a minute had been 
 suffered to pass without an enquiring look in the direction 
 either of the brigantine or-.of the adjacent shore. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to say how keen the attention of 
 the slave became when his master and his companions were 
 seen returning to the land. They immediately ascended to 
 the foot of the oak, and then there was a long and appa¬ 
 rently a serious conference between them. During this 
 consultation the negro dropped the end of his hoe, and 
 never suffered his gaze for an instant to alter its direction. 
 Indeed, he scarcely drew breath, until the whole party 
 quitted the spot together, and buried themselves in the 
 thicket that covered the cape, taking the direction of its 
 
186 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 outer or northern extremity, instead of retiring by the 
 shore of the cove towards the inlet. Then Bonnie re¬ 
 spired heavily, and began to look about him at the other 
 objects that properly belonged to the interest of the 
 scene. 
 
 The brigantine had run up her boat, and she now lay, as 
 when first seen, a motionless, beautiful, and exquisitely 
 graceful fabric, without the smallest sign about her of an 
 intention to move, or indeed without exhibiting any other 
 proof, except in her admirable order and symmetry, that 
 any of human powers dwelt within her hull. The royal 
 cruiser, though larger and of far less aerial mould and 
 fashion, presented the same picture of repose. The dis¬ 
 tance between the two was about a league, and Bonnie was 
 sufficiently familiar with the formation of the land and of 
 the position of the vessels, to be quite aware that this in¬ 
 activity on the part of those whose duty it was to protect 
 the rights of the queen, proceeded from their utter igno¬ 
 rance of the proximity of their neighbour. The thicket 
 which bounded the cove, and the growth of oaks and pines 
 that stretched along the narrow sandy spit of land quite to 
 its extremity, sufficiently accounted for the fact. The 
 negro, therefore, after gazing for several minutes at the 
 two immovable vessels, turned his eye askance on the 
 earth, shook his head, and then burst into a laugh, which 
 was so noisy that it caused his sable partner to thrust her 
 vacant and circular countenance through an open window 
 of the scullery of the villa, to demand the reason of a mer¬ 
 riment that to her faithful feelings appeared to be a little 
 unsocial. 
 
 Hey ! you alway’ keep ’e queer t’ing to heself, Bonnie, 
 but,” cried the vixen, “ I’m werry glad to see old bones 
 like a hoe; an’ I wonner dere ar’ time to laugh wid ’e 
 garden full of weed ! ” 
 
 Grach !” exclaimed the negro, stretching out an arm in 
 a forensic attitude; (( what a black woman know of poli¬ 
 tick ! If a hab time to talk, better cook a dinner. Tell 
 one t’ing, Phillis, and dat be dis; vy ’e ship of Captain 
 Ludlow no lif’ ’e anchor and come take dis rogue in ’e 
 cove ? can a tell dat much, or no ? If no, let a man who 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 187 
 
 understan’ heself laugh as much as he like. A little fun 
 no harm Queen Anne, nor kill ’e gubbenor ! ” 
 
 “ All work and no sleep make ole hone ache, Bonnie, 
 but!” returned the consort. “ Ten o’clock — twelve 
 o’clock — t’ ree o’clock, and no bed; I see ’e sun afore a 
 black fool put ’e head on a pillow ! An’ now a hoe go all 
 ’e same as if he sleep a ten hour. Masser Myn’ert got a 
 heart, and he no wish to kill he people wid work, or old 
 Phillis war’ dead fifty year next winter.” 
 
 “ I t’ink a wench’s tongue nebber satisfy ! What for 
 tell a whole world when Bonnie go to bed ! He sleep for 
 heself, and he no sleep for ’e neighbourhood ! Dere ! A 
 man can’t t’ink of every t’ing in a minute. Here a riband 
 long enough to hang heself — take him, and den remem’er, 
 Phillis, dat you be ’e wife of a man who hab care on he 
 shoul’er.” 
 
 Bonnie then set up another laugh, in which his partner, 
 having quitted her scullery to seize the gift, which in its 
 colours resembled the skin of a garter snake, did not fail to 
 join through mere excess of animal delight. The effect of 
 the gift, however, was to leave the negro to make his ob¬ 
 servations without any further interruption from one who 
 was a little too apt to disturb his solitude. 
 
 A boat was now seen to pull out from among the bushes 
 that lined the shore, and Bonnie was enabled to distinguish, 
 in its stern-sheets, the persons of his master, Ludlow, and 
 the Patroon. He had been acquainted with the seizure of 
 the Coquette’s barge the preceding night, and of the con¬ 
 finement of the crew. Its appearance in that place, there¬ 
 fore, occasioned no new surprise. But the time which 
 passed, while the men were rowing up to the sloop of war, 
 was filled with minutes of increasing interest. The black 
 abandoned his hoe and took a position on the side of the 
 mountain that gave him a view of the whole bay. So long 
 as the mysteries of the Lust-in-Rust had been confined to 
 the ordinary combinations of a secret trade, he had been 
 fully able to comprehend them, but now that there appa¬ 
 rently existed an alliance so unnatural as one between his 
 master and the cruiser of the crown, he felt the necessity 
 of double observation and of greater thought. 
 
188 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 A far more enlightened mind than that of the slave 
 might have been excited by the expectation and the objects 
 which now presented themselves, especially if sufficiently 
 prepared for events by a knowledge of the two vessels in 
 sight. Though the wind still hung at east, the cloud 
 above the mouth of the Rariton had at length begun to 
 rise. The broad fleeces of white vapour, that had lain the 
 whole morning over the continent, were rapidly uniting, 
 and they formed already a dark and dense mass, that 
 floated in the bottom of the estuary, threatening shortly to 
 roll over the whole of its width. The air was getting light, 
 and variable, and while the wash of the surf sounded still 
 more audible, its roll upon the beach was less regular than 
 in the earlier hours of the day. Such was the state of the 
 two elements, when the boat touched the side of the ship. 
 In a minute it was hanging by its tackles high in the air, 
 and then it rapidly disappeared in the bosom of the dark 
 mass. 
 
 It far exceeded the intelligence of Bonnie to detect now 
 any further signs of preparation in either of the two vessels 
 which absorbed the whole of his attention. They appeared 
 to him to be alike without motion, and equally without 
 people. There were, it is true, a few specks in the rigging 
 of the Coquette which might be men, but the distance pre¬ 
 vented him from being sure of the fact ; and, admitting 
 them to be seamen busied aloft, there were no visible con¬ 
 sequences of their presence that his uninstructed eye could 
 trace. In a minute or two, even these scattered specks 
 were seen no longer, though the attentive black thought 
 that the mast-heads and the rigging beneath the tops 
 thickened, as if surrounded by more than their usual 
 mazes of ropes. At that moment of suspense, the cloud 
 over the Rariton emitted a flash, and the sound of distant 
 thunder rolled along the water. This seemed to be a signal 
 for the cruiser, for when the eye of Bonnie, which had 
 been directed to the heavens, returned towards the ship, 
 he saw that she had opened and hoisted her three topsails, 
 seemingly with as little exertion as an eagle would have 
 spread his wings. The ship now became uneasy; for the 
 wind came in puffs, and the vessel rolled lightly, as if 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 189 
 
 struggling to extricate itself from the hold of its anchor ; 
 and then, precisely at the moment when the shift of wind 
 was felt, and the breeze came from the cloud in the west, 
 the cruiser whirled away from its constrained position, 
 and, appearing for a short space restless as a steed that 
 had broken from its fastenings, it came up heavily to the 
 wind, and lay balanced by the action of its sails. There was 
 another minute or two of seeming inactivity, after which the 
 broad surfaces of the topsails were brought in parallel lines. 
 One white sheet was spread after another upon the fabric, 
 and Bonnie saw that the Coquette, the swiftest cruiser of 
 the crown in those seas, was dashing out from the land 
 under a cloud of canvass. 
 
 All this time the brigantine in the cove lay quietly at 
 her anchor. When the wind shifted, the light hull swang 
 with its currents, and the image of the sea-green lady was 
 seen offering her dark cheek to be fanned by the breeze. 
 But she alone seemed to watch over the fortunes of her 
 followers, for no other eye could be seen looking out on 
 the danger that began so seriously to threaten them, both 
 from the heavens and from a more certain and intelligible 
 foe. 
 
 As the wind was fresh though unsteady, the Coquette 
 moved through the water with a velocity that did no 
 discredit to her reputation for speed. At first it seemed 
 to be the intention of the royal cruiser to round the cape, 
 and to gain an offing in the open sea, for her head was 
 directed northwardly; but no sooner had she cleared the 
 curve of the little bight, which from its shape is known by 
 the name of the Horse-shoe, than she was seen shooting 
 directly into the eye of the wind and falling off with the 
 graceful and easy motion of a ship in stays, her head look¬ 
 ing towards the Lust-in-Rust. Her design on the notorious 
 dealer in contraband was now too evident to admit of doubt. 
 
 Still the Water Witch betrayed no symptoms of alarm. 
 The meaning eye of the image seemed to study the motions 
 of her adversary with all the understanding of an intelligent 
 being, and occasionally the brigantine turned slightly in 
 the varying currents of the air, as if volition directed the 
 movem«nts of the little fabric. These changes resembled 
 
190 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the quick and slight movements of the hound, as he lifts 
 his head in his lair, to listen to some distant sound, or to 
 scent a passing taint in the gale. 
 
 In the mean time the approach of the ship was so swift, 
 as to cause the negro to shake his head with a meaning that 
 exceeded even his usually important look. Every thing 
 was propitious to her progress, and as the water of the cove, 
 during the periods that the inlet remained open, was known 
 to be of a sufficient depth to admit of her entrance, the 
 faithful Bonnie began to anticipate a severe blow to the 
 future fortunes of his master. The only hope that he 
 could perceive for the escape of the smuggler, was in the 
 changes of the heavens. 
 
 Although the threatening cloud had now quitted the 
 mouth of the Rariton, and was rolling eastward with fear¬ 
 ful velocity, it had not yet broken. The air had the un¬ 
 natural and heated appearance which precedes a gust, but, 
 with the exception of a few large drops that fell, seem¬ 
 ingly from a clear sky, it was, as yet, what is called a dry 
 squall. The water of the bay was occasionally angry and 
 green, and there were moments when it would appear as if 
 heavy currents of air descended to its surface, wantonly to 
 try their power on the sister element. Notwithstanding 
 these sinister omens, the Coquette stood on her course, 
 without lessening the wide surfaces of her canvass by a 
 single inch. They who governed her movements were no 
 men of the lazy Levant, nor of the mild waters of the Me¬ 
 diterranean, to tear their hair and call on saints to stand 
 between their helplessness and harm, but mariners trained 
 in a boisterous sea, and accustomed to place their first de¬ 
 pendence on their own good manhood, aided by the vi¬ 
 gilance and skill of a long and severely exercised experience. 
 A hundred eyes on board that cruiser watched the advance 
 of the rolling cloud, or looked upon the play of light and 
 shade that caused the colour of the water to vary, but it 
 was steadily, and with an entire dependence on the dis¬ 
 cretion of the young officer who controlled the movements 
 of the ship. 
 
 Ludlow himself paced the deck, with the usual staid 
 composure of a commander, so far as might be seen by 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 191 
 
 external signs, though in reality his mind was agitated by 
 feelings that were foreign to the duties of his station. 
 He, too, had thrown occasional glances at the approaching 
 squall, but his eye was far oftener riveted on the motionless 
 brigantine, which was now distinctly to be seen from the 
 deck of the Coquette still riding at her anchor. The cry 
 of “ A stranger in the cove ! ” which a few moments before 
 came out of one of the tops, caused no surprise in the com¬ 
 mander, while the crew, wondering but obedient, began for 
 the first time to perceive the object of their strange man¬ 
 oeuvres. Even the officer next in authority to the captain 
 had not presumed to make any enquiry, though, now that 
 the object of their search was so evidently in view, he felt 
 emboldened to presume on his rank, and to venture a 
 remark. 
 
 ° 1 It is a sweet craft! ” said the lieutenant, yielding to 
 an admiration natural to his habits, “ and one that might 
 serve as a yacht for the queen! This is some trifler with 
 the revenue, or perhaps a buccaneer from the islands. The 
 fellow shows no ensign ! ” 
 
 “ Give him notice, sir, that he has to do with one who 
 bears the royal commission,” returned Ludlow, speaking 
 from habit, but half unconscious of what he said. We 
 must teach these rovers to respect a pennant.” 
 
 The report of the cannon startled the absent man, and 
 caused him to remember his own order. 
 
 Was that gun shotted?” he asked, in a way that 
 sounded like rebuke. 
 
 “ Shotted, but pointed wide, sir; merely a broad hint. 
 We are no dealers in dumb show in the Coquette, Captain 
 Ludlow.” 
 
 I would not injure the vessel, even should it prove a 
 buccaneer. Be careful that nothing strikes her without an 
 order.” 
 
 ‘ f Ay, ’twill be well enough to take the beauty alive! 
 So pretty a boat should not be broken up like an old hulk. 
 Ha ! there goes his bunting at last! He shows a white field 
 — can the fellow be a Frenchman?” 
 
 The lieutenant took a glass, and for a moment he applied 
 it to his eye with the tisual steadiness. Then he suffered 
 
192 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the instrument to fall, and it would seem that he en¬ 
 deavoured to recall the different flags that he had seen during 
 the experience of many years. 
 
 (( This joker should come from some terra incognita/’ 
 he said. “ Here is a woman in his field, with an ugly 
 countenance, too, unless the glass play me false — as I live, 
 the rogue has her counterpart for a figure head!—Will 
 vou look at the ladies, sir ? ” 
 
 Ludlow took the glass, and it was not without curiosity 
 that he turned it toward the colours the hardy smuggler 
 dared to exhibit in presence of a cruiser. The vessels 
 were, by this time, sufficiently near each other to enable 
 him to distinguish the swarthy features and malign smile 
 of the sea-green lady, whose form was wrought in the field 
 of the ensign, with the same art as that which he had seen 
 so often displayed in other parts of the brigantine. Amazed 
 at this daring, he returned the glass, and continued to pace 
 the deck in silence. There stood near the two speakers an 
 officer, whose head and form began to show the influence 
 of time, and who, from his position, had unavoidably been 
 an auditor of what passed. Though the eye of this person, 
 who w r as the sailing-master of the sloop, was rarely off the 
 threatening cloud, except to glance along the wide show of 
 canvass that was spread, he found a moment to take a look 
 at the stranger. 
 
 “ A half-rigged brig, with her fore-top-gallant-mast 
 Added abaft, a double martingale, and a standing gaff/’ ob¬ 
 served the methodical and technical mariner, as another 
 would have recounted the peculiarities of complexion, or of 
 feature, in some individual who was the subject of a per¬ 
 sonal description. “ The rogue has no need of showing 
 his brazen-faced trull to be known ! I chased him for six- 
 and-thirty hours in the chops of St. George’s, no later than 
 the last season, and the fellow ran about us like a dolphin 
 playing under a ship’s forefoot. We had him, now on our 
 weather bow, and now crossing our course, and, once in a 
 while, in our wake, as if he had been a Mother Carey's 
 chicken looking for our crums. He seems snug enough 
 in that cove, to be sure, and yet I’ll wager the pay of any 
 month in the twelve, that be gives us the slip. Captain 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 1£)3 
 
 Ludlow, the brigantine under our lee, here in Spermaceti, 
 is the well-known Skimmer of the Seas ! ” 
 
 “ The Skimmer of the Seas !” echoed twenty voices, m 
 a manner to show the interest created by the unexpected 
 information. 
 
 “ I’ll swear to his character before any admiralty judge 
 in England, or even in France, should there be occasion to 
 go into an outlandish court; but no need of an oath, when 
 here is a written account I took with my own hands, having 
 the chase in plain view, at noon-day.” While speaking, the 
 sailing-master drew a tobacco-box from his pocket, and re¬ 
 moving a coil of pigtail, lie came to a deposit of memoran¬ 
 dums, that vied with the weed itself in colours. “ Now, 
 gentlemen,” he continued, “ you shall have her build, as 
 justly as if the master carpenter had laid it down -with his 
 rule. f Remember to bring a muff of marten’s fur from 
 America, for Mrs. Trysail— buy it in London, and swear’ 
 — this is not the paper — I let your boy, Mr. Luff, stow 
 away the last entry of tobacco for me, and the young dog 
 has disturbed every document I own. This is the way the 
 government accounts get jammed, when parliament wants 
 to overhaul them. But I suppose young blood will have 
 its run ! I let a monkey into a church of a Saturday night 
 myself when a youngster, and he made such a stowage of 
 the prayer books, that the whole parish was by the ears for 
 six months, and there is one quarrel between two old ladies 
 that has not been made up to this hour. Ah, here we 
 have it. — ‘ Skimmer of the Seas. — Full rigg’d forward, 
 with fore-and-aft-mainsail abaft; a gaff-topsail ; taunt in 
 his spars, with light top-hamper ; neat in his gear as any 
 beauty. Carries a ringtail in light weather ; main-boom 
 like a frigate’s topsail-yard, with a main-topmast-stay¬ 
 sail as big as a jib. Low in the water, with a woman 
 figure-head: carries sail more like a devil than a human 
 being, and lies within five points, when jammed up hard 
 on a wind.’ — Here are marks by which one of Queen 
 Anne’s maids of honour might know the rogue, and there 
 you see them all, as plainly as human nature can show 
 them in a ship ! ” 
 
 “ The Skimmer of the Seas ! ” repeated the young 
 
 o 
 
194 
 
 THE WATER WITCH, 
 
 officers, who had crowded round the veteran tar to hear 
 this characteristic description of the notorious free-trader. 
 
 “ Skimmer or flyer, we have him now, dead under our 
 lee, with a sandy beach on three of his sides and the wind 
 in his eye !” cried the first lieutenant. “ You shall have 
 an opportunity, Master Trysail, of correcting your account 
 by actual measurement.” 
 
 The sailing-master shook his head, like one who doubted, 
 and again turned his eye on the approaching cloud. 
 
 The Coquette, by this time, had run so far as to have the 
 entrance of the cove open, and she was separated from her 
 object only by a distance of a few cables’ length. In obedience 
 to an order given by Ludlow, all the light canvass of the 
 ship was taken in, and the vessel was left under her three 
 topsails and jib. There remained, however, a question 
 as to the channel, for it was not usual for ships of the 
 Coquette’s draught to be seen in that quarter of the bay, 
 and the threatening state of the weather rendered caution 
 doubly necessary. The pilot shrunk from a responsibility 
 which did not properly belong to his office, since the 
 ordinary navigation had no concern with that secluded 
 place, and even Ludlow, stimulated as he was by so many 
 powerful motives, hesitated to incur a risk which greatly 
 exceeded his duty. There was something so remarkable 
 in the apparent security of the smuggler, that it naturally 
 led to the belief he was certain of being protected by some 
 known obstacle, and it was decided to sound, before the 
 ship was hazarded. An offer to carry the free-trader with 
 the boats, though plausible in itself, and perhaps the 
 wisest course of all, was rejected by the commander, on 
 an evasive plea of its being of uncertain issue, though in 
 truth, because he felt an interest in one whom he believed 
 the brigantine to contain, which entirely forbade the idea 
 of making the vessel the scene of so violent a struggle. A 
 yawl was therefore lowered into the water, the main-top¬ 
 sail of the ship was thrown to the mast, and Ludlow him¬ 
 self, accon qianied by the pilot and the master, proceeded to 
 ascertain the best approach to the smuggler. A flash of 
 lightning, with one of those thunder-claps that are wont to 
 be so terrific on this continent, warned the young mariner 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 195 
 
 of the necessity of haste if he would regain his ship> 
 before the cloud, which still threatened them, should reach 
 the spot where she lay. The boat pulled briskly into the 
 cove, both the master and the pilot sounding on each side, 
 as fast as the leads could be cast from their hands and 
 recovered. 
 
 t: This will do,” said Ludlow, when they had ascer¬ 
 tained that they could enter. “ I would lay the ship as 
 close as possible to the brigantine, for I distrust her quiet. 
 We will go nearer.” 
 
 “ A brazen witch, and one whose saucy eye and pert 
 figure might lead any honest mariner into contraband, or 
 even into a sea-robbery J” half-whispered Trysail, perhaps 
 afraid to trust his voice within hearing of a creature that 
 seemed almost endowed with the faculties of life. <( Ay, 
 this is the hussy ! I know her by the book, and her green 
 jacket! But where are her people ? The vessel is as 
 quiet as the royal vault on a coronation-day, when the last 
 king and those who went before him commonly have the 
 place to themselves. Here would be a pretty occasion to 
 throw a boat’s crew on her decks, and haul down yon 
 impudent ensign, which bears the likeness of this wicked 
 lady so bravely in the air, if-” 
 
 “ If what?” asked Ludlow, struck with the plausible 
 character of the proposal. 
 
 “ Why, if one were sure of the nature of such a minx, 
 sir; for to own the truth, I would rather deal with a 
 regularly built Frenchman, who showed his guns honestly, 
 and kept such a jabbering aboard that one might tell his 
 bearings in the dark.—The creature spoke !” 
 
 Ludlow did not reply, for a heavy crash of thunder 
 succeeded the vivid glow of a flash of lightning, glaring so 
 suddenly across the swarthy lineaments as to draw the in¬ 
 voluntary exclamation from Trysail. The intimation that 
 came from the cloud was not to be disregarded. The wind, 
 which had so long varied, began to be heard in the rigging 
 of the silent brigantine, and the two elements exhibited 
 unequivocal evidence, in their menacing and fitful colours, 
 of the near approach of the gust. The young sailor, with 
 an absorbing interest, turned his eyes on his ship. The 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 19b 
 
 yards were on the caps, the bellying canvass was flutter¬ 
 ing far to leeward, and twenty or thirty human forms on 
 each spar, showed that the nimble-fingered top-men 
 were gathering in, and knotting the sails down to a close 
 reef. 
 
 “ Give way, men, for your lives ! ” cried the excited 
 young captain. 
 
 A single dash of the oars was heard, and the yawl was 
 already twenty yards from the mysterious image. Then 
 followed a desperate struggle to regain the cruiser, ere the 
 gust should strike her. The sullen murmur of the wind, 
 rushing through the rigging of the ship, was audible some 
 time before they reached her side; and the struggles between 
 the fabric and the elements were at moments so evident, 
 as to cause them to fear they would be too late. The foot 
 of Ludlow touched the deck of the Coquette at the instant 
 the weight of the squall fell upon her sails. He no longer 
 thought of any interest but that of the moment; for, -with 
 all the feelings of a seaman, his mind was now full of his 
 ship. 
 
 “ Let run every thing !” shouted the ready officer, in a 
 voice that made itself heard above the roar of the wind. 
 “ Clue down, and hand ! Away aloft, you top-men !— 
 lay out !—furl away ! ” 
 
 These orders were given in rapid succession, and without 
 a trumpet, for the young man could at need speak loud 
 as the tempest. They were succeeded by one of those 
 exciting and fearful minutes that are so familiar to mariners. 
 Each man was intent on his duty, while the elements 
 marked their will around him as madly as if the hand by 
 which they are ordinarily restrained was for ever removed. 
 The bay was a sheet of foam, while the rushing of the gust 
 resembled the dull rumbling of a thousand chariots. The 
 ship yielded to the pressure, until the water was seen gushing 
 through her lee scuppers; and her tall line of masts in¬ 
 clined towards the planeof the bay, asif the ends of the yards 
 were about to dip into the waters. But this was no more 
 than the first submission to the shock. The well-moulded 
 fabric recovered its balance, and struggled through its 
 element, as if conscious that there was security only in 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 
 motion. Ludlow glanced his eye to leeward. The opening 
 of the cove was favourably situated, and he caught a 
 glimpse of the spars of the brigantine, rocking violently in 
 the squall. He spoke to demand if the anchors were clear, 
 and then he was heard shouting again from his station in 
 the weather gangway,— 
 
 “ Hard a-weather !” 
 
 The first efforts of the cruiser to obey her helm, stripped 
 as she was of canvass, were laboured and slow. But when 
 her head began to fall off, the driving scud was scarce 
 swifter than her motion. At that moment the sluices of 
 the cloud opened, and a torrent of rain mingled in the 
 uproar, adding to the confusion. Nothing was now visible 
 but the lines of the falling water, and the sheet of white 
 foam through which the ship was glancing. 
 
 te Here is the land. Sir !” bellowed Trysail from a cat¬ 
 head, where he stood resembling some venerable sea.god, 
 dripping with his native element; “ we are passing it like 
 a race-horse ! ” 
 
 “ See your bowers clear ! ” shouted hack the captain. 
 
 “ Ready, sir, ready—” 
 
 Ludlow motioned to the men at the wheel to bring the 
 ship to the wind, and when her way was sufficiently 
 deadened, two ponderous anchors dropped, at another signal, 
 into the water. The vast fabric was not checked without 
 a further and a tremendous struggle. When the bows felt 
 the restraint, the ship swung head to wind, and fathom after 
 fathom of the enormous ropes was extracted by surges so 
 violent as to cause the hull to quiver to its centre. But 
 the first lieutenant and Trysail were no novices in their 
 duty, and, in less than a minute, they had secured the 
 vessel steadily at her anchors. When this important service 
 was performed, officers and crew stood looking at each 
 other, like men who had just made a hazardous and fearful 
 experiment. The view again opened, and objects on the 
 land became visible through the rain. The change was like 
 that from night to day. Men who had passed their lives 
 on the sea drew long and relieving breaths, conscious that 
 the danger was passed. As the more pressing interest of 
 their own situation abated, they remembered the object of 
 
 o 3 
 
198 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 their search. All eyes were turned in quest of the smuggler 
 but, hy some inexplicable means, he had disappeared. 
 
 “ The Skimmer of the Seas ! ” and ee What has become 
 of the brigantine?” were exclamations that the discipline 
 of a royal cruiser could not repress. They were repeated 
 by a hundred mouths, while twice as many eyes sought to 
 find the beautiful fabric. All looked in vain. The spot 
 where the Water Witch had so lately lain was vacant, 
 and no vestige of her wreck lined the shores of the cove. 
 During the time the ship was handing her sails, and pre¬ 
 paring to enter the cove, no one had leisure to look for 
 the stranger, and after the vessel had anchored, until that 
 moment, it was not possible to see her length on any side 
 of them. There was still a dense mass of falling water 
 moving seaward, but the curious and anxious eyes of Lud¬ 
 low made fruitless efforts to penetrate its secrets. Once, 
 indeed, more than an hour after the gust had reached his 
 own ship, and when the ocean in the offing was clear and 
 calm, he thought he could distinguish, far to seaward, the 
 delicate tracery of a vessel’s spars drawn against the horizon, 
 without any canvass set. But a second look did not assure 
 him of the truth of the conjecture. 
 
 There were many extraordinary tales related that night 
 on board her Britannic majesty’s ship Coquette. The 
 boatswain affirmed that, while piping below, in order to 
 overhaul the cables, he had heard a screaming in the air, 
 that sounded as if a hundred devils were mocking him, and 
 which he told the gunner, in confidence, he believed was 
 no more than the winding of a call on board the brigantine, 
 who had taken occasion, when other vessels were glad to 
 anchor, to get under way in her own fashion. There 
 was also a fore-top-man named Robert Yarn, a fellow 
 whose faculty for story-telling equalled that of Schehera¬ 
 zade, and who not only asserted, but who confirmed the 
 declaration by many strange oaths, that while he lay on the 
 lee-fore-topsail-yard-arm, stretching forth an arm to grasp 
 the leech of the sail, a dark-looking female fluttered over 
 his head and caused her long hair to whisk into his face, in a 
 manner that compelled him to shut his eyes, which gave 
 occasion to a smart reprimand from the reefer of the top 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 1 99 
 
 There was a feeble attempt to explain this assault, by the 
 man who lay next to Yarn, who affected to think the hair 
 was no more than the end of a gasket whipping in the wind; 
 hut his shipmate, who had pulled one of the oars of the 
 yawl, soon silenced this explanation by the virtue of his 
 long established reputation for veracity. Even Trysail 
 ventured several mysterious conjectures concerning the fate 
 of the brigantine in the gunroom, but on returning from 
 the duty of sounding the inlet, whither he had been sent 
 by his captain, he was less communicative and more thought¬ 
 ful than usual. It appeared, indeed, from the surprise 
 that Was manifested by every officer that heard the report 
 of the quartermaster, who had given the casts of the lead 
 on this service, that no one in the ship, with the exception 
 of Alderman Van Beverout, was at all aware that there was 
 rather more than two fathoms of water in that secret 
 passage. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Sirs, take your places, and be vigilant. Henry IV. 
 
 The succeeding day was one in which the weather had a 
 fixed character. The wind was east, and, though light, not 
 fluctuating. The air had that thick and hazy appearance 
 which properly belongs to the autumn in this climate, but 
 which is sometimes seen at midsummer, when a dry wind 
 blows from the ocean. The roll of the surf on the shore 
 was regular and monotonous, and the currents of the air 
 were so steady as to remove every apprehension of a change. 
 The moment to which the action of the tale is transferred, 
 was in the earlier hours of the afternoon. 
 
 At that time the Coquette lay again at her anchors, 
 just within the shelter of the cape. There were a few 
 small sails to be seen passing up the bay, but the scene, as 
 was common at that distant day, presented little of the 
 activity of our own times to the eye. The windows of 
 the Lust-in-Rust were again open, and the movement of 
 
200 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the slaves in and about the villa, announced the presence 
 of its master. 
 
 The alderman was, in truth, at the hour named, pacing 
 the little lawn in front of la Cour des Fees, accompanied 
 by OlofF Van Staats and the commander of the cruiser. 
 
 It was evident, by the frequent glances which the latter 
 threw in the direction of the pavilion, that he still thought 
 of her who was absent, while the faculties of the two others 
 were either in better subjection, or less stimulated by 
 anxiety. One who understood the character of the indi¬ 
 vidual, and who was acquainted with the past, might have 
 suspected, by this indifference on the part of the Patroon, 
 placed as it was in such a singular contrast to a sort ot 
 mysterious animation which enlivened a countenance whose 
 ordinary expression was that of placid content, that the 
 young suitor thought less than formerly of the assets of 
 old Etienne, and more of the secret pleasure he found in 
 the singular incidents of which he had been a witness. 
 
 “ Propriety and discretion !” observed the burgher, in 
 reply to a remark of one of the young men, “ I say again, 
 for the twentieth time, that we shall have Alida Barberie 
 back among us, as handsome, as innocent, ay, and as rich 
 as ever ! — perhaps I should also say as wilful. A bag¬ 
 gage, to worry her old uncle, and two honourable suitors, 
 in so thoughtless a manner ! Circumstances, gentlemen/’ 
 continued the wary merchant, who saw that the value of 
 the hand of which he had to dispose was somewhat reduced 
 in the market, “ have placed you on a footing in my esteem. 
 Should my niece, after all, prefer Captain Ludlow for a 
 partner in her worldly affairs, why it should not weaken 
 friendship between the son of old Stephanus Van Staats 
 and Myndert Van Beverout. Our grandmothers were 
 cousins, and there should be charities in the same blood.” 
 
 “ I could not wish to press my suit,” returned the 
 Patroon, e< when the lady has given so direct a hint that 
 it is disagreeable-” 
 
 “ Hint me no hints! Do you call this caprice of a 
 moment, this trifling, as the captain here would call it, 
 with the winds and tides, a hint ? The girl has Norman 
 blood in her veins, and she wishes to put animation into 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 201 
 
 the courtship. If bargains were to be interrupted by a 
 little cheapening of the buyer, and some affectation of 
 waiting for a better market in the seller, her majesty 
 might as well order her custom-houses to be closed at once, 
 and look to other sources for revenue. Let the girl’s fancy 
 have its swing, and the profits of a year’s peltry against 
 thy rent-roll, we shall see her penitent for her folly, and 
 willing to hear reason. My sister’s daughter is no witch, 
 to go journeying for ever about the world on a broom¬ 
 stick !” 
 
 “ There is a tradition in our family,” said OlofFVan 
 Staats, his eye lighting with a mysterious excitement, 
 though he affected to laugh at the folly he uttered, “ that 
 the great Poughkeepsie fortune-teller foretold in the pre¬ 
 sence of my grandmother, that a Patroon of Kinderhook 
 should intermarry with a witch. So should I see la Belle 
 in the position you name, it would not greatly alarm me.” 
 
 “ The prophecy was fulfilled at the wedding of thy 
 father ! ” muttered Myndert, who, notwithstanding the 
 outward levity with which he treated the subject, was not 
 entirely free from secret reverence for the provincial sooth¬ 
 sayers, some of whom continued in high repute, even to 
 the close of the last century. “ His son would not else 
 have been so clever a youth ! But here is Captain Lud¬ 
 low, looking at the ocean, as if he expected to see my niece 
 rise out of the water in the shape of a mermaid.” 
 
 The commander of the Coquette pointed to the object 
 which attracted his gaze, and which, appearing as it did 
 at that moment, was certainly not of a nature to lessen the 
 faith of either of his companions in supernatural agencies. 
 
 It has been said that the wind was dry and the air 
 misty, or rather so pregnant wi h a thin haze, as to give it 
 the appearance of a dull smoky light. In such a state of 
 the weather, the eye, more especially of one placed on an 
 elevation, is unable to distinguish what is termed at sea 
 the visible horizon. The two elements become so blended, 
 that we cannot tell where the water ends or where the void 
 of the heavens commences. It is a consequence of this in¬ 
 distinctness, that any object seen beyond the imaginary 
 boundary of water, has the appearance of floating in the 
 
202 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 air. It is rare for the organs of a landsman to penetrate 
 beyond the apparent limits of the sea when the atmosphere 
 exhibits this peculiarity, though the practised eye of a 
 mariner often detects vessels, which are hid from others 
 merely because they are not sought in the proper place. 
 The deception may also be aided by a slight degree of 
 refraction. 
 
 “ Here,” said Ludlow, pointing in a line that would 
 have struck the water some two or three leagues in the 
 offing. “ First bring the chimney of yonder low building 
 on the plain in a range with the dead oak on the shore, 
 and then raise your eyes slowly till they strike a sail.” 
 
 “ That ship is navigating the heavens!” exclaimed 
 Myndert! “ Thy grandmother was a sensible woman, 
 
 Patroon ; she was a cousin of my pious progenitor, and 
 there is no knowing what two clever old ladies in their 
 time may have heard and seen, when such sights as this 
 are beheld in our own !” 
 
 “ I am as little disposed as another to put faith in in¬ 
 credible things,” gravely returned OloffVan Staats, “ and 
 yet if required to give my testimony, I should be reluctant 
 to say that yonder vessel is not, indeed, floating in the 
 heavens! ” 
 
 “ You might not give it to that effect in safety,” said 
 Ludlow. “ It is no other than a half-rigged brigantine, 
 on a taut bowline, though she bears no great show of can¬ 
 vass. Mr. Van Beverout, her majesty’s cruiser is about to 
 put to sea.” 
 
 Myndert heard this declaration in visible dissatisfaction. 
 He spoke of the virtue of patience, and of the comforts of 
 the solid ground ; but when he found the intention of tlxe 
 queen’s servant was not to be shaken, he reluctantly pro¬ 
 fessed an intention of repeating the personal experiment of 
 the preceding day. Accordingly within half an hour, the 
 whole party were on the banks of the Shrewsbury, and about 
 to embark in the barge of the Coquette. 
 
 “ Adieu, Monsieur Francois,” said the alderman, nod¬ 
 ding his head to the ancient valet, who stood with a dis¬ 
 consolate eye on the shore. “ Have a care of the moveables 
 in la Cour des Fees; we may have further use for them 
 yet.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 203 
 
 “ Mais, Monsieur Beevre, mon devoir, et, ma foi, sup¬ 
 pose la mer was plus agreable, mon desir shall be to suivre 
 Mam’selle Alide. Jamais personne de la famille Barberie 
 love de sea ; mais monsieur, comment faire ? I shall die 
 sur la mer de douleur; and I shall die d’ennui, to rester 
 ici, bien sur ! ” 
 
 “ Come then, faithful Francois,” said Ludlow ; “ you 
 shall follow your young mistress, and, perhaps, on further 
 trial, you may be disposed to think the lives of us seamen 
 more tolerable than you had believed.” 
 
 After an eloquent expression of countenance, in which 
 the secretly amused though grave-looking boat’s crew 
 thought the old man was about to give a specimen of his 
 powers of anticipation, the affectionate domestic entered 
 the barge. Ludlow felt for his distress, and encouraged 
 him by a look of approbation. The language of kindness 
 does not always need a tongue, and the conscience of the 
 valet smote him with the idea that he might have expressed 
 himself too strongly concerning a profession to which the 
 other had devoted life and hopes. 
 
 “ La mer. Monsieur le Capitaine,” he said, with an ac¬ 
 knowledging reverence, f< est un vaste theatre de la gloire. 
 Voila Messieurs de Tourville et Dugay Trouin ; ce sont des 
 hommes vraiment remarquables ! mais, monsieur, quant a 
 toute la famille de Barberie, it have toujours un sentiment 
 plus favorable pour la terre.” 
 
 “ I wish your whimsical jade of a mistress. Master 
 Francis, had found the same sentiment,” dryly observed 
 Myndert: “ for let me tell you, this cruising about in a 
 suspicious vessel is as little creditable to her judgment as 
 
 -Cheer up, Patroon, the girl is only putting thy 
 
 mettle to the trial, and the sea air will do no damage to 
 her complexion or her pocket. A little predilection for 
 salt water will of course raise the girl in your estimation. 
 Captain Ludlow!” 
 
 “ If the predilection goes no further than to the element, 
 sir,” was the caustic answer. “ But, deluded or not, erring 
 or deceived, Alida Barberie is not to be deserted, the victim 
 of a villain’s arts. I did love your niece, Mr. Van Beverout, 
 
 and-pull with a will, men ; fellows, are you sleeping 
 
 on the oars ? ” 
 
204 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 The sudden manner in which the young man interrupted 
 himself, and the depth of tone in which he spoke to the 
 boat’s crew, put an end to the discourse. It was apparent 
 that he wished to say no more, and that he even regretted 
 the weakness which had induced him to say so much. 
 The remainder of the distance between the shore and the 
 ship was passed in silence. 
 
 When Queen Anne’s cruiser was seen doubling Sandy 
 Hook, past meridian on the 6th of June (sea time), in the 
 year 17 —, the wind, as is stated in an ancient journal which 
 was kept by one of the midshipmen, and is still in exist¬ 
 ence, was light, steady at south-and-by-west-half-west. It 
 appears, by the same document, that the vessel took her 
 departure at seven o’clock, p. m., the point of Sandy Hook 
 bearing west-half-south, distant three leagues. On the 
 same page which contains these particulars, it is observed, 
 under the head of remarks — “ Ship under starboard steer¬ 
 ing-sails, forward and aft, making six knots. A suspicious 
 half-rigged brigantine lying to in the eastern board, under 
 her mainsail, with fore-topsail to the mast; light and 
 lofty sails and jib loose; foresail in the brails. Her star¬ 
 board steering-sail-booms appear to be rigged out, and the 
 gear rove, ready for a run. This vessel is supposed to be 
 the celebrated hermaphrodite, the Water Witch, com¬ 
 manded by the notorious Skimmer of the seas, and the 
 same fellow who gave us so queer a slip yesterday. The 
 Lord send us a capful of wind, and we’ll try his heels 
 before morning ! — Passengers, Alderman Van Beverout, 
 of the second ward of the City of New York, in her ma¬ 
 jesty’s province of the same name; OlofF Van Staats, Esq., 
 commonly called the Patroon of Kinderhook, of the same 
 colony; and a qualmish-looking old chap, in a sort of 
 marine’s jacket, who answers when hailed as Francis. A 
 rum set taken altogether, though they seem to suit the 
 Captain’s fancy. Mem. — Each lipper of a wave works 
 like tartar emetic on the old boy in marine gear.” 
 
 As no description of ours can give a more graphic ac¬ 
 count of the position of the two vessels in question at the 
 time named, than that which is contained in the foregoing 
 extract, we shall take up the narrative at that moment. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 205 
 
 which the reader will see must, in the 40th degree of 
 latitude, and in the month of June, have been shortly after 
 the close of the day. 
 
 The young votary of Neptune, whose opinions have just 
 been quoted, had indeed presumed on his knowledge of the 
 localities in affirming the distance and position of the cape 
 since the low sandy point was no longer visible from the 
 deck. The sun had set, as seen from the vessel, precisely 
 in the mouth of the Rariton, and the shadows from Nave- 
 sink, or Neversink, as the hills are vulgarly called, were 
 thrown far upon the sea. In short, the night was gather¬ 
 ing round the mariners, with every appearance of settled 
 and mild weather, but of a darkness deeper than is com¬ 
 mon on the ocean. Under such circumstances, the great 
 object was to keep on the track of the chase, during the 
 time w r hen she must necessarily be hid from their sight. 
 
 Ludlow walked into the lee gangway of his ship, and 
 leaning with his elbow on the empty hammock-cloths, he 
 gazed long and in silence at the object of his pursuit. The 
 Water Witch was lying in the quarter of the horizon most 
 favourable to be seen. The twilight, which still fell out of 
 the heavens, was without glare in that direction, and for 
 the first time that day he saw her in her true proportions. 
 The admiration of a seaman was blended with the other 
 sensations of the young man. The brigantine lay in the 
 position that exhibited her exquisitely moulded hull and 
 rakish rig to the most advantage. The head having come 
 to the wind was turned towards her pursuer, and as the 
 bows rose on some swell that was heavier than common, 
 Ludlow saw, or fancied he saw, the mysterious image still 
 perched on her cutwater, holding the book to the curious, 
 and ever pointing with its finger across the waste of water. 
 A movement of the hammock-cloths caused the young 
 sailor to bend his head aside, and he then saw that the 
 master had drawn as near to his person as discipline would 
 warrant. Ludlow had a great respect for the professional 
 attainments that his inferior unquestionably possessed; and 
 he was not without some consideration for the chances of a 
 fortune, which had not done much to reward the privations 
 and the services of a seaman old enough to be his father. 
 
206 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 The recollection of these facts always disposed him to be 
 indulgent to a man who had little beyond his seamanlike 
 character and long experience, however, to recommend 
 him. 
 
 “ We are likely to have a thick night. Master Trysail," 
 said the young captain, without deeming it necessary to 
 change his look, “ and we may yet be brought on a bow¬ 
 line before yonder insolent is overhauled.” 
 
 The master smiled, like one who knew more than he 
 expressed, and he gravely shook his head. 
 
 “ We may have many pulls on our bowlines, and some 
 squaring of yards too, before the Coquette (the figure-head 
 of the sloop of war was also a female) gets near enough to 
 the dark-faced woman under the bowsprit of the brigantine, 
 to whisper her mind. You and I have been nigh enough 
 to see the white of the latter’s eyes, and to count the teeth 
 she shows in that cunning grin of hers, and what good has 
 come of our visit ? I am hut a subordinate. Captain Lud¬ 
 low, and I know my duty too well not to be silent in a 
 squall, and I hope too well not to know how to speak when 
 my commander wishes the opinions of his officers at a 
 council, and therefore mine, just now, is perhaps different 
 from that of some others in this ship that I will not name, 
 who are good men too, though none of the oldest.” 
 
 “ And what is thy opinion, Trysail? — the ship is do¬ 
 ing well, and she carries her canvass bravely." 
 
 <c The ship behaves like a well-bred young woman in 
 the presence of the queen — modest but stately; but of 
 what use is canvass, in a chase where witchcraft breeds 
 squalls and shortens sail in one vessel, while it gives flying 
 kites to another ? If her majesty, God bless her ! should 
 be over-persuaded to do so silly a thing as to give old Tom 
 Trysail a ship, and the said ship lay just here-a-way, 
 where the Coquette is now getting along so cleverly, why 
 then, as in duty bound, I know very well what her com 
 mander would do.” 
 
 <c Which would be-" 
 
 “ To in all-studding-sails, and bring the vessel on the 
 wind’ 
 
 “ That would he to carry you to the southward, while 
 the chase lies here in the eastern board 1 ” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 207 
 
 “ Who can say how long she will lie there ! They told 
 us in York that there was a Frenchman, of our burden 
 and metal, rummaging about among the fishermen lower 
 down on the coast. Now, sir, no man knows that the war 
 is half over better than myself, for not a ha'penny of prize- 
 money has warmed my pocket these three years; — but, 
 as I was saying, if a Frenchman will come off his ground, 
 and will run his ship into troubled water, why, whose 
 fault is it but his own ? A pretty affair might be made 
 out of such a mistake. Captain Ludlow, whereas run¬ 
 ning after yonder brigantine, is flapping out the queen’s 
 canvass for nothing. The vessel’s bottom will want new 
 sheathing, in my poor opinion, before you catch him.” 
 
 I know not. Trysail,” returned his captain, glancing 
 an eye aloft, “ every thing draws, and the ship never went 
 along with less trouble to herself. We shall not know 
 which has the longest legs, till the trial is made.” 
 
 <c You may judge of the rogue’s speed by his impudence. 
 There he lies, waiting for us like a line-of-battle-ship 
 lying-to for an enemy to come down. Though a man of 
 some experience in my way, I have never seen a lord’s son 
 more sure of promotion, than that same brigantine seems 
 to be of his heels ! If this old Frenchman goes on with 
 liis faces much longer, he will turn himself inside out, and 
 then we shall get an honest look at him, for these fellows 
 never carry their true characters above board, like a fair¬ 
 dealing Englishman. Well, sir, as I was remarking, yon 
 rover, if rover he be, has more faith in his canvass than 
 in the church. I make no doubt, Captain Ludlow, that 
 the brigantine went through the inlet while we were hand¬ 
 ing our topsails yesterday, for I am none of those who are 
 in a hurry to give credit to any will-o’the-whisp tale; be¬ 
 sides which I sounded the passage with my own hands, 
 and know the thing to be possible with the wind blowing 
 heavy over the taffrail; still, sir, human nature is human 
 nature, and what is the oldest seaman, after all, but a man? 
 and so, to conclude, I would rather any day chase a 
 Frenchman, whose disposition is known to me, than have 
 the credit of making traverses for eight and forty hours in 
 the wake of one of these flyers, with little hope of getting 
 him within hail.’* 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 20S 
 
 “ You forget^ Master Trysail; that I have been aboard 
 the chase, and know something of his build and character? ” 
 
 “ They say as much aboard here;” returned the old tar, 
 drawing nearer to the person of his captain under an im¬ 
 pulse of strong curiosity, ec though none presume to be ac¬ 
 quainted with the particulars. I am not one of those who 
 ask impertinent questions, more especially under her ma¬ 
 jesty’s pennant, for the worst enemy I have will not say I 
 am very "womanish. One would think, how T ever, that 
 there was neat work on board a craft that is so prettily 
 moulded about her water-lines ? ” 
 
 “ She is perfect as to construction, and admirable in 
 gear.” 
 
 “ I thought as much by instinct! Her commander 
 need not, however, be any the more sure of keeping her 
 off the rocks, on that account. The prettiest young woman 
 in our parish was wrecked, as one might say, on the 
 shoals of her own good looks, having cruised once too 
 often in the company of the squire’s son. A comely wench 
 she was, though she luffed athwart all her old companions 
 when the young lord of the manor fell into her wake. 
 Well, she did bravely enough, sir, as long as she could 
 carry her flying kites, and make a fair wind of it; but 
 when the squall of which I spoke overtook her, what could 
 she do but keep away before it - and as others, who are 
 snugger in their morals, hove-to, as it were, under the 
 storm sails of religion and such matters as they had picked 
 up in the catechism, she drifted to leeward of all honest 
 society ! A neatly built and clean-heeled hussy was that 
 girl, and I am not certain by any means, that Mrs. Trysail 
 would this day call herself the lady of a queen’s officer, 
 had the other known how to carry sail in the company of 
 her betters.” 
 
 The worthy master drew a long breath, which possibly 
 was a nautical sigh, but which certainly had more of the 
 north wind than of the zephyr in its breathing, and he had 
 recourse to the little box of iron whence he usually drew 
 consolation. 
 
 I have heard of this accident before,” returned Lud- 
 ow, who had sailed as a midshipman in the same vessel 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 209 
 
 with, and indeed as a subordinate to, his present inferior; 
 “ but from all accounts, you have little reason to regret 
 the change, as I hear the best character of your present 
 worthy partner.” 
 
 “ No doubt, sir, no doubt. I defy any man in the ship 
 to say that I am a backbiter even against my own wife, 
 with whom I have a sort of lawful right to deal candidly. 
 I make no complaints, and am a happy man at sea, and I 
 piously hope Mrs. Trysail knows how to submit to her 
 duty at home. I suppose you see, sir, that the chase 
 has hauled his yards, and is getting his fore-tack aboard ? ” 
 Ludlow, whose eye did not often turn from the brigantine, 
 nodded assent, and the master having satisfied himself, by 
 actual inspection, that every sail in the Coquette did its 
 duty, continued — Ci The night is coming on thick, and 
 we shall have occasion for all our eyes, to keep the rogue 
 in view, when he begins to change his bearings — but, as 
 I was saying, if the commander of yonder half-rig is too 
 vain of her good looks, he may yet wreck her in his pride ! 
 The rogue has a desperate character as a smuggler, 
 though, for my own part, I cannot say that I look on such 
 men w r ith as unfavourable an eye as some others. This 
 business of trade seems to be a sort of chase between one 
 man's wits and another man’s wits, and the dullect goer 
 must be content to fall astern. When it comes to be a 
 question of revenue, why, he who goes free is lucky, and 
 he who is caught, a prize. I have known a flag-officer 
 look the other way. Captain Ludlow, when his own effects 
 were passing duty free; and as to your admiral’s lady, she 
 is a great patroness of the contraband. I do not deny, 
 sir, that a smuggler must be caught, and when caught 
 condemned, after which there must be a fair distribution 
 among the captors ; but all that I mean to say is, that 
 there are worse men in the world than your British smug¬ 
 gler — such, for instance, as your Frenchman, your 
 Dutcnman, or your Don.” 
 
 “ These are heretodox opinions for a queen’s servant,” 
 said Ludlow, a good deal more inclined to smile than to 
 frown. 
 
 “ I hope I know my duty too well to preach them to 
 
 p 
 
210 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the ship’s company; but a man may say that, in a phi¬ 
 losophical way, before his captain, that he 'would not 
 let run into a midshipman’s ear. Though no lawyer, I 
 know what is meant by swearing a witness to the truth and 
 nothing hut the truth. I wish the queen got the last, God 
 bless her ! — several worn-out ships would then be broken 
 up, and better vessels sent to sea in their places. But, sir, 
 speaking in a religious point of view, what is the differ¬ 
 ence between passing in a trunk of finery, with a duchess's 
 name on the brass plate, or in passing in gin enough to 
 fill a cutter’s hold ? ” 
 
 “ One would think a man of your years, Mr. Trysail, 
 would see the difference between robbing the revenue of a 
 guinea, and of robbing it of a thousand pounds.” 
 
 “ Which is just the difference between retail and whole¬ 
 sale, and that is no trifle, I admit, Captain Ludlow, in a 
 commercial country, especially in genteel life. Still, sir, 
 revenue is the country’s right, and therefore I allow a 
 smuggler to be a bad man, only not so bad as those I have 
 just named, particularly your Dutchman ! The queen is 
 right to make those rogues lower their flags to her in the 
 narrow' seas, which are her lawful property, because Eng¬ 
 land being a wealthy island, and Holland no more than a 
 bit of bog turned up to dry, it is reasonable that we should 
 have the command afloat. No, sir, though none of your 
 outcriers against a man because he has had bad luck in a 
 chase with a revenue cutter, I hope I know what the na¬ 
 tural rights of an Englishman are. We must be masters 
 here. Captain Ludlow r — will ye nill ye — and look to the 
 main chances of trade and manufactures!" 
 
 “ I had not thought you so accomplished a statesman, 
 Master Trysail!" 
 
 “ Though a poor man’s son, Captain Ludlow, I am a 
 free-born Briton, and my education has not been entirely 
 overlooked. I hope I know something of the constitution 
 too, as well as my betters. Justice and honour being an 
 Englishman’s mottoes, we must look manfully to the main 
 chance. We are none of your flighty talkers, but a rea¬ 
 soning people, and there is no want of deep thinkers on 
 the little island ; and therefore, sir taking all together, 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 211 
 
 why England must stick up for her rights ! Here is your 
 Dutchman, for instance, a ravenous cormorant—a fellow 
 with a throat wide enough to swallow all the gold of the 
 Great Mogul, if he could get at it—and yet a vagabond 
 who has not even a fair footing on the earth, if the truth 
 must be spoken ! Well, sir, shall England give up her rights 
 to a nation of such blackguards ? No, sir, our venerable 
 constitution and mother church itself forbid ; and therefore 
 1 say, dam’me, lay them aboard, if they refuse us any of 
 our natural rights, or show a wish to bring us down to 
 their own dirty level! ” 
 
 t( Reasoned like a countryman of Newton, and with an 
 eloquence that would do credit to Cicero ! I shall endea¬ 
 vour to digest your ideas at my leisure, since they are 
 much too solid food to be disposed of in a minute. At 
 present we will look to the chase, for I see, by the aid of 
 my glass, that he has set his studding-sails and is beginning 
 to draw ahead.” 
 
 This remark closed the dialogue between the captain and 
 his subordinate. The latter quitted the gangway with that 
 secret and pleasurable sensation, which communicates itself 
 to all who have reason to think they have delivered them¬ 
 selves creditably of a train of profound thought. 
 
 It was, in truth, time to lend every faculty to the 
 movements of the brigantine, for there was great reason 
 to apprehend that, by changing her direction in the dark, 
 ness, she might elude them. The night was fast closing 
 on the Coquette, and at each moment the horizon narrowed 
 around her, so that it was only at uncertain intervals the 
 men aloft could distinguish the position of the chase. 
 While the two vessels were thus situated, Ludlow joined 
 his guests on the quarter-deck. 
 
 “ A wise man will trust to his wits what cannot be done 
 by force,” said the alderman. “ I do not pretend to be 
 much of a mariner. Captain Ludlow, though I once spent 
 a week in London, and I have crossed the ocean seven 
 times to Rotterdam. We did little in our passages by 
 striving to force nature. When the nights came in dark, 
 as at present, the honest schippers were content to wait 
 for better times, by which means we were sure not to miss 
 
 p 2 
 
212 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 our road, and of finally arriving at the destined port in 
 
 safety.” 
 
 “ You saw that the brigantine was opening his canvass 
 when last seen, and he that would move fast must have 
 recourse to his sails.” 
 
 “ One never knows what may be brewing up there in the 
 heavens, when the eye cannot see the colour of a cloud. I 
 have little knowledge of the character of the Skimmer of the 
 Seas beyond that which common fame gives him ; but, in 
 the poor judgment of a landsman, we should do better by 
 showing lanterns in different parts of the ship, lest some 
 homeward-bound vessel do us an injury, and await until 
 the morning for further movements.” 
 
 “ We are spared the trouble, for look, the insolent has 
 set a light himself, as if to invite us to follow ! This 
 temerity exceeds belief! To dare to trifle thus with one 
 of the swifest cruisers in the English fleet! See that 
 every thing draws, gentlemen, and take a pull at all the 
 sheets. Hail the tops, sir, and make sure that every thing 
 is home.” 
 
 The order was succeeded by the voice of the officer of 
 the watch, who enquired, as directed, if each sail was 
 distended to the utmost. Force was applied to some of 
 the ropes, and then a general quiet succeeded to the 
 momentary activity. 
 
 The brigantine had indeed showed a light, as if in 
 mockery of the attempt of the royal cruiser. Though 
 secretly stung by this open contempt of their speed, the 
 officers of the Coquette found themselves relieved from a 
 painful and anxious duty. Before this beacon was seen, 
 they were obliged to exert their senses to the utmost, in 
 order to get occasional glimpses of the position of the 
 chase, while they now steered in confidence for the brilliant 
 little spot that was gently rising and falling with the 
 waves. 
 
 I think we near him,” half-whispered the eager 
 captain, for see, there is some design visible on the 
 sides of the lantern. Hold! Ay, *t is the face of a 
 woman, as I live !” 
 
 “ The men of the yawl report that the rover shows 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 213 
 
 this symbol in many parts of his vessel, and we know he 
 had the impudence to set it yesterday, in our presence 
 even, on his ensign.” 
 
 “ True—true ; take the glass, Mr. Luff, and tell me 
 if there be not a woman’s face sketched in front of that 
 light — we certainly near him fast—let there be silence 
 fore and aft the ship. The rogues mistake our bearings ! ” 
 
 “ A saucy-looking jade as one might wish to see ! ” re¬ 
 turned the lieutenant. “ Her impudent laugh is visible to 
 the naked eye.” 
 
 “ See all clear for laying him aboard ! Get a party to 
 throw on his decks, sir ! I will lead them myself.” 
 
 These orders were given in an under tone, and rapidly. 
 They were promptly obeyed. In the mean time, the 
 Coquette continued to glide gently ahead, her sails thicken¬ 
 ing with the dew, and every breath of the heavy air acting 
 with increased power on their surfaces. The boarders 
 were stationed, orders were given for the most profound 
 silence, and as the ship drew nearer to the light, even the 
 officers were commanded not to stir. Ludlow stationed 
 himself in the mizen channels, to cun the ship, and his 
 directions were repeated to the quarter-master in a loud 
 whisper. 
 
 “ The night is so dark we are certainly unseen !” ob¬ 
 served the young man to his second in command, who 
 stood at his elbow. “ They have unaccountably mistaken 
 our position. Observe how the face of the painting be¬ 
 comes more distinct—one can see even the curls of the 
 hair.—Luff, sir! luff—we will run him aboard on his 
 weather quarter.” 
 
 “ The fool must be lying-to ! ” returned the lieutenant. 
 “ Even your witches fail of common sense at times ! Do 
 you see which way he has his head, sir ? ” 
 
 “ I see nothing but the light. It is so dark that our 
 own sails are scarcely visible — and yet I think here are his 
 yards, a little forward of our lee beam.” 
 
 “ ’T is our own lower boom. I got it out in readiness 
 for the other tack, in case the knave should wear. Are 
 we not running too full ? ” 
 
 “ Luff you may a little,—luff, or we shall crush him !” 
 
 p 3 
 
214 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 As this order was given,, Ludlow passed swiftly forward. 
 He found the boarders ready for a spring, and he rapidly 
 gave his orders. The men were told to carry the brigan¬ 
 tine at every hazard, but not to offer violence unless serious 
 resistance was made. They were thrice enjoined not to 
 enter the cabins ; and the young man expressed a generous 
 wish that, in every case, the Skimmer of the Seas might 
 be taken alive. By the time these directions were given, 
 the light was so near that the malign countenance of the 
 sea-green lady was seen in every lineament. Ludlow 
 looked in vain for the spars, in order to ascertain in which 
 direction the head of the brigantine lay ; but trusting to 
 luck, he saw that the decisive moment was come. 
 
 “ Starboard, and run him aboard ! — Away, there, you 
 boarders, away ! Heave with your grapnels ; heave, men ! 
 with a long swing, heave ! Meet her with the helm — 
 hard down — meet her — steady \” was shouted in a clear, 
 full, and steady voice, that seemed to deepen at each man¬ 
 date which issued from the lips of the young captain. 
 
 The boarders cheered heartily, and leaped into the rigging. 
 The Coquette readily and rapidly yielded to the power of 
 her rudder. First inclining to the light, and then sweeping 
 up towards the wind again, in another instant she was close 
 upon the chase. The irons were thrown, the men once 
 more shouted, and all on board held their breaths in ex¬ 
 pectation of the crash of the meeting halls. At that 
 moment of high excitement, the woman’s face rose a short 
 distance in the air, seemed to smile in derision of their 
 attempt, and suddenly disappeared. The ship passed 
 steadily ahead, while no noise but the sullen wash of the 
 waters was audible. The boarding-irons were heard falling 
 heavily into the sea, and the Coquette rapidly overrun the 
 spot where the light had been seen, without sustaining any 
 shock. Though the clouds lifted a little, and the eye might 
 embrace a circuit of a few hundred feet, there certainly was 
 nothing to be seen within its range but the unquiet element, 
 and the stately cruiser of Queen Anne that was floating on 
 its bosom. 
 
 Though its effects were different on the differently con¬ 
 stituted minds of those who witnessed the singular incident. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 215 
 
 tlie disappointment was general. The common impression 
 was certainly unfavourable to the earthly character of the 
 brigantine, and when opinions of this nature once get 
 possession of the ignorant, they are not easily removed. 
 Even Trysail, though experienced in the arts of those who 
 trifle with the revenue laws, was much inclined to believe that 
 this was no vulgar case of floating lights or false beacons, 
 but a manifestation that others besides those who had been 
 regularly trained to the sea were occasionally to be found 
 abroad on the waters. If Captain Ludlow thought differently, 
 he saw no sufficient reason to enter into an explanation with 
 those who were bound silently to obey. He paced the 
 quarter-deck for many minutes, and then issued his orders 
 to the equally disappointed lieutenants. The light canvass 
 of the Coquette was taken in, the studding-sail-gear unrove, 
 and the booms secured. The ship was then brought to the 
 wind, and her courses having been hauled up, the fore-top¬ 
 sail was thrown to the mast. In this position the cruiser 
 lay waiting for the morning light, in order to give greater 
 certainty to her movements. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 I, John Turner, 
 
 Am master and owner, 
 
 Of a high-deck’d schooner, 
 
 That’s bound to Carolina — ” 
 
 etc. etc. etc. etc. Coasting Song. 
 
 It is not necessary to say with how much interest Alderman 
 Van Beverout and his friend the Patroon witnessed the 
 proceedings on board the Coquette. Something very like 
 an exclamation of pleasure escaped the former when it was 
 known that the ship had missed the brigantine, and that 
 there was now little probability of overtaking her that night. 
 
 “ Of what use is it to chase your fire-flies about the 
 ocean, Patroon?” muttered the alderman in the ear of 
 Oloff Van Staats. “ I have no further knowledge of this 
 Skimmer of the Sea? than is decent in the principal of a 
 
 p 4 
 
216 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 commercial house—but reputation is like a skyrocket, that 
 may be seen from afar ! Her majesty has no ship that can 
 overtake the free-trader, and why fatigue the innocent 
 vessel for nothing ? ” 
 
 “ Captain Ludlow has other desires than the mere capture 
 of the brigantine/’ returned the laconic and sententious 
 Patroon. ie The opinion that Alida de Barberie is in her 
 has great influence with that gentleman.” 
 
 “ This is strange apathy, Mr. Van Staats, in one who is 
 as good as engaged to my niece, if he be not actually 
 married. Alida Barberie has great influence with that 
 gentleman ! And pray, with whom that knows her has she 
 not influence ? ” 
 
 “ The sentiment in favour of the young lady in general is 
 favourable.” 
 
 “ Sentiment and favours ! am I to understand, sir, 
 by this coolness, that our bargain is broken, that the two 
 fortunes are not to be brought together, and that the lady 
 is not to be your wife ? ” 
 
 “ Harkee, Mr. Van Beverout, — one who is saving of 
 his income and sparing of his words, can have no pressing 
 necessity for the money of others, and on occasion he may 
 afford to speak plainly. Your niece has shown so decided 
 a preference for another, that it has materially lessened 
 the liveliness of my regard.” 
 
 e< It were a pity that so much animation should fail of 
 its object! it would be a sort of stoppage in the affairs of 
 Cupid ! Men should deal candidly in all business trans¬ 
 actions, Mr. Van Staats, and you will permit me to ask, in 
 the way of a final settlement, if your mind is really 
 changed in regard to the daughter of old Etienne de 
 Barberie or not ? ” 
 
 “ Not changed, but quite decided,” returned the young 
 Patroon. (c I cannot say that I wish the successor of my 
 mother to have seen so much of the world. We are a 
 family that is content with our situation, and new customs 
 would derange my household.” 
 
 ie I am no wizard, sir, but for the benefit of a son of 
 my old friend Stephanus Van Staats, I will venture for 
 once on a prophecy. You will marry, Mr. Van Staats — 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 217 
 
 yes, marry; and you will wive, sir, with—prudence pre¬ 
 vents me from saying with whom you will wive—but you 
 may account yourself a lucky man, if it be not with one 
 who will cause you to forget house and home, lands and 
 friends, manors and rents, and in short all the solid 
 comforts of life. It would not surprise me to hear that 
 the prediction of the Poughkeepsie fortune-teller should be 
 fulfilled ! ” 
 
 “And what is your real opinion, Alderman Van Beverout, 
 of the different mysterious events we have witnessed ? ” 
 demanded the Patroon, in a manner to prove that the in¬ 
 terest he took in the subject, completely smothered any 
 displeasure he might otherwise have felt at so harsh a pro¬ 
 phecy. “ This sea-green lady is no common woman !” 
 
 “ Sea-green and sky-blue !” interrupted the impatient 
 burgher; “ the hussy is but too common, sir, and there is 
 the calamity. Had she been satisfied with transacting her 
 concerns in a snug and reasonable manner, and to have 
 gone upon the high seas again, we should have had none 
 of this foolery to disturb accounts which ought to have 
 been considered settled. Mr. Van Staats, will you allow me 
 to ask a few direct questions, if you can find leisure for 
 their answer ? ” 
 
 The Patroon nodded his head in the affirmative. 
 
 “ What do you suppose, sir, to have become of my 
 niece ? ” 
 
 “ Eloped.” 
 
 “ And with whom ? ” 
 
 Van Staats of Kinderhook stretched an arm towards the 
 open ocean and again nodded. The alderman mused a 
 moment, and then he chuckled, as if some amusing idea 
 had at once gotten the better of his ill-humour. 
 
 “ Come, come, Patroon,” he said, in his wonted ami¬ 
 cable tone when addressing the lord of a hundred thousand 
 acres, “ this business is like a complicated account, a little 
 difficult till one gets acquainted with the books, and then 
 all becomes plain as your hand. There were referees in 
 the settlement of the estate of Kobus Van Klink, whom I 
 w r ill not name ; but what between the hand-writing of the 
 old grocer, and some inaccuracy in the figures, they had 
 
218 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 but a blind time of it until they discovered which way the 
 balance ought to come, and then by working backward and 
 forward]— which is the true spirit of your just referee — 
 they got all straight in the end. Kobus was not very lucid 
 in his statements, and he was a little apt to be careless of 
 ink. His ledger might be called a book of the black art, 
 for it was little less than fly-tracks and blots, though the 
 last were found of great assistance in rendering the state¬ 
 ments satisfactory. By calling three of the biggest of 
 them sugar-hogsheads, a very fair balance was struck be¬ 
 tween him and a peddling Yankee, who was breeding 
 trouble for the estate ; and I challenge, even at this distant 
 day, when all near interests in the results may be said to 
 sleep, any responsible man to say that they did not look as 
 much like those articles as any thing else. Something they 
 must have been, and as Kobus dealt largely in sugar, there 
 was also a strong moral probability that they were the said 
 hogsheads. Come, come, Patroon; we shall have the jade 
 back again in proper time. Thy ardour gets the better of 
 reason ; but this is the way with true love, which is none 
 the worse for a little delay. Alida is one not to baulk 
 thy merriment; these Norman wenches are not heavy of 
 foot at a dance, or apt to go to sleep when the fiddles are 
 stirring.” 
 
 With this consolation Alderman Van Beverouf saw fit 
 to close the dialogue for the moment. How far he suc¬ 
 ceeded in bringing back the mind of the Patroon to its al¬ 
 legiance, the result must show, though we shall take this 
 occasion to observe again, that the young proprietor found 
 a satisfaction in the excitement of the present scene, that 
 in the course of a short and little diversified life he had 
 never before experienced. 
 
 While others slept, Ludlow passed most of the night on 
 deck. He laid himself down in the hammock-cloths for 
 an hour or two towards morning, though the wind did not 
 sigh through the rigging louder than common without 
 arousing him from his slumbers. At each low call of the 
 officer of the watch to the crew, his head was raised to 
 glance around the narrow horizon, and the ship never 
 rolled heavily without causing him to awake. He believed 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 219 
 
 that th« brigantine was near, and for the first watch, he 
 was not without expectation that the two vessels might un¬ 
 expectedly meet in the obscurity. When this hope failed, 
 the young seaman had recourse to artifice in his turn, in 
 order to entrap one who appeared so practised and so ex 
 pert in the devices of the sea. 
 
 About midnight, when the watches were changed, and the 
 whole crew, with the exception of the idlers, were on deck, 
 orders were given to hoist out the boats. This operation, 
 one of exceeding toil and difficulty in lightly manned ships 
 was soon performed on board the queen’s cruiser, hy the aid 
 of yard and stay-tackles, to which the force of a hundred 
 seamen was applied. When four of these little attendants on 
 the ship were in the water, they were entered by their 
 crews prepared for serious service. Officers on whom 
 Ludlow could rely were put in command of the three 
 smallest, while he took charge of the fourth in person. 
 When all were ready, and each inferior had received his 
 especial instructions, they quitted the side of the vessel, 
 pulling off in diverging lines into the gloom of the ocean. 
 The boat of Ludlow had not gone fifty fathoms before he 
 was perfectly conscious of the inutility of a chase, for the 
 obscurity of the night was so great as to render the spars 
 of his own ship nearly indistinct, even at that short distance. 
 After pulling by compass some ten or fifteen minutes in a 
 direction that carried him to windward of the Coquette, 
 the young man commanded the crew to cease rowing, and 
 prepared himself to await patiently for the result of his 
 undertaking. 
 
 There was nothing to vary the monotony of such a scene 
 for an hour, but the regular rolling of a sea that was but 
 little agitated, a few occasional strokes of the oars, that were 
 given in order to keep the barge in its place, or the heavy 
 breathing of some smaller fish of the cetaceous kind, as it 
 rose to the surface to inhale the atmosphere. In no quarter 
 of the heavens was any thing visible; not even a star was 
 peeping out, to cheer the solitude and silence. The men were 
 nodding on the thwarts, and our young sailor was about to 
 relinquish his design as fruitless, when a noise was sud¬ 
 denly heard at no great distance from the spot where they 
 
220 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 lay. It was one of those sounds which would have been 
 inexplicable to any but a seaman, but which conveyed a 
 meaning to the ears of Ludlow, as plain as that which 
 could be imparted by speech to a landsman. A moaning 
 creak was followed by the low rumbling of a rope rubbing 
 on some hard or distended substance ; then succeeded the 
 heavy flap of canvass that, yielding first to a powerful im¬ 
 pulse, was suddenly checked. 
 
 “ Hear ye that ? ” exclaimed Ludlow, a little above a 
 whisper. “ ’Tis the brigantine, gybing his main boom ! 
 Give way, men — see all ready to lay him aboard ! ” 
 
 The crew started from their slumbers, the plash of oars 
 was heard, and, in the succeeding moment, the sails of a 
 vessel, gliding through the obscurity nearly across their 
 course, were visible. 
 
 “ Now spring to your oars, men !” continued Ludlow, 
 with the eagerness of one engaged in chase. “ We have 
 him to advantage, and he is ours! — a long pull and a 
 strong pull — steadily, boys, and together ! ” 
 
 The practised crew did their duty. It seemed but a 
 moment before they were close upon the chase. 
 
 “ Another stroke of the oars and she is ours ! ” cried 
 Ludlow. “ Grapple ! — to your arms — away, boarders, 
 
 I 
 
 away ! 
 
 These orders came on the ears of the men with the effect 
 of martial blasts. The crew shouted, the clashing of arms 
 was heard, and the tramp of feet on the deck of the vessel 
 announced the success of the enterprise. A minute of ex¬ 
 treme activity and of noisy confusion followed. The cheers 
 of the boarders had been heard at a distance, and rockets 
 shot into the air from the other boats, whose crews an¬ 
 swered the shouts with manful lungs. The whole ocean 
 appeared in a momentary glow, and the roar of a gun from 
 the Coquette added to the fracas. The ship set several 
 lanterns, in order to indicate her position, while blue 
 lights, and other marine signals, were constantly burning 
 in the approaching boats, as if those who guided them 
 were anxious to intimidate the assailed by a show of 
 numbers. 
 
 In the midst of this scene of sudden awakening from 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 221 
 
 the most profound quiet, Ludlow began to look about him, 
 in order to secure the principal objects of the capture. He 
 had repeated his orders about entering the cabins, and con¬ 
 cerning the person of the Skimmer of the Seas, among 
 the other instructions given to the crews of the different 
 boats; and the instant they found themselves in quiet 
 possession of the prize, the young man dashed into the 
 private recesses of the vessel, with a heart that throbbed 
 even more violently than during the ardour of boarding. 
 To cast open the door of a cabin beneath the high quarter¬ 
 deck, and to descend to the level of its floor, were the acts 
 of a moment. But disappointment and mortification suc¬ 
 ceeded to triumph. A second glance was not necessary to 
 show that the coarse work and foul smells he saw and en¬ 
 countered, did not belong to the commodious and even 
 elegant accommodat-ions of the brigantine. 
 
 “ Here is no Water Witch !” he exclaimed aloud, under 
 the impulse of sudden surprise. 
 
 God be praised!” returned a voice, which was suc¬ 
 ceeded by a frightened face thrust from out a state-room. 
 
 “ We w r ere told the rover was in the offing, and thought 
 the yells could come from nothing human ! ” 
 
 The blood which had been rushing through the arteries 
 and veins of Ludlow so tumultuously, now crept into his 
 cheeks, and was felt tingling at his fingers’ ends. He gave 
 a hurried order to his men to re-enter their boat, leaving 
 every thing as they found it. A short conference between 
 the commander of her majesty’s ship Coquette and the 
 seaman of the state-room succeeded, and then the former 
 hastened on deck, whence his passage into the barge occupied 
 but a moment. The boat pulled away from the fancied 
 prize, amid a silence that was uninterrupted by any other 
 sound than that of a song, which to all appearance came 
 from one who by this time had placed himself at the ves¬ 
 sel’s helm. All that can be said of the music is, that it 
 w^as suited to the words, and all that could be heard of the 
 latter w T as a portion of a verse, if verse it might be called, 
 which had exercised the talents of some thoroughly nau¬ 
 tical mind. As we depend, for the accuracy of the quota¬ 
 tion, altogether on the fidelity of the journal of the 
 
222 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 midshipman already named, it is possible that some injus¬ 
 tice may be done the writer, but, according to that docu¬ 
 ment, he sang a strain of the coasting song, which we have 
 prefixed to this chapter, as its motto. 
 
 The papers of the coaster did not give a more detailed 
 description of her character and pursuits, than that which 
 is contained in this verse. It is certain that the log-book 
 of the Coquette was far less explicit. The latter merely 
 said, that “ a coaster called the Stately Pine, John Turner, 
 master, hound from New York to the province of North 
 Carolina, was boarded at one o’clock a. m., all well.” But 
 this description was not of a nature to satisfy the seamen 
 of the cruiser. Those who had been actually engaged in 
 the expedition were much too excited to see things in their 
 true colours, and, coupled with the two previous escapes of 
 the Water Witch, the event just related had no small 
 share in confirming their former opinions concerning her 
 character. The sailing-master was not now alone in 
 believing that all pursuit of the brigantine was perfectly 
 useless. 
 
 But these were conclusions that the people of the Co¬ 
 quette made at their leisure, rather than those which 
 suggested themselves on the instant. The boats, led by 
 the flashes of light, had joined each other, and were row¬ 
 ing fast towards the ship, before the pulses of the actors 
 beat with sufficient calmness to allow of serious reflection ; 
 nor was it until the adventurers were below, and in their 
 hammocks, that they found suitable occasion to relate what 
 had occurred to a wondering auditory. Robert Yarn, the 
 fore-topman who had felt the locks of the sea-green lady 
 blowing in his face during the squall, took advantage of 
 the circumstance to dilate on his experiences ; and after 
 having advanced certain positions that particularly favoured 
 his own theories, he produced one of the crew of the barge, 
 who stood ready to affirm in any court in Christendom, 
 that he actually saw the process of changing the beautiful 
 and graceful lines that distinguished the hull of the 
 smuggler, into the coarser and more clumsy model of the 
 coaster. 
 
 “ There are know-nothings,” continued Robert, after he 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 223 
 
 had fortified his position by the testimony in question, 
 “ who would deny that the water of the ocean is blue, 
 because the stream that turns the parish mill happens to 
 be muddy. But your real mariner, who has lived much 
 in foreign parts, is a man who understands the philosophy 
 of life, and knows when to believe a truth and when to 
 scorn a lie. As for a vessel changing her character when 
 hard pushed in a chase, there are many instances ; though 
 having one so near us, there is less necessity to be roving 
 over distant seas in search of a case to prove it. My own 
 opinion concerning this here brigantine, is much as fol¬ 
 lows ; — that is to say, I do suppose there was once a real 
 living hermaphrodite of her build and rig, and that she 
 might be employed in some such trade as this craft is 
 thought to be in, and that in some unlucky hour she and 
 her people met with a mishap, that has condemned her 
 ever since to appear on this coast at stated times. She 
 has, however, a natural dislike to a royal cruiser, and no 
 doubt the thing is now sailed by those who have little need 
 of compass or observation. All this being true, it is not 
 wonderful that when the boat’s crew got on her decks, they 
 found her different from what they had expected. This 
 much is certain, that when I lay within a boat-hook’s 
 length of her spritsail-yard-arm, she was a half-rig, with 
 a woman figure-head, and as pretty a show of gear aloft 
 as eye ever looked upon, -while every thing below was as 
 snug as a tobacco-box with the lid down, and here you 
 all say that she is a high-deck’d schooner, with nothing 
 shipshape about her ! What more is wanting to prove the 
 truth of what has been stated ? If any man can gainsay 
 it, let him speak.” 
 
 As no man did gainsay it, it is presumed that the rea¬ 
 soning of the topman gained many proselytes. It is scarcely 
 necessary to add how much of mystery and fearful interest 
 was thrown around the redoubtable Skimmer of the Seas 
 by the whole transaction. 
 
 There was a different feeling on the quarter-deck. The 
 two lieutenants put their heads together and looked grave, 
 while one or two of the midshipmen who had been in the 
 boats, were observed to whisper with their messmates, and 
 
224 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 indulge in smothered laughter. As the captain, however, 
 maintained his ordinary dignified and authoritative mien, 
 the merriment went no farther, and was soon entirely re 
 pressed. 
 
 While on this subject, it may be proper to add, that in 
 course of time the Stately Pine reached the capes of North 
 Carolina in safety, and that having effected her passage 
 over Edenton Bar without striking, she ascended the river 
 to the point of her destination. Here the crew soon began 
 to throw out hints relative to an encounter of their schooner 
 with a French cruiser. As the British empire, even in its 
 most remote corners, was at all times alive to its nautical 
 glory, the event soon became the discourse in more distant 
 parts of the colony, and in less than six months the Lon¬ 
 don journals contained a very glowing account of an en¬ 
 gagement, in which the names of the Stately Pine and of 
 John Turner made some respectable advances towards 
 immortality. 
 
 If Captain Ludlow ever gave any further account of the 
 transaction than what was stated in the log-book of his 
 ship, the bienseance observed by the lords of the admiralty 
 prevented it from becoming public. 
 
 Returning from this digression, which has no other con¬ 
 nection with the immediate thread of the narrative than 
 that which arises from a reflected interest, we shall revert 
 to the further proceedings on board the cruiser. 
 
 When the Coquette had hoisted in her boats, that por¬ 
 tion of the crew which did not belong to the watch was 
 dismissed to their hammocks, the lights were lowered, and 
 tranquillity once more reigned in the ship. Ludlow 
 sought his rest: and although there is reason to think 
 that his slumbers were a little disturbed by dreams, he 
 remained tolerably quiet in the hammock-cloths, the place 
 in which it has already been said he saw fit to take his 
 repose, until the morning watch had been called. 
 
 Although the utmost vigilance was observed among the 
 officers and look-outs during the rest of the night, there 
 occurred nothing to arouse the crew from their usual recum¬ 
 bent attitudes between the guns. The wind continued 
 light but steady, the sea smooth, and the heavens clouded, 
 as during the first hours of darkness. 
 
TEE WATER WITCH. 
 
 225 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The mouse ne’er shunn’d the cat, as they did budge 
 
 From rascals worse than they. Coriolanus. 
 
 Day dawned on the Atlantic with its pearly light, suc¬ 
 ceeded by the usual flushing of the skies, and the stately 
 rising of the sun from the bosom of the water. The instant 
 the vigilant officer who commanded the morning watch 
 caught the first glimpses of the returning brightness, Lud¬ 
 low was awakened. A finger laid on his arm was sufficient 
 to arouse one who slept with the responsibility of his 
 station ever present to his mind. A minute did not pass 
 before the young man was on the quarter-deck, closely 
 examining the heavens and the horizon. His first question 
 was to ask if nothing had been seen during the watch. 
 The answer was in the negative. 
 
 “ I like this opening in the north-west,” observed the 
 captain, after his eye had thoroughly scanned the whole 
 of the still dusky and limited view; “ the wind will come 
 out of it. Give us a cap-full, and we shall try the speed 
 of this boasted Water Witch. —Do I notsel-a sail on our 
 weather-beam — or is it the crest of a wave ? ” 
 
 “ The sea is getting irregular, and I have often been 
 thus deceived since the light appeared.” 
 
 (( Get more sail on the ship. Here is wind in-shore of 
 us; we will be ready for it. See every thing clear to 
 show all our canvass.” 
 
 The lieutenant received these orders with the customary 
 deference, and communicated them to his inferiors again, 
 with the promptitude that distinguishes sea-discipline. 
 The Coquette at the moment was lying under her three 
 topsails, one of which was thrown against its mast in a 
 manner to hold the vessel as nearly stationary as her drift 
 and the wash of the waves would allow. So soon, however, 
 as the officer of the watch summoned the people to exertion, 
 the massive yards were swung, several light sails, that 
 served to balance the fabric as well as to urge it ahead, 
 
 Q 
 
226 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 were hoisted or opened, and the ship immediately began to 
 move through the water. While the men of the watch 
 were thus employed, the flapping of the canvass announced 
 the approach of a new breeze. 
 
 The coast of North America is liable to sudden and dan¬ 
 gerous transitions in the currents of the air. It is a cir¬ 
 cumstance of no unusual occurrence for a gale to alter its 
 direction with so little warning, as greatly to jeopard the 
 safety of a ship, or even to overwhelm her. It has been 
 often said that the celebrated Ville de Paris was lost through 
 one of these violent changes, her captain having inadvert¬ 
 ently hove-to the vessel under too much after sail, a mistake 
 by which he lost the command of his ship when she was 
 suddenly taken aback. Whatever may have been the fact 
 as regards that ill-fated prize, it is certain that Ludlow was 
 perfectly aware of the hazards that sometimes accompany 
 the first blasts of a north-west wind on his native coast, and 
 that he never forgot to be prepared for the danger. 
 
 When the wind from the land struck the Coquette, the 
 streak of light which announced the appearance of the sun 
 had been visible several minutes. As the broad sheets of 
 vapour which had veiled the heavens during the prevalence 
 of the south-easterly breeze were rolled up into dense 
 masses of clouds, like some immense curtain that is with¬ 
 drawn from before its scene, the water, no less than the 
 sky, became instantly visible in every quarter. It is 
 scarcely necessary to say how eagerly the gaze of our young 
 seaman ran over the horizon, in order to observe the ob¬ 
 jects which might come within its range. At first, dis¬ 
 appointment was painted in his countenance, and then 
 succeeded the animated eye and flushed cheek of one whose 
 hopes were suddenly revived. 
 
 I had thought her gone,” he said, to his immediate 
 subordinate in authority. But here she is to leeward, 
 just within the edge of that driving mist, and as dead under 
 our lee as a kind fortune could place her. Keep the ship 
 away, sir, and cover her with canvass from the trucks down. 
 Call the people from their hammocks, and show yon in¬ 
 solent what her majesty’s sloop can do at need !” 
 
 This command was the commencement of a general and 
 
the water witch. 
 
 227 
 
 hasty movement, in which every seaman in the ship exerted 
 his powers to the utmost. All hands were no sooner 
 called than the depths of the vessel gave up their tenants, 
 who, joining their force to that of the watch on deck, 
 quickly covered the spars of the Coquette with a snow-white 
 cloud. Not content to catch the breeze on such surfaces as 
 the ordinary yards could distend, long booms were thrust 
 out over the water, and sail was set beyond sail, until the 
 bending masts would bear no more. The low hull which 
 supported this towering and complicated mass of ropes, 
 spars, and sails, yielded to the powerful impulse, and the 
 fabric which, in addition to its crowd of human beings, 
 sustained so heavy a load of artillery, with all its burthen 
 of stores and ammunition, began to divide the waves with 
 the force of a vast momentum. The seas curled and broke 
 against her sides like water washing the rocks, the stead 
 ship feeling as yet no impression from their feeble efforts. 
 As the wind increased, however, and the vessel went fur¬ 
 ther from the land, the surface of the ocean gradually grew 
 more agitated, until the high lands, which lay over the villa 
 of the Lust-in-Rust, finally sunk into the sea, when the 
 top-gallant-royals of the ship were seen describing wide 
 segments of circles against the heavens, and her dark sides 
 occasionally rose from a long and deep rolling, glittering 
 with the element that sustained her. 
 
 When Ludlow first descried the object which he believed 
 to be the chase, it seemed a motionless speck on the margin 
 of the sea. It gradually grew into the magnitude and 
 symmetry of the well-known brigantine. Her slight and 
 attenuated spars were seen rolling easily but wide, with 
 the constant movement of the hull, there being no sail 
 spread but that which was necessary to keep the vessel in 
 command. But when the Coquette was just within the 
 range of a cannon, the canvass began to unfold, and it was 
 soon apparent that the Skimmer of the Seas was preparing 
 for the struggle he had so long courted. 
 
 The first manoeuvre of the Water Witch was an attempt 
 to gain the wind. A short experiment appeared to satisfy 
 those who governed her that the effort was vain, while the 
 wind was so fresh and the water so rough. She wore, 
 
 o 2 
 
228 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 therefore, and crowded sail on the opposite tack, in order to 
 try her speed with the cruiser on a bowline, nor was it 
 until the result sufficiently showed the danger of permitting 
 the other to get any nigher, that she finally put her helm a- 
 weather, and ran off, like a sea-fowl resting on its wing, 
 with the wind over her taffrail. 
 
 The two vessels now presented the spectacle of a stern 
 chase. The brigantine also opened the folds of all her 
 sails, and there arose a pyramid of canvass over the nearly 
 imperceptible hull, that resembled a fleecy cloud on the sea, 
 driving with a velocity that seemed to rival the passage of 
 the vapour that floated in the upper air. As equal skill di¬ 
 rected the movements of the two vessels, and the same 
 breeze pressed upon their sails, it was long before there was 
 any perceptible difference in their speed. Hour passed 
 after hour, and were it not for the sheets of foam that were 
 dashed from the hows of the Coquette, and the manner in 
 which she even outstripped the caps of the combing waves, 
 her commander might have fancied his vessel ever in the 
 same spot. While the ocean presented, on every side, the 
 same monotonous and rolling picture, there lay the chase, 
 seemingly neither a foot nearer nor a foot farther than 
 when the race began. A dark line of the brigantine’s hull 
 would rise on the crest of a wave, and then sinking again, 
 it left nothing visible but the yielding and waving cloud of 
 canvass that danced along the sea. 
 
 I had hoped for better things of the ship, master 
 Trysail!” said Ludlow, who had long been seateu on a 
 knight-head, attentively watching the progress of the chase. 
 
 We are buried to the bob-stays, and yet there yon fellow 
 lies, nothing plainer than when he first showed his stud¬ 
 ding-sails 
 
 “ And there he will lie. Captain Ludlow, while the 
 light lasts. I have chased the rover in the narrow seas, 
 till the cliffs of England melted away like the cap of a 
 wave, and we had raised the sand-banks of Holland high 
 as the sprit-sail-yard, and no good came of it! The rogue 
 played with us, as your sportsman trifles with the entan¬ 
 gled trout, and when we thought we had him, he would 
 shoot without the range of our guns with as little exertion 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 22Q 
 
 as a ship slides into the water after the spurshoars are 
 knocked from under her bows ! ” 
 
 “ Ay, but the Druid had a little of the rust of antiquity 
 about her. The Coquette has never got a chase under 
 her lee that she did not speak.” 
 
 “ I disparage no ship, sir, for character is character, 
 and none should speak lightly of their fellow-creatures, and 
 least of all of any thing which follows the sea. I allow the 
 Coquette to be a lively boat on a wind, and a real scudder 
 going large; but one should know the wright that fash¬ 
 ioned yonder brigantine, before he ventures to say that any 
 vessel in her majesty’s fleet can hold way with her when 
 she is driven hard.” 
 
 “^These opinions, Trysail, are fitter for the tales of a 
 top, than for the mouth of one who walks the quarter¬ 
 deck.” 
 
 “ I should have lived to little purpose, Captain Ludlow, 
 not to know that what was philosophy in my young days 
 is not philosophy now. No man knows better than what is 
 the young man’s dictionary gets to be the old man’s prim¬ 
 mer. They say the world is round, which is my own 
 opinion — first, because the glorious Sir Francis Drake, 
 and divers other Englishmen, have gone in as it were at 
 one end, and out at the other, no less than several seamen 
 of other nations, to say nothing of one Magellan, who pre¬ 
 tends to have been the first man to make the passage — 
 which I take to be neither more nor less than a Portuguee 
 lie, it being altogether unreasonable to suppose that a 
 Portugee should do what an Englishman had not yet 
 thought of doing ;—secondly, if the world were not round, 
 or some such shape, why should we see the small sails of a 
 ship before her courses, or why should her truck, which is 
 so small, heave up into the horizon before the hull, which is 
 so large ? They say, moreover, that the world turns round, 
 which is no doubt true, and it is just as true that its opi¬ 
 nions turn round with it, which brings me to the object of 
 my remark; —yonder fellow shows more of his broadside, 
 sir, than common! He is edging in for the land, which must 
 lie hereaway on our larboard beam, in order to get into 
 
 q 3 
 
230 
 
 THE WATER WITCH 
 
 smoother water. This tumbling about is not favourable to 
 your light craft, let who will build them !” 
 
 “ I had hoped to drive him off the coast ! Could we 
 get him fairly into the Gulf Stream he would be ours, for 
 he is too low in the water to escape us in the short seas. 
 We must force him into blue water, though our upper 
 spars crack in the struggle ! Go aft, Mr. Hopper, and tell 
 the officer of the watch to bring the ship’s head up a 
 point and a half to the northward, and to give a slight pull 
 on the braces.” 
 
 “ What a mainsail the rogue carries ! It is as broad as 
 the instructions of a roving commission, with a hoist like 
 the promotion of an admiral’s son. How every thing pulls 
 aboard him ! A thorough-bred sails that brigantine, let 
 him come whence he may ! ” 
 
 “ I think we near him! The rough water is helping us, 
 and we are closing. Steer small, fellow; steer small ! 
 You see the colour of his mouldings begins to show when 
 he lifts on the seas.” 
 
 “ The sun touches his side—and yet. Captain Ludlow 
 you may be right, for here is a man plainly enough to be 
 seen in his fore-top. A shot or two among his spars and 
 sails might now do service.” 
 
 Ludlow affected not to hear, but the first lieutenant 
 having come on the forecastle, seconded this opinion, by 
 remarking that their position would indeed enable them to 
 use the chase gun without losing any distance. As Try¬ 
 sail sustained his former assertion by truths that were too 
 obvious to be refuted, the commander of the cruiser reluc¬ 
 tantly issued an order to clear away the forward gun, and 
 to shift it into the bridle-port. The interested and atten¬ 
 tive seamen were not long in performing this service, and 
 a report was soon made to the captain that the piece was 
 ready. 
 
 Ludlow then descended from his post on the knight- 
 head, and pointed the cannon himself. 
 
 “ Knock away the quoin entirely,” he said to the cap¬ 
 tain of the gun, when he had got the range ; “ now mind 
 her when she lifts, forward ; keep the ship steady, sir 
 —fire*” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 231 
 
 Those gentlemen “ who live at home at ease/’ are often 
 surprised to read of combats, in which so much powder, 
 and hundreds and even thousands of shot are expended, 
 with so little loss of human life, while a struggle on the 
 land of less duration, and seemingly of less obstinacy, shall 
 sweep away a multitude. The secret of the difference lies 
 in the uncertainty of aim, on an element as restless as the 
 sea. The largest ship is rarely quite motionless when on 
 the open ocean, and it is not necessary to tell the reader, 
 that the smallest variation in the direction of a gun at its 
 muzzle, becomes magnified to many yards at the distance 
 of a few hundred feet. Marine gunnery has no little re¬ 
 semblance to the skill of the fowler, since a calculation for 
 a change in the position of the object must commonly be 
 made in both cases, with the additional embarrassment on 
 the part of the seaman of an allowance for a complicated 
 movement in the piece itself. 
 
 How far the gun of the Coquette was subject to the in¬ 
 fluence of these causes, or how far the desire of her captain 
 to protect those whom he believed to be on board the brig¬ 
 antine, had an effect on the direction taken by its shot, will 
 probably never be known. It is certain, however, that 
 when the stream of fire, followed by its curling cloud, had 
 gushed out upon the water, fifty eyes sought in vain to 
 trace the course of the iron messenger among the sails and 
 rigging of the Water Witch. The symmetry of her beau¬ 
 tiful rig was undisturbed, and the unconscious fabric still 
 glided over the waves with its customary ease and velocity. 
 Ludlow had a reputation among his crew for some skill in 
 the direction of a gun. The failure therefore in no degree 
 aided in changing the opinions of the common men con¬ 
 cerning the character of the chase. Many shook their 
 heads, and more than one veteran tar, as he paced his nar¬ 
 row limits, with both hands thrust into the bosom of his 
 jacket, was heard to utter his belief of the inefficacy of 
 ordinary shot in bringing-to that brigantine. It was neces¬ 
 sary, however, to repeat the experiment for the sake of 
 appearances. The gun was several times discharged, and 
 always with the same want of success. 
 
 “ There is little use in wasting our powder at this dis- 
 
 q 4 ? 
 
232 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 tance, and with so heavy a sea/’ said Ludlow, quitting the 
 cannon after a fifth and fruitless essay. “ I shall fire no 
 more. Look at your sails, gentlemen, and see that every 
 thing draws. We must conquer with our heels, and let 
 the artillery rest. — Secure the gun.” 
 
 “ The piece is ready, sir,” observed its captain, presum¬ 
 ing on his known favour with the commander, though he 
 qualified the boldness by taking off his hat in a sufficiently 
 respectful manner — <c his a pity to balk it !” 
 
 t<r Fire it yourself, then, and return the piece to its port,” 
 carelessly returned the captain, willing to show that others 
 could be as unlucky as himself. 
 
 The men quartered at the gun, left alone, busied them¬ 
 selves in executing the order. 
 
 “ Run in the quoin, and, blast the brig, give her a 
 point-blanker ! ” said the gruff old seaman, who was in¬ 
 trusted with a local authority over that particular piece. 
 u None of your geometry calculations for me ! ” 
 
 The crew obeyed, and the match was applied. A rising 
 sea however aided the object of the directly-miaded old 
 tar, or our narration of the exploits of the piece would end 
 with this discharge, since its shot would otherwise have 
 inevitably plunged into a wave within a few yards of its 
 muzzle. The bows of the ship rose with the appearance 
 of the smoke, the usual brief expectation followed, and then 
 fragments of wood were seen flying above the top-mast- 
 studding-sail-boom of the brigantine, which at the same 
 time flew forward, carrying with it and entirely deranging 
 the two important sails that depended on the spar for 
 support. 
 
 <e So much for plain sailing! ” cried the delighted tar, 
 slapping the breech of the gun affectionately. “ Witch or 
 no witch, there go two of her jackets at once, and, by the 
 captain’s good will, we shall shortly take off some more of 
 
 her clothes. In sponge-” 
 
 “ The order is to run the gun aft, and to secure it,” said 
 a merry midshipman, leaping on the heel of the bowsprit 
 to gaze at the confusion on board the chase. “ The rogue 
 is nimble enough in saving his canvass ! ” 
 
 There was, in truth, necessity for exertion on the part of 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 233 
 
 those who governed the movements of the brigantine. The 
 two sails that were rendered temporarily useless, were of 
 great importance with the wind over the taffrail. The 
 distance between the two vessels did not exceed a mile, and 
 the danger of lessening it was now too obvious to admit of 
 delay. The ordinary movements of seamen in critical mo¬ 
 ments are dictated by a quality that resembles instinct 
 more than thought. The constant hazards of a dangerous 
 and delicate profession, in which delay may prove fatal, and 
 in which life, character, and property are so often dependent 
 on the self-possession and resources of him who commands, 
 beget, in time, so keen a knowledge of the necessary expe¬ 
 dients, as to cause it to approach a natural quality. 
 
 The studding-sails of the Water-Witch were no sooner 
 fluttering in the air, than the brigantine slightly changed her 
 course, like some bird whose wing has been touched by the 
 fowler, and her head was seen inclining as much to the 
 south, as the moment before it had pointed northward. 
 The variation, trifling as it was, brought the wind on the 
 opposite quarter, and caused the boom that distended her 
 mainsail to gybe. At the same instant, the studding-sails, 
 which had been flapping under the lee of this vast sheet of 
 canvass, swelled to their utmost tension, and the vessel lost 
 little, if any, of the power which urged her through the 
 water. Even while this evolution was so rapidly perform¬ 
 ing, men were seen aloft, nimbly employed, as it has been 
 already expressed by the observant little midshipman, in 
 securing the crippled sails. 
 
 “ A rogue has a quick wit,” said Trysail, whose critical 
 eye suffered no movement of the chase to escape him, “ and 
 he has need of it, sail from what haven he may ! The 
 brigantine is prettily handled ! Little have we gained by 
 our Are, but the gunner’s account of ammunition expended ; 
 and little has the free-trader lost, but a studding-sail-boom, 
 which will work up very well yet, into top-gallant-yards, 
 and other light spars for such a cockle-shell.” 
 
 “ It is something gained to force him off the land into 
 rougher water,” Ludlow mildly answered. (( I think we 
 see his quarter pieces more plainly than before the gun was 
 used.” 
 
2 31 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ No doubt, sir, no doubt. I got a glimpse of bis lower 
 dead-eyes a minute ago, but I have been near enough to 
 see the saucy look of the hussy under his bowsprit — yet 
 there goes the brigantine at large ! ” 
 
 “ I am certain that we are closing,” thoughtfully re¬ 
 turned Ludlow. “ Hand me a glass, quarter-master.” 
 
 Trysail watched the countenance of his young com¬ 
 mander, as he examined the chase with the aid of the in¬ 
 strument, and he thought he read strong discontent in his 
 features when the other laid it aside. 
 
 cc Does he show no signs of coming back to his allegiance, 
 sir; or does the rogue hold out in obstinacy ? ” 
 
 ce The figure on his poop is the bold man who ventured 
 on board the Coquette, and who now seems quite as much 
 at his ease as when he exhibited his effrontery here ! ” 
 
 C! There is a look of deep water about that rogue, and I 
 thought her majesty had gained a prize when he first put 
 foot on our decks. You are right enough, sir, in calling 
 him a bold one! The fellow’s impudence would unsettle 
 the discipline of a whole ship’s company, though every 
 other man were an officer, and all the rest priests. He took 
 up as much room in walking the quarter-deck, as a ninety 
 in waring, and the truck is not driven on the head of that 
 top-gallant-mast half as hard as the hat is riveted to his 
 head. The fellow has no reverence for a pennant! I man¬ 
 aged, in shifting pennants at sunset, to make the fly of the one 
 that came down flap in his impudent countenance, by way 
 of hint, and he took it as a Dutchman minds a signal — that 
 is as a question to be answered in the next watch. A little 
 polish got on the quarter-deck of a man-of-war, would 
 make a philosopher of the rogue, and fit him for any com¬ 
 pany short of heaven ! ” 
 
 “ There goes a new boom aloft!” cried Ludlow, inter¬ 
 rupting the discursive discourse of the master. “ He is 
 resolutely bent on getting in with the shore.” 
 
 “ If these puffs come much heavier/ returned the mas¬ 
 ter, whose opinions of the chase vacillated with his profes¬ 
 sional feelings, “ we shall have him at our own play, and 
 try the qualities of his brigantine! The sea has a green 
 spot to windward, and there are strong symptoms of a squall 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 235 
 
 ©n the water. One can almost see into the upper world, 
 with an air clear as this. Your northers sweep the mists 
 off America, and leave both sea and land bright as a school¬ 
 boy’s face, before the tears have dimmed it after the first 
 flogging. You have sailed in the southern seas, Captain 
 Ludlow, I know, for we were shipmates among the islands 
 years that are past, but I never heard whether you have run 
 the Gibraltar passage, and seen the blue water that lies 
 among the Italy mountains ? ” 
 
 “ I made a cruise against the Barbary states when a lad, 
 and we had business that took us to the northern shore.” 
 
 <e Ay ! ’Tis your northern shore I mean ! There is not 
 a foot of it all, from the rock at the entrance, to the Fare 
 of Messina, that eye of mine hath not seen. No want of 
 look-outs and land-marks in that quarter! Here we are 
 close aboard of America, which lies some eight or ten 
 leagues there-away to the northward of us, and some forty 
 astern, and yet, if it were not for our departure, with the 
 colour of the water, and a knowledge of the soundings, one 
 might believe himself in the middle of the Atlantic. Many 
 a good ship plumps upon America before she knows where 
 she is going, while in yon sea you may run for a mountain 
 with its side in full view four and twenty hours on a stretch 
 before you see the town at its foot.” 
 
 “ Nature has compensated for the difference, in defend¬ 
 ing the approach to this coast by the Gulf Stream, with its 
 floating weeds and different temperature, while the lead may 
 feel its way in the darkest night; for no roof of a house is 
 more gradual than the ascent of this shore from a hundred 
 fathoms to a sandy beach.” 
 
 “ I said many a good ship, Captain Ludlow, and not 
 many a good navigator. No, no: your thorough-bred 
 knows the difference between green water and blue, as well 
 as between a hand-lead and the deep-sea. But I remember 
 to have missed an observation once when running for Genoa, 
 before a mistrail. There was a likelihood of making our 
 land-fall in the night, and the greater the need of knowing 
 the ship’s position. I have often thought, sir, that the 
 ocean was like human life, a blind track for all that is ahead, 
 and none of the clearest as respects that which has been 
 
236 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 passed over. Many a man runs headlong to his own 
 destruction, as many a ship steers for a reef under a press 
 of canvass. To-morrow is a fog into which none of us can 
 see, and even the present time is little better than thick 
 weather, into which we look without getting much inform¬ 
 ation. Well, as I was observing, here lay our course, with 
 the wind as near aft as need he, blowing much as at 
 present, for your French mistrail has a family likeness to 
 the American norther. We had the main-top-gallant-sail 
 set, without studding sails, for we began to think of the 
 deep bight in which Genoa is stowed, and the sun had 
 dipped more than an hour. As our good fortune would 
 have it, clouds and mistrails do not agree long, and we got 
 a clear horizon. Here lay a mountain of snow, northerly 
 a little west, and there lay another, southerly with easting. 
 The best ship in Queen Anne’s navy could not have fetched 
 either in a day’s run, and yet there we saw them, as plainly 
 as if anchored under their lee! A look at the chart soon 
 gave us an insight into our situation. The first were the 
 Alps, as they call them, being, as I suppose, the French 
 for apes, of which there are no doubt plenty in those regions, 
 and the other were the high lands of Corsica, both being as 
 white, in midsummer, as the hair of a man of fourscore. 
 You see, sir, we had only to set the two by compass, to 
 know within a league or two where we were. So we run 
 till midnight, and hove-to; and in the morning we took 
 
 the light to feel for our haven-” 
 
 u The brigantine is gybing again ! ” cried Ludlow. ec He 
 is determined to shoal his water.” 
 
 The master glanced an eye round the horizon, and then 
 pointed steadily towards the north. Ludlow observed the 
 gesture, and, turning his head, he was at no loss to read 
 its meaning. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 237 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 I am gone, sir, 
 
 And anon, sir, 
 
 T ’ll be with you again.' 
 
 Clown in “ Twelfth Night.” 
 
 Although it is contrary to the apparent evidence of our 
 senses, there is no truth more certain, than that the course 
 of most gales of wind comes from the leeward. The effects 
 of a tempest shall be felt for hours at a point that is seem¬ 
 ingly near its termination, before they are witnessed at 
 another that appears to be nearer its source. Experience 
 has also shown that a storm is more destructive at or near 
 its place of actual commencement, than at that whence it 
 may seem to come. The easterly gales that so often visit 
 the coasts of the republic, commit their ravages in the bays 
 of Pennsylvania and Virginia, or along the sounds of the 
 Carolinas, hours before their existence is known in the 
 states farther east; and the same wind which is a tempest 
 at Ilatteras, becomes softened to a breeze near the Penob¬ 
 scot. There is, however, little mystery in this apparent 
 phenomenon. The vacuum which has been created in the 
 air, and which is the origin of all winds, must be filled first 
 from the nearest stores of the atmosphere ; and as each 
 region contributes to produce the equilibrium, it must, in 
 return, receive other supplies from those which lie beyond. 
 Were a given quantity of water to be suddenly abstracted 
 from the sea, the empty space would be replenished by a 
 torrent from the nearest surrounding fluid, whose level 
 would be restored in succession by supplies that were less 
 and less violently contributed. Were the abstraction made 
 on a shoal, or near the land, the flow would be greatest from 
 that quarter where the fluid had the greatest force, and with 
 it would consequently come the current. 
 
 But while there is so close an affinity between the two 
 fluids, the workings of the viewless winds are, in their na¬ 
 ture, much less subject to the powers of human compre- 
 
238 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 hension than those of the sister element. The latter are 
 frequently subject to the direct and manifest influence of 
 the former, while the effects produced by the ocean on the 
 air, are hid from our knowledge by the subtle character of 
 the agency. Vague and erratic currents, it is true, are met 
 in the waters of the ocean, but their origin is easily referred 
 to the action of the winds, while we often remain in un¬ 
 certainty as to the immediate causes which give birth to the 
 breezes themselves. Thus the mariner, even while the 
 victim of the irresistible waves, studies the heavens as the 
 known source from whence the danger comes; and while 
 he struggles fearfully, amid the strife of the elements, to 
 preserve the balance of the delicate and fearful machine he 
 governs, he well knows that the one which presents the 
 most visible, and, to a landsman, much the most formidable 
 object of apprehension, is but the instrument of the unseen 
 and powerful agent that heaps the water on his path. 
 
 Jt is in consequence of this difference in power, and of 
 the mystery that envelopes the workings of the atmosphere, 
 that, in all ages, seamen have been the subjects of Super¬ 
 stition in respect to the winds. There is always more or 
 less of the dependency of ignorance in the manner with 
 which they have regarded the changes of that fickle element. 
 Even the mariners of our own times are not exempt from 
 this weakness. The thoughtless ship-boy is reproved if his 
 whistle be heard in the howling of the gale, and the officer 
 sometimes betrays a feeling of uneasiness, if at such a mo¬ 
 ment he should witness any violation of the received 
 opinions of his profession. He finds himself in the situa¬ 
 tion of one whose ears have drunk in legends of superna¬ 
 tural appearances, which a better instruction has taught 
 him to condemn, and who, when placed in situations to 
 awaken their recollection, finds the necessity of drawing 
 upon his reason to quiet emotions that he might hesitate to 
 acknowledge. 
 
 When Trysail directed the attention of his young com¬ 
 mander to the heavens, however, it was more with the in¬ 
 telligence of an experienced mariner, than with any of the 
 sensations to which allusion has just been made. A cloud 
 had suddenly appeared on the water, and long ragged por- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 23Q 
 
 tions of the vapour were pointing from it, in a manner to 
 give it what seamen term a windy appearance. 
 
 “ We shall have more than we want with all this can¬ 
 vass ! ” said the master, after both he and his commander 
 had studied the appearance of the mist for a sufficient time. 
 “ That fellow is a mortal enemy of lofty sails ; he likes to 
 see nothing but naked sticks up in his neighbourhood! ” 
 
 “ I should think this appearance will force the brigan¬ 
 tine to shorten sail,” returned the Captain. “We will 
 hold on to the last, while he must begin to take in soon, 
 or the squall will come upon him too fast for a light-handed 
 vessel.” 
 
 ’Tis a cruiser’s advantage ! and yet the rogue shows 
 no signs of lowering a single cloth ! ” 
 
 “ We will look to our own spars,” said Ludlow, turning 
 to the lieutenant of the watch. Call the people up, sir, 
 and see all ready for yonder cloud.” 
 
 The order was succeeded by the customary hoarse sum¬ 
 mons of the boatswain, •who prefaced the effort of his 
 lungs by a long shrill winding of his call above the hatch¬ 
 ways of the ship. The cry of (e All hands shorten sail, 
 ahoy ! ” soon brought the crew from the depths of the 
 vessel to the upper deck. Each trained seaman silently 
 took his station, and after the ropes were cleared, and the 
 few necessary preparations were made, all stood in atten¬ 
 tive silence, awaiting the sounds that might next proceed 
 from the trumpet which the first lieutenant had now as¬ 
 sumed in person. 
 
 The superiority of sailing which a ship fitted for war 
 possesses over one employed in commerce, proceeds from a 
 variety of causes. The first is in the construction of the 
 hull, which in the one is as justly fitted as the art of naval 
 architecture will allow to the double purposes of speed 
 and buoyancy; while in the other, the desire of gain in¬ 
 duces great sacrifices of these important objects, in order 
 that the vessel may be burdensome. Next comes the dif¬ 
 ference in the rig, which is not only more square, but more 
 lofty in a ship of war than in a trader, because the greater 
 force of the crew of the former enables them to manage 
 both spars and sails that are far heavier than any ever used 
 
240 
 
 THE WATER WITCH, 
 
 in the latter. Then comes the greater ability of the cruiser 
 to make and shorten sail; since a ship manned by one or 
 two hundred men may safely profit by the breeze to the 
 last moment, while one manned by a dozen often loses 
 hours of a favourable wind from the weakness of her crew. 
 This explanation will enable the otherwise uninitiated 
 reader to understand the reason why Ludlow had hoped 
 the coming squall would aid his designs on the chase. 
 
 To express ourselves in nautical language; “ the Coquette 
 held on to the last.” Ragged streaks of vapour were 
 whirling about in the air, within a fearful proximity to 
 the lofty and light sails, and the foam on the water had 
 got so near the ship as already to efface her wake, when 
 Ludlow, who had watched the progress of the cloud with 
 singular coolness, made a sign to his subordinate that the 
 proper instant had arrived. 
 
 e( In, of all! ” shouted through the trumpet, was the 
 only command necessary, for officers and crew were well 
 instructed in their duty. 
 
 The words had no sooner quitted the lips of the lieu¬ 
 tenant, than the steady roar of the sea was drowned in the 
 flapping of canvass. Tacks, sheets, and haulyards went 
 together, and, in less than a minute, the cruiser showed 
 naked spars and whistling ropes, where so lately had been 
 seen a cloud of snow-white cloth. All her steering-sails 
 came in together, and the lofty canvass was furled to her 
 top-sails. The latter still stood, and the vessel received 
 the weight of the little tempest on their broad surfaces. 
 The gallant ship stood the shock nobly, but, as the wind 
 came over the taffrail, its force had far less influence on 
 the hull, than on the other occasion already described. 
 The danger, now, was only for her spars, and these were 
 saved by the watchful, though bold vigilance of her cap¬ 
 tain. 
 
 Ludlow was no sooner certain that the cruiser felt the 
 force of the wind — and to gain this assurance needed but 
 a few moments — than he turned his eager look on the 
 brigantine. To the surprise of all who witnessed her 
 temerity, the Water Witch still showed all her light sails. 
 Swiftly as the ship was now driven through the water, its. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 241 
 
 velocity was greatly outstripped by that of the wind. The 
 signs of the passing squall were already visible on the sea 
 for half the distance between the two vessels, and still the 
 chase showed no consciousness of its approach. Her com¬ 
 mander had evidently studied its effects on the Coquette, 
 and he awaited the shock with the coolness of one accus¬ 
 tomed to depend on his own resources, and able to estimate 
 the force with which he had to contend. 
 
 <( If he hold on a minute longer, he will get more than 
 he can hear, and away will go all his kites, like smoke from 
 the muzzle of a gun!” muttered Trysail. “ Ah! there 
 come down his studding sails — ha ! settle away the main¬ 
 sail— in royal and top-gallant sail, with topsail on the 
 cap ! — The rascals are nimble as pickpockets in a crowd ! ” 
 
 The honest master has sufficiently described the pre¬ 
 cautions taken on hoard of the brigantine. Nothing was 
 furled, but as every thing was hauled up or lowered, the 
 squall had little to waste its fury on. The diminished sur¬ 
 faces of the sails protected the spars, while the canvass was 
 saved by the aid of cordage. After a few moments of 
 pause, half a dozen men were seen busied in more effectually 
 securing the few upper and lighter sails. 
 
 But though the boldness with which the Skimmer of 
 the Seas carried sail to the last, was justified by the result, 
 still the effects of the increased wind and rising waves, on 
 the progress of the two vessels, grew more sensible. While 
 the little and low brigantine began to labour and roll, the 
 Coquette rode the element with greater buoyancy, and con¬ 
 sequently with less resistance from the water. Twenty 
 minutes, during which the force of the wind was but little 
 lessened, brought the cruiser so near the chase, as to enable 
 her crew to distinguish most of the smaller objects that 
 were visible above her ridge-ropes. 
 
 “ ‘ Blow winds and crack your cheeks ! ’ ” said Ludlow, 
 in an under tone, the excitement of the chase growing with 
 the hopes of success. “ I ask but one half hour, and then 
 shift at your pleasure ! ” 
 
 Blow, good devil, and. you shall have the cook! ” 
 muttered Trysail, quoting a very different author. “ An¬ 
 other glass will bring us within hail.” 
 
 R 
 
242 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ The squall is leaving us! ” interrupted the captain. 
 “ Pack on the ship again, Mr. Luff, from her trucks to her 
 ridge-ropes! ” 
 
 The whistle of the boatswain was again heard at the 
 hatchways, and the hoarse summons of “ All hands 
 make sail, ahoy ! ” once more called the people to their 
 stations. The sails were set with a rapidity which nearly 
 equalled the speed with which they had been taken in ; and 
 the violence of the breeze was scarcely off the ship, before 
 its complicated volumes of canvass were spread to catch 
 what remained. On the other hand, the chase, even more 
 hardy than the cruiser, did not wait for the end of the 
 squall, but profiting by the notice given by the latter, the 
 Skimmer of the Seas began to sway his yards aloft, while 
 the sea was still white with foam. 
 
 “ The quick-sighted rogue knows we are done with it,” 
 said Trysail, “ and he is getting ready for his own turn. 
 We gain but little of him, notwithstanding our stronger 
 muster of hands.” 
 
 The fact was too true to be denied, for the brigantine 
 was again under all her canvass, before the ship had sen¬ 
 sibly profited by her superior physical force. At this 
 moment, when, in consequence of the swell on the water, 
 the Coquette might have possessed some small advantage, 
 the wind suddenly failed. The squall had been its ex¬ 
 piring effort, and within an hour after the two vessels had 
 again made sail, the canvass was flapping against the masts, 
 in a manner to throw back in eddies a force as great as 
 that it received. The sea fell fast, and ere the end of the 
 last or forenoon watch, the surface of the ocean was 
 agitated only by those long undulating swells that seldom 
 leave it entirely without motion. For some little time there 
 were fickle currents of air playing in various directions 
 about the ship, but always in sufficient force to urge her 
 slowly through the water, and then, when the equilibrium 
 of the element seemed established, there was a total calm. 
 During the half hour of the baffling winds, the brigantine 
 had been a gainer, though not enough to carry her entirely 
 beyond the reach of the cruiser's guns. 
 
 <e Haul up the courses,” said Ludlow, when the last 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 243 
 
 breath of wind had been felt on the ship, and quitting the 
 gun where he had long stood watching the movements of 
 the chase. “ Get the boats into the water, Mr. Luff, and 
 arm their crews.” 
 
 The young commander issued this order, which needed 
 no interpreter to explain its object, firmly but in sadness. 
 His face was thoughtful, and his whole air was that of 
 a man who yielded to an imperative but an unpleasant 
 duty. 
 
 When he had spoken, he signed to the attentive aider- 
 man and his friend to follow, and enter his cabin. 
 
 “ There is no alternative,” continued Ludlow, as he laid 
 the glass, which so often that morning had been at his eye, 
 on the table, and threw himself into a chair. “ This rover 
 must be seized at every hazard, and here is a favourable 
 occasion to carry him by boarding. Twenty minutes will 
 bring us to his side, and five more will put us in possession ; 
 but-” 
 
 “ You think the Skimmer is not a man to receive such 
 visiters with an old woman’s welcome ? ” pithily observed 
 Myndert. 
 
 “ I much mistake the man if he yield so beautiful a 
 vessel peacefully. Duty is imperative on a seaman, Aider- 
 man Van Beverout, and much as I lament the circumstance, 
 it must be obeyed.” 
 
 “ I understand you, sir. Captain Ludlow has two 
 mistresses, — Queen Anne and the daughter of old Etienne 
 de Barberie. He fears both. When the debts exceed the 
 means of payment, it would seem wise to offer to com¬ 
 pound, and, in this case, her majesty and my niece may be 
 said to stand in the case of creditors.” 
 
 “ You mistake my meaning, sir,” said Ludlow quickly. 
 “ There can be no composition between a faithful officer 
 and his duty, nor do I acknowledge more than one mis¬ 
 tress in my ship ; but seamen are little to be trusted in 
 the moment of success, and with their passions awakened 
 by resistance. Alderman Van Beverout, will you accom¬ 
 pany the party, and serve as mediator ? ” 
 
 “ Pikes and hand-grenades! am I a fit subject for 
 mounting the sides of a smuggler, with a broadsword be- 
 
 r 2 
 
244 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 tween my teeth ? If you will put me into the smallest and 
 most peaceable of your boats, with a crew of two boys, 
 whom I may control with the authority of a magistrate, 
 and covenant to remain here with your three topsails aback, 
 having always a flag of truce at each mast, I will bear the 
 olive branch to the brigantine, but not a word of menace. 
 If report speaks true, your Skimmer of the Seas is no lover 
 of threats, and Heaven forbid that I should do violence to 
 any man’s habits ! I will go forth as your turtle-dove. Cap¬ 
 tain Ludlow, but not one foot will I proceed as your 
 Goliath.” 
 
 “ And you equally refuse endeavouring to avert hos¬ 
 tilities ? ” continued Ludlow, turning his look on the Pa- 
 troon of Kinderhook. 
 
 “ I am the queen’s subject, and ready to aid in support¬ 
 ing the laws,” quietly returned Oloff Van Staats. 
 
 Patroon ! ” exclaimed his watchful friend, “ you know 
 not what you say. If there were question of an inroad of 
 Mohawks, or an invasion from the Canadas, the case would 
 not be the same ; but this is only a trifling difference con¬ 
 cerning a small balance in the revenue duties, which had 
 better be left to your tidewaiter, and the other wild cats 
 of the law. If parliament will put temptation before our 
 eyes, let the sin light on their own heads. Human nature 
 is weak, and the vanities of our system are so many in¬ 
 ducements to overlook unreasonable regulations. I say, 
 therefore, it is better to remain in peace on board this ship, 
 where our characters will be as safe as our bones, and trust 
 to Providence for what will happen.” 
 
 I am the queen’s subject, and ready to uphold her 
 dignity,” repeated Oloff, firmly. 
 
 “ I will trust you, sir,” said Ludlow, taking his rival 
 by the arm, and leading him into his own state-room. 
 
 The conference was soon ended, and a midshipman 
 shortly after reported that the boats were ready for service. 
 The master was next summoned to the cabin, and admitted 
 to the private apartment of his commander. Ludlow then 
 proceeded to the deck, where he made the final dispositions 
 for the attack. The ship was left in charge of Mr. Luff, 
 with an injunction to profit by any breeze that might offer. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 245 
 
 to draw as near as possible to the chase. Trysail was 
 placed in the launch, at the head of a strong party of 
 boarders. Van Staats of Kinderhook was provided with 
 the yawl, manned only by its customary crew, while Lud¬ 
 low entered his own barge, which contained its usual com¬ 
 plement, though the arms that lay in the stern-sheets 
 showed that they were prepared for service. 
 
 The launch being the soonest ready, and of much the 
 heaviest movement, was the first to quit the side of the 
 Coquette. The master steered directly for the becalmed 
 and motionless brigantine. Ludlow took a more circuitous 
 course, apparently with an intention of causing such a di¬ 
 version as might distract the attention of the crew of the 
 smuggler, and with the view of reaching the point of attack 
 at the same moment with the boat that contained his prin¬ 
 cipal force. The yawl also inclined from the straight line, 
 steering as much on one side as the barge diverged on the 
 other. In this manner the men pulled in silence for some 
 twenty minutes, the motion of the larger boat, which was 
 heavily charged, being slow and difficult. At the end of 
 this period a signal was made from the barge, when all the 
 men ceased rowing, and prepared themselves for the strug¬ 
 gle. The launch was within pistol-shot of the brigantine, 
 and directly on her beam ; the yawl had gained her head, 
 •where Van Staats of Kinderhook was studying the malign 
 expression of the image with an interest that seemed to 
 increase as his sluggish nature became excited, and Ludlow, 
 on the quarter opposite to the launch, was examining the 
 condition of the chase by the aid of a glass. Trysail pro¬ 
 fited by the pause, to address his followers. 
 
 “ This is an expedition in boats,” commenced the ac¬ 
 curate and circumstantial master, “ made in smooth water, 
 with little, or, one may say, no wind, in the month of 
 June, and on the coast of North America. You are not 
 such a set of know-nothings, men, as to suppose the launch 
 has been hoisted out, and two of the oldest, not to say best 
 seamen on the quarter-deck of her majesty’s ship, have 
 gone in boats, without the intention of doing something 
 more than to ask the name and character of the brig in 
 sight. The smallest of the young gentlemen might have 
 
 r 3 
 
246 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 done that duty as well as the captain or myself. It is the 
 belief of those who are best informed, that the stranger 
 who has the impudence to lie quietly within long range of 
 a royal cruiser without showing his colours, is neither more 
 nor less than the famous Skimmer of the Seas ; a man 
 against whose seamanship I will say nothing, but who has 
 none of the best reputation for honesty, as relates to the 
 queen’s revenue. No doubt you have heard many extra¬ 
 ordinary accounts of the exploits of this rover, some of 
 which seem to insinuate that the fellow has a private un¬ 
 derstanding with those who manage their transactions in a 
 less religious manner than it may be supposed is done by 
 the bench of bishops. But what of that ? You are hearty 
 Englishmen, who know what belongs to church and state, 
 and d—e, you are not the boys to be frightened by a little 
 witchcraft. (A cheer.) Ay, that is intelligible and reason¬ 
 able language, and such as satisfies me you understand the 
 subject. I shall say no more, than just to add that Captain 
 Ludlow desires there may be no indecent language, nor, 
 for that matter, any rough treatment of the people of the 
 brigantine, over and above the knocking on the head and 
 cutting of throats that may be necessary to take her. In 
 this particular, you will take example by me, who, being 
 older, have more experience than most of you, and who, in 
 all reason, should better know when and where to show 
 his manhood. Lay about you like men so long as the free¬ 
 traders stand to their quarters — but remember mercy in 
 the hour of victory ! You will on no account enter the 
 cabins — on this head my orders are explicit ; and I shall 
 make no more of throwing the man into the sea who dares 
 to transgress them, than if he were a dead Frenchman ; 
 and as we now clearly understand each other, and know 
 our duty so well, there remains no more than to do it. I 
 have said nothing of the prize-money (a cheer), seeing you 
 are men that love the queen and her honour more than 
 lucre (a cheer) ; but this much I can safely promise, that 
 there will be the usual division (a cheer) : and as there is 
 little doubt that the rogues have driven a profitable trade, 
 why the sum total is likely to be no trifle.” (Three hearty 
 cheers.) 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 247 
 
 The report of a pistol from the barge, which was im¬ 
 mediately followed by a gun from the cruiser, whose shot 
 came whistling between the masts of the Water Witch, 
 was the signal to resort to the ordinary means of victory. 
 The master cheered in his turn, and in a full, steady, and 
 deep voice, he gave the order to “ pull away.” At the 
 same instant, the barge and yawl were seen advancing to¬ 
 wards the object of their common attack, with a velocity 
 that promised to bring the event to a speedy issue. 
 
 Throughout the whole of the preparations in and about 
 the Coquette, since the moment when the breeze failed, 
 nothing had been seen of the crew of the brigantine. The 
 beautiful fabric lay rolling on the heaving and setting 
 waters, but no human form appeared to control her move¬ 
 ments, or to make the arrangements that seemed so ne¬ 
 cessary for her defence. The sails continued hanging as 
 they had been left by the breeze, and the hull was floating 
 at the will of the waves. This deep quiet was undisturbed 
 by the approach of the boats ; and if the desperate indi¬ 
 vidual who was known to command the free-trader had 
 any intentions of resistance, they had been entirely hid 
 from the long and anxious gaze of Ludlow. Even the 
 shouts, and the dashing of the oars on the water, when the 
 boats commenced their final advance, produced no change 
 on the decks of the chase, though the commander of the 
 Coquette saw her head-yards slowly and steadily changing 
 their direction. Uncertain of the object of this movement, 
 he rose on the seat of his boat, and waving his hat, cheered 
 the men to greater exertion. The barge had got within a 
 hundred feet of the broadside of the brigantine, when the 
 whole of her wide folds of canvass were seen swelling out¬ 
 wards. The exquisitely ordered machinery of spars, sails, 
 and rigging, bowed towards the barge, as in the act of a 
 graceful leave-taking, and then the light hull glided ahead, 
 leaving the boat to plough through the empty space which 
 it had just occupied. There needed no second look to 
 assure Ludlow of the inefficacy of further pursuit, since 
 the sea was already ruffled by the breeze which had so 
 opportunely come to aid the smuggler. He signed to 
 Trysail to desist, and both stood looking, with disappointed 
 
 r 4 
 
2i8 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 eyes, at the white and bubbling streak which was left by 
 the wake of the fugitive. 
 
 But while the Water Witch left the boats commanded 
 by the captain and master of the queen's cruiser behind her, 
 she steered directly on the course that was necessary to 
 bring her soonest in contact with the yawl. For a few 
 moments, the crew of the latter believed it was their own 
 advance that brought them so rapidly near their object; 
 and when the midshipman who steered the boat discovered 
 his error, it was only in season to prevent the swift bri¬ 
 gantine from passing over his little bark. He gave the 
 yawl a wide sheer, and called to his men to pull for their 
 lives. Oloff Van Staats had placed himself at the head of 
 the boat, armed with a hanger, and with every faculty too 
 intent on the expected attack, to heed a danger that was 
 scarcely intelligible to any but a seaman. As the brigantine 
 glided past, he saw her low channels bending towards the 
 water, and, with a powerful effort, he leaped into them, 
 shouting a sort of war-cry in Dutch. At the next instant, 
 he threw his large frame over the bulwarks and disappeared 
 on the deck of the smuggler. 
 
 When Ludlow had caused his boats to assemble on the 
 spot which the chase had so lately occupied, he saw that 
 the fruitless expedition had been attended by no other 
 casualty than the involuntary abduction of the Patroon of 
 Kinderhook. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 What country, friends, is this? 
 
 -Illyria, lady. What you will. 
 
 Men are as much indebted to a fortuitous concurrence of 
 circumstances for the characters they sustain in this world, 
 as to their personal qualities. The same truth is applicable 
 to the reputations of ships. The properties of a vessel, 
 like those of an individual, may have their influence on her 
 good or evil fortune; still something is due to the accidents 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 249 
 
 of life in both. Although the breeze which came so op¬ 
 portunely to the aid of the Water Witch filled the sails of 
 the Coquette at the same moment, it caused no change in 
 the opinions of her crew concerning the fortunes of that 
 ship, while it served to heighten the reputation which the 
 Skimmer of the Seas had already obtained, as a mariner 
 who was more than favoured by happy chances, in the 
 thousand emergencies of his hazardous profession. Trysail 
 himself shook his head, in a manner that expressed vo¬ 
 lumes, when Ludlow vented his humour on what the young 
 man termed the luck of the smuggler ; and the crews of 
 the boats gazed after the retiring brigantine, as the inha¬ 
 bitants of Japan would most probably regard the passage 
 of some vessel propelled by steam. As Mr. Luff was not 
 neglectful of his duty, it was not long before the Coquette 
 approached her boats. The delay occasioned by hoisting 
 in the latter, enabled the chase to increase the space be¬ 
 tween the two vessels to such a distance as to place her 
 altogether beyond the reach of shot. Ludlow, however, 
 gave his orders to pursue the moment the ship was ready, 
 and he hastened to conceal his disappointment in his own 
 cabin. 
 
 “ Luck is a merchant’s surplus, while a living profit is 
 the reward of his wits !” observed Alderman Van Beverout, 
 who could scarce conceal the satisfaction he felt at the 
 unexpected and repeated escapes of the brigantine. “ Many 
 a man gains doubloons when he only looked for dollars; 
 and many a market falls while the goods are in the course 
 of clearance. There are Frenchmen enough. Captain 
 Ludlow, to keep a brave officer in good humour, and the 
 less reason to fret about a trifling mischance in overhauling 
 a smuggler.” 
 
 “ I know not how highly you may prize your niece, 
 Mr. Van Beverout, but were I the uncle of such a woman, 
 the idea that she had become the infatuated victim of the 
 arts of yon reckless villain would madden me \ ” 
 
 “ Paroxysms and straight-jackets ! Happily you are 
 not her uncle. Captain Ludlow, and therefore the less 
 reason to be uneasy. The girl has a French fancy, and 
 she is rummaging the smuggler’s silks and laces; when her 
 
250 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 choice is made we shall have her back again, more beau¬ 
 tiful than ever for a little finery.” 
 
 “ Choice! Oh, Alida, Alida! this is not the election 
 that we had reason to expect from thy cultivated mind, 
 and proud sentiments ! ” 
 
 “ The cultivation is my work, and the pride is an in¬ 
 heritance from old Etienne de Barberie,” drily rejoined 
 Myndert. “ But complaints never lowered a market, nor 
 raised the funds. Let us send for the Patroon, and take 
 counsel coolly as to the easiest manner of finding our way 
 back to the Lust-in-Rust, before her majesty’s ship gets 
 too far from the coast of America.” 
 
 “ This pleasantry is unseasonable, sir. Your Patroon is 
 gone with your niece, and a pleasant passage they are likely 
 to enjoy in such company ! We lost him in the expedition 
 with our boats.” 
 
 The alderman stood aghast. 
 
 “ Lost! Oloff Van Staats lost in the expedition of the 
 boats ! Evil betide the day when that discreet and affluent 
 youth should be lost to the colony! Sir, you know not 
 what you utter, when you hazard so rash an opinion. The 
 death of the young Patroon of Kinderhook would render 
 one of the best and most substantial of our families extinct, 
 and leave the third best estate in the province without a 
 direct heir ! ” 
 
 “ The calamity is not so overwhelming, ’’ returned the 
 Captain with bitterness. “ The gentleman has boarded 
 the smuggler, and gone, with la Belle Barberie, to exa¬ 
 mine his silks and laces.” 
 
 Ludlow then explained the manner in which the Patroon 
 had disappeared. When perfectly assured that no bodily 
 harm had befallen his friend, the satisfaction of the aider- 
 man was quite as vivid as his consternation had been ap¬ 
 parent but the moment before. 
 
 cc Gone with la Belle Barberie, to examine silks and 
 laces !” he repeated, rubbing his hands together in delight. 
 “ Ay, there the blood of my old friend Stephanus begins 
 to show itself! Your true Hollander is no mercurial 
 Frenchman, to beat his head and make grimaces at a shift 
 in the wind, or a woman’s frown; nor a blustering 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 251 
 
 Englishman (you are of the colony yourself, young gentle¬ 
 man), to swear a big oath and swagger; but, as you see, a 
 quiet, persevering, and in the main, an active son of old 
 Batavia, who watches his opportunity, and goes into the 
 very presence of-” 
 
 '“Whom?”—demanded Ludlow, perceiving that the 
 alderman had paused. 
 
 “ Of his enemy, seeing that all the enemies of the 
 queen are necessarily the enemies of every loyal subject. 
 Bravo, young Oloff! thou art a lad after my own heart, 
 and no doubt, no doubt, fortune will favour the brave ! 
 Had a Hollander a proper footing on this earth. 
 Captain Cornelius Ludlow, we should hear a different tale 
 concerning the right to the Narrow Seas, and indeed to 
 most other questions of commerce. ” 
 
 Ludlow arose with a bitter smile on his face, though 
 with no ill-feeling towards the man whose exultation was 
 so natural. 
 
 “ Mr. Van Staats may have reason to congratulate him¬ 
 self on his good fortune, ” he said, “ though I much 
 mistake if even his enterprise will succeed against the 
 wiles of one so artful, and of an appearance so gay, as the 
 man whose guest he has now become. Let the caprice of 
 others be what it may, Alderman Van Beverout, my 
 duty must be done. The smuggler, aided by chance and 
 artifice, has thrice escaped me; the fourth time it may be 
 our fortune. If this ship possess the power to destroy the 
 lawless rover, let him look to his fate ! ” 
 
 With this menace on his lips, Ludlow quitted the 
 cabin, and went to resume his station on deck, and to re¬ 
 new his unwearied watching of the movements of the 
 chase. 
 
 The change in the wind was altogether in favour of the 
 brigantine. It brought her to windward, and was the 
 means of placing the two vessels in positions that enabled 
 the Water Witch to profit the most by her peculiar con¬ 
 struction. Consequently, when Ludlow reached his post, he 
 saw that the swift and light craft had trimmed every thing 
 close upon the wind, and that she was already so far 
 
252 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 ahead, as to render the chances of bringing her again 
 within range of his guns almost desperate, unless indeed 
 some of the many vicissitudes of the ocean should inter¬ 
 fere in his behalf. There remained little else to be done, 
 therefore, than to crowd every sail on the Coquette that 
 the ship would bear, and to endeavour to keep within sight 
 of the chase during the hours of darkness which must so 
 shortly succeed. But before the sun had fallen to the level 
 of the water, the hull of the Water Witch had disap¬ 
 peared, and when the day closed, no part of her airy out¬ 
 line was visible but that which was known to belong to 
 her upper and lighter spars. In a few minutes afterwards, 
 darkness covered the ocean, and the seamen of the royal 
 cruiser were left to pursue their object at random. 
 
 How far the Coquette ran during the night does not 
 appear, but when her commander made his appearance on 
 the following morning, his long and anxious gaze met no 
 other reward than a naked horizon. On every side the 
 sea presented the same waste of water. No object was 
 visible, but the sea-fowl wheeling on his wide wing, and 
 the summits of the irregular and green billows. Through¬ 
 out that and many succeeding days, the cruiser continued 
 to plough the ocean, sometimes running large, with every 
 thing opened to the breeze that the wide booms would 
 spread, and, at others, pitching and labouring with ad¬ 
 verse winds, as if bent on prevailing over the obstacles 
 which even nature presented to her progress. The head of 
 the worthy alderman had got completely, turned, and 
 though he patiently awaited the result, before the week 
 was ended he knew not even the direction in which the 
 ship was steering. At length he had reason to believe that 
 the end of their cruise approached. The efforts of the 
 seamen were observed to relax, and the ship was permitted 
 to pursue her course under easier sail. 
 
 It was past meridian, on one of those days of moderate 
 exertion, that Francois was seen stealing from below, and 
 staggering from gun to gun to a place in the centre of the 
 ship, where he habitually took the air in good weather, and 
 where he might dispose of his person equally without pre- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 2 53 
 
 suming too far on the good-nature of his superiors, and 
 without courting too much intimacy with the coarser herd 
 who composed the common crew. 
 
 “ Ah !” exclaimed the valet, addressing his remark to 
 the midshipman who has already been mentioned by the 
 name of Hopper — (< Voila la terre ! Quel bonheur! I 
 shall be so happy—le batimentbe trop agreable, mais vous 
 savez, Monsieur Aspirant, que je ne suis point marin — 
 What be le nom du pays ? ” 
 
 “ They call it France,” returned the boy, who under¬ 
 stood enough of the other’s language to comprehend his 
 meaning ; and a very good country it is—for those that 
 like it.” 
 
 “ Ma foi, non !”—exclaimed Francois, recoiling a pace, 
 between amazement and delight. 
 
 Ci Call it Holland, then, if you prefer that country 
 most.” 
 
 Dites-moi, Monsieur Hoppair,” continued the valet, 
 laying a trembling finger on the arm of the remorseless 
 young rogue ; “ est-ce la France ? ” 
 
 “ One would think a man of your observation could tell 
 that for himself. Do you not see the church tower, with 
 a chateau in the back-ground, and a village built in a heap 
 by its side ? Now look into yon wood ! There is a walk, 
 straight as a ship’s wake in smooth water, and one—two 
 — three — ay, eleven statues, with just one nose among 
 them all!” 
 
 “ Ma foi — dere there is not no wood, and no chateau, 
 and no village, and no statue, and no nose,—mais. Mon¬ 
 sieur, je suis age — est-ce la France?” 
 
 “ Oh, you miss nothing by having an indifferent sight, 
 for I shall explain it all, as we go along. You see yonder 
 hill-side, looking like a pattern card of green and yellow 
 stripes, or a signal book with the flags of all nations 
 placed side by side — well, that is — les champs ; and this 
 beautiful wood, with all the branches trimmed, till it looks 
 like so many raw marines at drill, is—la foret.” 
 
 The credulity of the warm-hearted valet could swallow 
 no more, but assuming a look of commiseration and dig- 
 
254 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 nity, he drew back, and left the young tyro of the sea to 
 enjoy his joke with a companion who just then joined him. 
 
 In the mean time the Coquette continued to advance. 
 The chateau, and churches, and villages of the midship¬ 
 man soon changed into a low sandy beach, with a back¬ 
 ground of stunted pines, relieved here and there by an 
 opening, in which appeared the comfortable habitation 
 and numerous outbuildings of some substantial yeoman, or 
 occasionally embellished by the residence of a country pro¬ 
 prietor. Towards noon, the crest of a hill rose from the 
 sea, and, just as the sun set behind the barrier of moun¬ 
 tain, the ship passed the sandy cape, and anchored at the 
 spot that she had quitted when first joined by her com¬ 
 mander after his visit to the brigantine. The vessel was 
 soon moored, the light yards were struck, and a boat was 
 lowered into the water. Ludlow and the alderman then 
 descended the side, and proceeded towards the mouth of 
 the Shrewsbury. Although it was nearly dark before they 
 reached the shore, there remained light enough to enable 
 the former to discover an object of unusual appearance 
 floating in the bay, and at no great distance from the direc¬ 
 tion of his barge. He was led by curiosity to steer 
 for it. 
 
 ff Cruisers and Water Witches!” muttered Myndert, 
 when they were near enough to perceive the nature of the 
 floating object. “ That brazen hussey haunts us as if we 
 had robbed her of gold! Let us set foot on land, and 
 nothing short of a deputation from the city council shall 
 ever tempt me to wander from my own abode again ! ” 
 
 Ludlow shifted the helm of the boat, and resumed the 
 course towards the river. He required no explanation to 
 tell him more of the nature of the artifice by which he had 
 been duped. The nicely balanced tub, the upright spar, 
 and the extinguished lantern, with the features of the fe¬ 
 male of the malign smile traced on its horn faces, reminded 
 him at once of the false light by which the Coquette hail 
 been lured from her course on the night she sailed in pur¬ 
 suit of the brigantine. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 255 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 His daughter, and the heir of his kingdom, 
 
 -■ ■ ■ hath referred herself 
 
 Unto a poor but worthy gentleman. Cymbeline. 
 
 When Alderman Van Beverout and Ludlow drew near the 
 Lust-in-Rust, it was already dark. Night had overtaken 
 them at some distance from the place of landing, and the 
 mountain already threw its shadow across the river, the 
 narrow strip of land that separated it from the sea, and far 
 upon the ocean itself. Neither had an opportunity of 
 making his observations on the condition of things in and 
 about the villa, until they had ascended nearly to its level, 
 and had even entered the narrow but fragrant lawn in its 
 front. Just before they arrived at the gate which opened 
 on the latter, the alderman paused, and addressed his com¬ 
 panion with more of the manner of their ancient confidence, 
 than he had manifested during the few preceding days of 
 their intercourse. 
 
 “ You must have observed that the events of this little 
 excursion on the water have been rather of a domestic than 
 of a public character,” he said. “ Thy father was a very 
 ancient and much-esteemed friend of mine, and I am far 
 from certain that there is not some affinity between us in 
 the way of intermarriages. Thy worthy mother, who was 
 a thrifty woman, and a small talker, had some of the blood 
 of my own stock. It would grieve me to see the good 
 understanding which these recollections have created in any 
 manner interrupted. I admit, sir, that revenue is to the 
 state what the soul is to the body, — the moving and go¬ 
 verning principle ; and that as the last would be a tenant¬ 
 less house without its inhabitant, so the first would be an 
 exacting and troublesome master, without its proper pro¬ 
 ducts. But there is no need of pushing a principle to 
 extremities ! If this brigantine be as you appear to sus¬ 
 pect— and indeed as we have some reason from various 
 causes to infer—the vessel called the Water Witch, she 
 might have been a legal prize had she fallen into your 
 
256 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 power; but now that she has escaped, I cannot say what 
 may be your intentions, but were thy excellent father, the 
 worthy member of the king’s council, living, so discreet a 
 man would think much before he opened his lips to say 
 more than is discreet on this or any other subject.” 
 
 “ Whatever course I may believe my duty dictates, you 
 may safely rely on my discretion concerning the — the 
 remarkable — the very decided step which your niece has 
 seen proper to take,” returned the young man, who did 
 not make this allusion to Alida without betraying, by the 
 tremor of his voice, how great was her influence still over 
 him. u I see no necessity of violating the domestic feel¬ 
 ings to which you allude, by aiding to feed the ears of the 
 idly curious with the narrative of her errors.” 
 
 Ludlow stopped suddenly, leaving the uncle to infer 
 what he would wish to add. 
 
 <e This is generous and manly, and like a loyal lover. 
 Captain Ludlow,” returned the alderman, “ though it is 
 not exactly what IP intended to suggest. We will not, 
 however, multiply words in the night-air—ha! when the 
 cat is asleep the mice are seen to play! Those night¬ 
 riding, horse-racing blacks have taken possession of Alida’s 
 pavilion, and we may be thankful that the poor girl’s 
 rooms are not as large as Harlaem Common, or we should 
 hear the feet of some hard-driven beast galloping about in 
 them.” 
 
 The alderman, in his turn, cut short his speech, and 
 started as if one of the spukes of the colony had suddenly 
 presented itself to his eyes. His language had drawn the 
 look of his companion towards la Cour des Fees, and 
 Ludlow had, at the same moment as the uncle, caught an 
 unequivocal view of la Belle Barberie, as she moved before 
 the open window of her apartment. The latter was about 
 to rush forward, but the hand of Myndert arrested the 
 impetuous movement. 
 
 “ Here is more matter for our wits than our legs,” ob¬ 
 served the cool and prudent burgher. i( That was the 
 form of my ward and niece, or the daughter of old Etienne 
 Barberie has a double! Francis, didst thou not see the 
 image of a woman at the window of the pavilion, or are 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 we deceived by our wishes? I have sometimes been de¬ 
 luded in an unaccountable manner. Captain Ludlow, when 
 my mind has been thoroughly set on a bargain, in the 
 quality of the goods, for the most liberal of us all are sub¬ 
 ject to mental weaknesses of this nature when hope is 
 very keen. 
 
 “ Certainement, oui! ” exclaimed the eager valet. “ Quel 
 malheur to be oblige to go on la mer, when Mam’selle 
 Alide nevair quit la maison ! J’etais sur, que nous nous 
 trompions, car jamais la famille de Barberie love to be 
 marins !** 
 
 “ Enough, good Francis ; the family Barberie is as 
 earthy as a fox. Go and notify the idle rogues in my 
 kitchen that their master is at hand, and remember that 
 there is no necessity of speaking of all the wonders we 
 have seen on the great deep. Captain Ludlow, we will 
 now join my dutiful niece with as little fracas as pos¬ 
 sible.” 
 
 Ludlow eagerly accepted the invitation, and instantly 
 followed the dogmatical and seemingly unmoved alderman 
 towards the dwelling. As the lawn was crossed they in¬ 
 voluntarily paused a moment to look in at the open win¬ 
 dows of the pavilion. 
 
 La Belle Barberie had ornamented la Cour des Fees 
 ■with a portion of that national taste which she inherited 
 from her father. The heavy magnificence that distin¬ 
 guished the reign of Louis XIV., had scarcely descended 
 to one of the middling rank of Monsieur de Barberie, who 
 nad consequently brought with him, to the place of his 
 exile, merely those tasteful usages which appear to be 
 almost exclusively the property of the people from whom 
 he had sprung, without the incumbrance and cost of the 
 more pretending fashions of the period. These usages had 
 become blended with the more domestic and comfortable 
 habits of English, or what is essentially the same thing, 
 of American life, an union which, when it is found, per¬ 
 haps produces the most just and happy medium of the 
 useful and the agreeable. Alida was seated by a small 
 table of mahogany, deeply absorbed in the contents of a 
 little volume that lay before her. By her side stood a tea- 
 
 s 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 258 
 
 service, the cups and the vessels of which were of the 
 diminutive size then used, though they were exquisitely 
 wrought and of the most beautiful material. Her dress 
 was a negligee suited to her years, and her whole figure 
 breathed that air of comfort, mingled with grace, which 
 seems to be the proper quality of the sex, and which ren¬ 
 ders the privacy of an elegant woman so attractive and 
 peculiar. Her mind was intent on the book, and the little 
 silver urn hissed at her elbow, apparently Unheeded. 
 
 <e This is the picture I have loved to draw,” half whis¬ 
 pered Ludlow, “ when gales and storms have kept me 
 on the deck throughout many a dreary and tempestuous 
 night ! When body and mind have been impatient of 
 fatigue, this is the repose I have most coveted, and for 
 which I have even dared to hope ! ” 
 
 “ The China trade will come to something in time, and 
 you are an excellent judge of comfort. Master Ludlow,” 
 returned the alderman. “ That girl now has a warm glow 
 on her cheek, which would seem to swear she never faced 
 a breeze in her life, and it is not easy to fancy that one who 
 looks so comfortable has lately been frolicing among the 
 dolphins. Let us enter.” 
 
 Alderman Van Beverout was not accustomed to use 
 much ceremony in his visits to his niece. Without ap¬ 
 pearing to think any announcement necessary, therefore, 
 the dogmatical burgher coolly opened a door, and ushered 
 his companion into the pavilion. 
 
 If the meeting between la Belle Alida and her guests 
 was distinguished by the affected indifference of the latter, 
 their seeming ease was quite equalled by that of the lady. 
 She laid aside her book, with a calmness that might have 
 been expected had they parted but an hour before, and 
 which sufficiently assured both Ludlow and her uncle that 
 their return was known, and their presence expected. She 
 simply arose at their entrance, and with a smile that be¬ 
 tokened breeding rather than feeling, she requested them to 
 be seated. The composure of his niece had the effect to 
 throw the alderman into a brown study, while the young 
 sailor scarcely knew which to admire the most, the ex 
 seeding loveliness of a woman who was always so beautiful. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 259 
 
 or her admirable self-possession in a scene that most others 
 would have found sufficiently embarrassing. Alida herself 
 appeared to feel no necessity for any explanation, for when 
 her guests were seated, she took occasion to say, while 
 busied in pouring out the tea, — 
 
 “ You find me prepared to offer the refreshment of a 
 cup of delicious bohea. I think my uncle calls it the tea 
 of the Caernarvon Castle.” 
 
 “ A lucky ship, both in her passages and her wares ! 
 Yes, it is the article you name, and 1 can recommend it 
 to all who wish to purchase. But, niece of mine, will you 
 condescend to acquaint this commander in her majesty’s 
 service, and a poor alderman of her good city of New 
 York, how long you may have been expecting our com¬ 
 pany ?” 
 
 Alida felt at her girdle, and drawing out a small and 
 richly ornamented watch, she coolly examined its hands as 
 if to learn the hour. 
 
 “We are nine. I think it was past the turn of the day 
 when Dinah first mentioned that this pleasure might be ex¬ 
 pected, But I should also tell you, that packages, which 
 seem to contain letters, have arrived from town.” 
 
 This was giving a new and sudden direction to the 
 thoughts of the alderman. He had refrained from entering 
 on those explanations which the circumstances seemed to 
 require, because he w r ell knew that he stood on dangerous 
 ground, and that more might be said than he wished his 
 companion to hear, no less than from amazement at the 
 composure of his ward. He was not sorry therefore to 
 have an excuse to delay the enquiries that appeared so much 
 in character as that of reading the communications of his 
 business correspondents. Swallowing the contents of the 
 tiny cup he held at a gulp, the eager merchant seized the 
 packet that Alida offered, and muttering a few words of 
 apology to Ludlow, he left the pavilion. 
 
 Until now the commander of the Coquette had not 
 spoken. Wonder, mingled with indignation, sealed his 
 mouth, though he had endeavoured to penetrate the veil 
 which Alida had drawn around her conduct and moti\es, 
 by a diligent use of his eyes. During the first few mo- 
 
 s 2 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 2()0 
 
 ments of the interview, he thought that he could detect, in 
 the midst of her studied calmness, a melancholy smile 
 struggling around her beautiful mouth ; but only once had 
 their looks met, as she turned her full, rich, and dark eyes 
 furtively on his face, as if she were curious to know the 
 effect produced by her manner on the mind of the young 
 sailor. 
 
 “ Have the enemies of the queen reason to regret the 
 cruise of the Coquette,” said la Belle hurriedly, when she 
 found her glance detected; <e or have they dreaded to 
 encounter a prowess, that has already proved their in¬ 
 feriority ? ” 
 
 “ Fear or prudence, or perhaps I might say conscience, 
 has made them wary,” returned Ludlow, pointedly em¬ 
 phasising the latter word. “ We have run from the Hook 
 to the edge of the Grand Bank, and returned without sue- 
 cess. 
 
 <e ’ Tis unlucky. But though the French escaped, have 
 none of the lawless met with punishment ? There is a 
 rumour among the slaves that the brigantine which visited 
 us is an object of suspicion to the government ! ” 
 
 “ Suspicion!—But I may apply to la Belle Barberie 
 to know whether the character her commander has ob¬ 
 tained be merited ? ” 
 
 Alida smiled, and, her admirer thought, sweetly as 
 ever. 
 
 “ It would be a sign of extraordinary complaisance were 
 Captain Ludlow to apply to the girls of the colony for 
 instruction in his duty ! We may be secret encouragers of 
 the contraband, but surely we are not to be suspected of 
 any greater familiarity with the movements of those who 
 carry on the trade. These hints may compel me to abandon 
 the pleasures of the Lust-in-Rust, to seek air and health 
 in some less exposed situation. Happily, the banks of the 
 Hudson offer many that one need be fastidious indeed to 
 reject!” 
 
 Among which you count the Manor House of Kin- 
 derhook ? ” 
 
 Again Alida smiled, and Ludlow thought it was tri¬ 
 umphantly. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 26*1 
 
 “ The dwelling of Oloff Van Staats is said to be com¬ 
 modious, and not badly placed. I have seen it —” 
 
 “ In your images of the future?” said the young man, 
 observing she hesitated. 
 
 Alida laughed downright. But immediately recovering 
 her self-command, she replied, — 
 
 “ Not so fancifully. My knowledge of the beauties of 
 the house of Mr. Van Staats, is confined to very unpoetical 
 glimpses from the river, in passing and repassing. The 
 chimneys are twisted in the most approved style of the 
 Dutch Brabant, and although wanting the storks’ nests on 
 their summits, it seems as if there might be that woman’s 
 tempter — comfort, around the hearths beneath. The 
 offices, too, have an enticing air for a thrifty housewife ! ” 
 “ Which office, in compliment to the worthy Patroon, 
 you intend shall not long be vacant ? ” 
 
 Alida was playing with a spoon, curiously wrought to 
 represent the stem and leaves of a tea-plant. She started, 
 dropped the implement, and raised her eyes to the face of 
 her companion. The look was steady, and not without an 
 interest in the evident concern betrayed by the young man. 
 
 “ It will never be filled by me, Ludlow,” was the an¬ 
 swer, uttered solemnly, and with a decision that denoted a 
 resolution fixed. 
 
 “ That declaration removes a mountain ! — Oh ! Alida 
 
 if you could as easily —-” 
 
 “ Hush 1 ” whispered the other, rising and standing for 
 a moment in an attitude of intense expectation. Her eye 
 became brighter, and the bloom on her cheek even deeper 
 than before, while pleasure and hope were both strongly 
 depicted on her beautiful face. “ Hush !” she continued, 
 motioning to Ludlow to repress his feelings. “ Did you 
 hear nothing ? ” 
 
 The disappointed and yet admiring young man was 
 silent, though he watched her singularly interested air and 
 lovely features with the intenseness that seemed to cha¬ 
 racterise her own deportment. As no sound followed that 
 which Alida had heard, or fancied she had heard, she 
 resumed her seat, and appeared to lend her attention once 
 more to her companion. 
 
 s 3 
 
262 
 
 THE WATER WITCH 
 
 iC You were speaking of mountains?" she said, scarce 
 knowing what she uttered. “ The passage between the 
 bays of Newburgh and Tappan has scarce a rival, as I 
 have heard from travelled men.” 
 
 “ I was indeed speaking of a mountain, hut it was of 
 one that weighs me to the earth. Your inexplicable con¬ 
 duct and cruel indifference have heaped it on my feelings, 
 Alida. You have said that there is no hope for Oloff Van 
 Staats, and one syllable spoken with your native ingenuous¬ 
 ness and sincerity, has had the effect to blow all my ap¬ 
 prehensions from that quarter to the winds. There remains 
 only to account for your absence, to resume the whole of 
 your power over one who is but too readily disposed to 
 confide in all you say or do.” 
 
 La Belle Barberie seemed touched. Her glance at the 
 young sailor was kinder, and her voice wanted some of its 
 ordinary steadiness, in the reply. 
 
 “ That power has then been weakened ? ” 
 
 You will despise me if I say, no ; you will distrust 
 me if I say, yes.” 
 
 “ Then silence seems the course best adapted to maintain 
 our present amity. Surely I heard a blow struck lightly 
 on the shutter of that window ? ’* 
 
 “ Hope sometimes deceives us. This repeated belief 
 would seem to say that you expect a visiter.” 
 
 A distinct tap on the shutter confirmed the impression 
 of the mistress of the pavilion. Alida looked at her com¬ 
 panion, and appeared embarrassed. Her colour varied, 
 and she seemed anxious to utter something that either her 
 feelings or her prudence suppressed. 
 
 “ Captain Ludlow, you have once before been an unex¬ 
 pected witness of an interview in la Cour des Fees, that 
 has, I fear, subjected me to unfavourable surmises. But 
 one manly and generous as yourself, can have indulgence 
 for the little vanities of woman. I expect a visit that per¬ 
 haps a queen’s officer should not countenance.” 
 
 “ I am no exciseman to pry into wardrobes and secret 
 repositories, but one whose dutv it is to act only on the 
 high seas, and against the more open violators of the law. 
 If you have any without whose presence you desire, let 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 263 
 
 them enter without dread of my office. When we meet 
 in a more suitable place, I shall know how to take my 
 revenge.” 
 
 His companion looked grateful, and she bowed her 
 acknowledgments. She then made a ringing sound, by 
 using a spoon on the interior of one of the vessels of the 
 tea equipage. The shrubbery which shaded a window 
 stirred, and presently the young stranger, already so well 
 known in the former pages of this work, and in the scenes 
 of the brigantine, appeared in the low balcony. His per¬ 
 son was scarcely seen, before a light bale of goods was 
 tossed past him into the centre of the room. 
 
 I send my certificate of character as an avant-courier,” 
 said the gay dealer in contraband, or Master Seadrift, as he 
 was called by the alderman, touching his cap gallantly to 
 the mistress of la Cour des Fees, and then, somewhat more 
 ceremoniously, to her companion, after which he returned 
 the gold-bound covering to its seat on a bed of rich and 
 glossy curls, and sought his package. “ Here is one more 
 customer than I bargained for, and I look to more than 
 common gain ! We have met before. Captain Ludlow.” 
 
 <( We have. Sir Skimmer of the Seas, and we shall meet 
 again. Winds may change, and fortune yet favour the 
 right ! ” 
 
 “ We trust to the sea-green lady’s care,” returned the 
 extraordinary smuggler, pointing with a species of rever¬ 
 ence, real or affected, to the image that was beautifully 
 worked in rich colours, on the velvet of his cap. (< What 
 has been will be, and the past gives a hope for the future. 
 We meet here on neutral ground, I trust ? ” 
 
 “ I am the commander of a royal cruiser, sir,” returned 
 the other. 
 
 “ Queen Anne may be proud of her servant!—but we 
 neglect our affairs. A thousand pardons, lovely mistress 
 of la Cour des Fees. This meeting of two rude mariners 
 does a slight to your beauty, and little credit to the fealty 
 due the sex. Having done with all compliments, 1 have 
 to offer certain articles that never failed to cause the bright¬ 
 est eyes to grow more brilliant, and at which duchesses 
 have gazed with many longings.” 
 
 s 4 
 
264 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ You speak with confidence of your associations. Master 
 Seadrift, and rate noble personages among your customers, 
 as familiarly as if you dealt in offices of state.” 
 
 “ This skilful servitor of the queen will tell you, lady, 
 that the wind which is a gale on the Atlantic, may scarce 
 cool the burning cheek of a girl on the land, and that the 
 links in life are as curiously interlocked as the ropes of a 
 ship. The Ephesian temple and the Indian wigwam rested 
 on the same earth.” 
 
 “ From which you infer that rank does not alter nature. 
 We must admit. Captain Ludlow, that Master Seadrift 
 understands a woman’s heart, when he tempts her with 
 stores of tissues gay as these ! ” 
 
 Ludlow had watched the speakers in silence. The man¬ 
 ner of Alida was far less embarrassed than when he had 
 before seen her in the smuggler’s company, and his blood 
 fired, when he saw that their eyes met with a secret and 
 friendly intelligence. He had remained, however, with a 
 resolution to be calm, and to know the worst. Conquering 
 the expression of his feelings by a great effort, he answered 
 with an exterior of composure, though not without some of 
 that bitterness in his emphasis which he felt at his heart. 
 
 “ If Master Seadrift has this knowledge, he may value 
 himself on his good fortune,” was the reply. 
 
 “ Much intercourse with the sex, who are my best cus¬ 
 tomers, has something helped me,” returned the cavalier 
 dealer in contraband. “ Here is a brocade whose fellow is 
 worn openly in the presence of our royal mistress, though 
 it came from the forbidden looms of Italy ; and the ladies 
 of the court return from patriotically dancing in the fabrics 
 of home, to please the public eye once in the year, to wear 
 these more agreeable inventions all the rest of it, to please 
 themselves. Tell me, why does the Englishman, with his 
 pale sun, spend thousands to force a sickly imitation of the 
 gifts of the tropics, but because he pines for forbidden 
 fruit; or why does your Paris gourmand roll a fig on his 
 tongue, that a Lazzarone of Naples would cast into his bay, 
 but because he wishes to enjoy the bounties of a low lati¬ 
 tude under a watery sky ? I have seen an individual feast 
 an the eau sucree of an European pine that cost a guinea 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 265 
 
 while his palate would have refused the same fruit, with 
 its delicious compound of acid and sweet, mellowed to ripe¬ 
 ness under a burning sun, merely because he could have it 
 for nothing. This is the secret of our patronage, and as 
 the sex are most liable to its influence, we owe them most 
 gratitude.” 
 
 “ You have travelled. Master Seadrift,” returned la 
 Belle, while she tossed the rich contents of the bale on the 
 carpet, “ and treat of usages as familiarly as you speak of 
 dignities.” 
 
 se The lady of the sea-green mantle does not permit an 
 idle servant. We follow the direction of her guiding hand; 
 sometimes it points our course among the isles of the Adria¬ 
 tic, and at others, on your stormy American coasts. There 
 is little of Europe, between Gibraltar and the Cattegat, that 
 I have not visited.” 
 
 “ But Italy has been the favourite, if one may judge 
 by the number of her fabrics that you produce.” 
 
 “ Italy, France, and Flanders divide my custom; though 
 you are right in believing the former most in favour. Many 
 years of early life did I pass on the noble coasts of that 
 romantic region. One who protected and guided my in¬ 
 fancy and youth even left me for a time, under instruction, 
 on the little plain of Sorrento.” 
 
 ‘ e And where can this plain be found ? — for the resi¬ 
 dence of so famous a rover may one day become the theme 
 of song, and is likely to occupy the leisure of the curious.” 
 
 “ The grace of the speaker may well excuse the irony: 
 Sorrento is a village on the southern shore of the renowned 
 Naples’ bay. Fire has wrought many changes in that soft 
 but wild country; and if, as religionists believe, the foun¬ 
 tains of the great deep were ever broken up, and the earth’s 
 crust disturbed, to permit its secret springs to issue on the 
 surface, this may have been one of the spots chosen by 
 Him whose touch leaves marks that are indelible, in which 
 to show his power. The bed of the earth itself, in all that 
 region, appears to have been but the vomitings of volcanos, 
 and the Sorrentine passes his peaceable life in the bed of 
 an extinguished crater. ’T is curious to see in what manner 
 the men of the middle ages have built their town on the 
 
266 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 margin of the sea, at a spot where the element has swal¬ 
 lowed one half of the ragged basin, and how they have 
 taken the yawning crevices of the tufo for ditches to pro¬ 
 tect their walls ! I have visited many lands, and seen 
 nature in nearly every clime, hut no spot has yet presented, 
 in a single view, so pleasant a combination of natural ob¬ 
 jects, mingled with mighty recollections, as that lovely 
 abode on the Sorrentine cliffs !” 
 
 “ Recount me these pleasures that in memory seem so 
 agreeable, while I examine further into the contents of the 
 bale.” 
 
 The gay young free-trader paused, and he seemed lost 
 in images of the past. Then, with a melancholy smile, he 
 continued: “ Though many years are'gone,” he said, “ I 
 can recal the beauties of that scene, as vividly as if they 
 still stood before the eye. Our abode was on the verge of 
 the cliffs. In front lay the deep blue water, and on its 
 further shore was a line of objects such as accident or design 
 rarely assembles in one view. Fancy thyself, lady, at my 
 side, and follow the curvature of the northern shore, as I 
 trace the outline of that glorious scene ! That high, moun¬ 
 tainous, and ragged island, on the extreme left, is modern 
 Ischia. Its origin is unknown, though piles of lava lie 
 along its coast, which seems fresh as that thrown from the 
 mountain yesterday. The long, low bit of land, insulated 
 like its neighbour, is called Procida, a scion of ancient 
 Greece. Its people still preserve in dress and speech marks 
 of their origin. The narrow strait conducts you to a high 
 and naked bluff. That is the Misenum of old. Here 
 iEneas came to land, and Rome held her fleets, and thence 
 Pliny took the water to get a nearer view of the labours of 
 the volcano, after its awakening from centuries of sleep. 
 In the hollow of the ridge between that naked bluff and 
 the next swell of the mountain, lie the fabulous Styx, the 
 Elysian Fields, and the place of the dead, as fixed by the 
 Mantuan. More on the height and nearer to the sea, lie 
 buried in the earth the vast vaults of the Piscina Mirabile, 
 and the gloomy caverns of the Hundred Chambers: places 
 that equally denote the luxury and the despotism of Rome. 
 Nearer to the vast pile of castle that is visible so many 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 267 
 
 leagues, is the graceful and winding Baian harbour, and 
 against the side of its sheltering hills once lay the city of 
 villas. To that sheltered hill, emperors, consuls, poets, 
 and warriors, crowded from the capital in quest of repose, 
 and to breathe the pure air of a spot, in which pestilence 
 has since made its abode. The earth is still covered with 
 the remains of their magnificence, and ruins of temples 
 and baths are scattered freely among the olives and fig- 
 trees of the peasant. A fainter bluff limits the north¬ 
 eastern boundary of the little hay. On it once stood the 
 dwellings of emperors. There Caesar sought retirement, 
 and the warm springs on its side are yet called the baths of 
 the bloody Nero. That small conical hill, which, as you 
 see, possesses a greener and fresher look than the adjoining 
 land, is a cone ejected by the cauldron beneath but two 
 brief centuries since. It occupies, in part, the site of the 
 ancient Lucrine lake. All that remains of that famous 
 receptacle of the epicure, is the small and shallow sheet at 
 its base, which is separated from the sea by a mere thread 
 of sand. More in the rear, and surrounded by dreary hills, 
 lie the waters of Avernus. On their banks still stand the 
 ruins of a temple, in which rites were celebrated to the 
 infernal deities. The grotto of the Sibyl pierces that ridge 
 on the left, and the Cumaean passage is nearly in its rear. 
 The town, which is seen a mile to the right, is Pozzuoli ; 
 a port of the ancients, and a spot now visited for its tem¬ 
 ples of Jupiter and Neptune, its mouldering amphitheatre, 
 and its half-buried tombs. Here Caligula attempted his 
 ambitious bridge, and while crossing thence to Baise, the 
 vile Nero had the life of his own mother assailed. It was 
 there, too, that holy Paul came to land, when journeying a 
 prisoner to Rome. The small but high island nearly in its 
 front, is Nisida, the place to which Marcus Brutus retired 
 after the deed at the foot of Pompey’s statue, where he pos¬ 
 sessed a villa, and whence he and Cassius sailed to meet the 
 shade and the vengeance of the murdered Caesar, at Philippi. 
 Then comes a crowd of sites more known in the middle ages, 
 though just below that mountain, in the back-ground, is the 
 famous subterranean road of which Strabo and Seneca are 
 said to speak, and through which the peasant still daily drives 
 
268 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 his ass to the markets of the modern city. At its entrance 
 is the reputed tomb of Virgil, and then commences an am¬ 
 phitheatre of white and terraced dwellings. This is noisy 
 Napoli itself, crowned with its rocky castle of St. Elmo ! 
 The vast plain to the right is that which held the enervating 
 Capua, and so many other cities, on its bosom. To this 
 succeeds the insulated mountain of the volcano, with its 
 summit torn in triple tops. ’T is said that villas and vil¬ 
 lages, towns and cities, lie buried beneath the vineyards 
 and palaces which crowd its base. The ancient and un¬ 
 happy city of Pompeii stood on that luckless plain, which, 
 following the shores of the bay, comes next, and then we 
 take up the line of the mountain promontory, which forms 
 the Sorrentine side of the water.” 
 
 “ One who has had such schooling, should know better 
 how to turn it to a good account,” said Ludlow sternly, 
 when the excited smuggler ceased to speak. 
 
 “ In other lands, men derive their learning from books; 
 in Italy, children acquire knowledge by the study of visible 
 things,” was the answer. 
 
 ec Some from this country are fond of believing that our 
 own bay, these summer skies, and the climate in general, 
 should have a strict resemblance to those of a region which 
 lies precisely in our own latitude,” observed Alida so 
 hastily, as to betray a desire to preserve the peace between 
 her guests. 
 
 “ That your Manhattan and Rariton waters are broad 
 and pleasant, none can deny, and that lovely beings dwell 
 on their banks, lady,” returned Seadrift, gallantly lifting 
 his cap, “ my own senses have witnessed. But ’t were 
 wiser to select some other point of your excellence for com¬ 
 parison, than a competition with the glorious waters, the 
 fantastic and mountain isles, and the sunny hill, sides of 
 modern Napoli! ’Tis certain the latitude is even in your 
 favour and that a beneficent sun does not fail of its office 
 in one region more than in the other. But the forests of 
 America are still too pregnant of vapours and exhalations, 
 not to impair the purity of the native air. If I have seen 
 much of the Mediterranean, neither am I a stranger to 
 these coasts. While th^re are so many points of resem- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 26*9 
 
 blance in their climates, there are also many and marked 
 causes of difference.” 
 
 “ Teach us, then, what forms these distinctions, that 
 
 in speaking of our bay and skies we may not be led into 
 » * 
 
 error. 
 
 “ You do me honour, lady ; I am of no great schooling 
 and of humble powers of speech : still, the little that ob¬ 
 servation may have taught me, shall not be churlishly 
 withheld. Your Italian atmosphere, taking the humidity 
 of the seas, is sometimes hazy. Still water in large bodies, 
 other than in the two seas, is little known in those distant 
 countries. Few objects in nature are drier than an Italian 
 river during those months when the sun has most influence. 
 The effect is visible in the air, which is in general elastic, 
 dry, and obedient to the general laws of the climate. 
 There floats less exhalation in the form of fine and nearly 
 
 invisible vapour than in these wooded regions_At least, 
 
 so he of whom I spoke as one who guided my youth, was 
 wont to say.” 
 
 “ You hesitate to tell us of our skies, our evening light, 
 and of our bay ? ” 
 
 “ It shall be said, and said sincerely. Of the bays, each 
 seems to have been appropriated to that for which nature 
 most intended it. The one is poetic, indolent, and full of 
 graceful but glorious beauty; more pregnant of enjoyment 
 than of usefulness. The other will, one day, be the mart 
 of the world ! ” 
 
 “ You still shrink from pronouncing on their beauty,” 
 said Alida, disappointed, in spite of an affected indifference 
 to the subject. 
 
 ce It is ever the common fault of old communities to 
 overvalue themselves, and to undervalue new actors in the 
 great drama of nations, as men long successful disregard 
 the efforts of new aspirants for favour,” said Seadrift, while 
 he looked with amazement at the pettish eye of the frown¬ 
 ing beauty. “ In this instance, however, Europe has not 
 so greatly erred. They who see much resemblance between 
 the bay of Naples and this of Manhattan have fertile 
 brains, since it rests altogether on the circumstance that 
 there is much water in both, and a passage between an 
 
270 
 
 THE WATER WITC11. 
 
 island and the main land, in one, to resemble a passage 
 between two islands in the other. This is an estuarv, that 
 a gulf,* and while the former has the green and turbid 
 water of a shelving shore and of tributary rivers, the latter 
 has the blue and limpid element of a deep sea. In these 
 distinctions I take no account of ragged and rocky moun¬ 
 tains, with the indescribable play of golden and rosy light 
 upon their broken surfaces, nor of a coast that teems with 
 the recollections of three thousand years!” 
 
 “ I fear to question more. But surely our skies may be 
 mentioned even by the side of those you vaunt ? ” 
 
 “ Of the skies, truly, you have more reason to be con¬ 
 fident. I remember that, standing on the Capo di Monte, 
 which overlooks the little picturesque and crowded beach 
 of the Marina Grande at Sorrento — a spot that teems with 
 all that is poetic in the fisherman’s life — he of whom I 
 have spoken, once pointed to the transparent vault above, 
 and said, f There is the moon of America ! ’ The colours 
 of the rocket were not more vivid than the stars that 
 night, for a Tramontana had swept every impurity from 
 the air, far upon the neighbouring sea. But nights like 
 that are rare indeed in any clime! The inhabitants of 
 low latitudes enjoy them but occasionally; those of higher, 
 never.” 
 
 And then bur flattering belief that these western sun¬ 
 sets rival those of Italy, is delusion?” 
 
 “ Not so, lady. They rival without resembling. The 
 colour of the etui on which so fair a hand is resting, is not 
 softer than the hues one sees in the heavens of Italy. But 
 if your evening sky wants the pearly light, the rosy clouds, 
 and the soft tints which, at that hour, melt into each other, 
 across the entire vault of Napoli, it far excels in the vivid¬ 
 ness of the glow, in the depth of the transitions, and in 
 the richness of colours. Those are only more delicate, 
 while these are more gorgeous ! When there shall be less 
 exhalation from your forests, the same causes may produce 
 the same effects. Until then, America must be content to 
 pride herself on an exhibition of nature’s beauty, in a new, 
 though scarcely in a less pleasing form.” 
 
 “ Then they who come among us from Europe, are bat 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 271 
 
 half right when they deride the pretensions of our bay and 
 heavens ? ” 
 
 “ Which is much nearer the truth than they are wont 
 to be on the subject of this continent. Speak of the many 
 rivers, the double outlet, the numberless basins, and the 
 unequalled facilities of your Manhattan harbour — for in 
 time they will come to render all the beauties of the unri¬ 
 valled bay of Naples vain — hut tempt not the stranger to 
 push the comparison beyond. Be grateful for your skies, 
 lady, for few live under fairer, or more beneficent. But I 
 tire you with these opinions, when here are colours that 
 have more charms for a young and lively imagination than 
 even the tints of nature ! ” 
 
 La Belle Barberie smiled on the dealer in contraband 
 with an interest that sickened Ludlow, and she was about 
 to reply in better humour, when the voice of her uncle an¬ 
 nounced his near approach. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 There shall be in England seven half-penny loaves sold for a penny; the 
 three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops, and I will make it felony to drink small 
 beer. 
 
 Jack Cade. 
 
 Had Alderman Van Beverout been a party in the preced¬ 
 ing dialogue, he could not have uttered words more apposite 
 than the exclamation with which he first saluted the ears of 
 those in the pavilion. 
 
 “ Gales and climates! ” exclaimed the merchant, enter¬ 
 ing with an open letter in his hand. “ Here are advices 
 received, by way of Cura^oa and the coast of Africa, that 
 the good ship Muskrat met with foul winds off the 
 Azores, which lengthened her passage home to seventeen 
 weeks — this is too much precious time wasted between 
 markets. Captain Cornelius Ludlow ; ’t will discredit the 
 good character of the ship, which has hitherto always 
 maintained a sound reputation, never needing more than the 
 
272 
 
 THE WATER WITCIJ. 
 
 regular seven months to make the voyage home and out 
 again. If our vessels fall into this lazy train, we shall 
 never get a skin to Bristol till it is past use. What have 
 we here, niece ? Merchandise ! and of a suspicious fabric 
 — who has the invoice of these goods, and in what vessel 
 were they shipped ? ” 
 
 “ These are questions that may be better answered by 
 their owner,” returned La Belle, pointing gravely, and not 
 without tremor in her voice, towards the dealer in contra¬ 
 band, who, at the approach of the alderman, had shrunk 
 back as far as possible from view. 
 
 Myndert cast an uneasy glance at the unmoved coun¬ 
 tenance of the commander of the royal cruiser, after having 
 bestowed a brief but understanding look at the contents of 
 the bale. “ Captain Ludlow, the chaser is chased ! ” he 
 said. “ After sailing about the Atlantic for a week or 
 more, like a Jew broker’s clerk running up and down the 
 Boom Key at Rotterdam to get off a consignment of da¬ 
 maged tea, we are fairly caught ourselves ! To what fall 
 in prices, or change in the sentiments of the Board of 
 Trade, am I indebted for the honour of this visit. Master 
 a — a — a — gay dealer in green ladies and bright 
 tissues ? ” 
 
 The confident and gallant manner of the free-trader had 
 vanished. In its place, there appeared a hesitating and 
 embarrassed air that the individual was not wont to ex¬ 
 hibit, blended with some apparent indecision on the subject 
 of his reply. 
 
 “ It is the business of those who hazard much in order 
 to minister to the wants of life,” he said, after a pause 
 that was sufficiently expressive of the entire change in his 
 demeanour, “ to seek customers where there is a reputa¬ 
 tion for liberality. I hope my boldness will be overlooked 
 on account of its motive, and that you will aid the lady in 
 judging of the value of my articles, and of their reason¬ 
 ableness as to price, with your own superior experience.” 
 
 Myndert was quite as much astonished by this language 
 and by the subdued manner of one whom he was accus¬ 
 tomed to see so froward, as Ludlow himself. When he 
 expected the heaviest demand on his address, in order to 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 2 ? 3 
 
 check the usual familiarity of Seadrift, in order that his 
 connection with the Skimmer of the Seas might be as 
 much as possible involved in ambiguity, to his own amaze¬ 
 ment he found his purpose more than aided by the sudden 
 and extraordinary respect with which he was treated. 
 Emboldened and perhaps a little elevated in his own esteem 
 by this unexpected deference, which the worthy alderman, 
 shrewd as he was in common, did not fail, like other men, 
 to impute to some inherent quality of his own, he an¬ 
 swered with a greater depth of voice, and a more protect¬ 
 ing air than he might otherwise have deemed it prudent to 
 assume, to one who had so frequently given him proofs of 
 his own fearless manner of viewing things. 
 
 “ This is being more eager as a trader, than prudent as 
 one who should know the value of credit,” he said, making 
 at the same time a lofty gesture to betoken indulgence for 
 so venial an error. “ We must overlook the mistake, 
 Captain Ludlow, since, as the young man truly observes in 
 his defence, gain acquired in honest traffic is a commend¬ 
 able and wholesome pursuit. One who appears as if he 
 might not be ignorant of the laws, should know that our 
 virtuous queen and her wise counsellors have decided that 
 mother England can produce most that a colonist can con¬ 
 sume ! Ay ! and that she can consume, too, most that the 
 colonist can produce ! ” 
 
 “ I pretend not to this ignorance, sir, but, in pursuing 
 my humble barter, I merely follow a principle of nature by 
 endeavouring to provide for my own interests. We of the 
 contraband do but play at hazard with the authorities. 
 When we pass the gauntlet unharmed, we gain ; and when 
 we lose, the servants of the crown find their profit. The 
 stakes are equal, and the game should not be stigmatised as 
 unfair. Would the rulers of the world once remove the 
 unnecessary shackles they impose on commerce, our calling 
 would disappear, and the name of free-trader would then 
 belong to the richest and most esteemed houses.” 
 
 The alderman drew a long low whistle. Motioning to 
 his companions to be seated, he placed his own compact per¬ 
 son in a chair, crossed his legs with an air of self-compla¬ 
 cency, and resumed the discourse. 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ These are very pretty sentiments. Master—a—a—a—, 
 you bear a worthy name, no doubt, my ingenious commen¬ 
 tator on commerce ? ” 
 
 “ They call me Seadrift, when they spare a harsher 
 term,” returned the other, meekly declining to be seated. 
 
 “ These are pretty sentiments. Master Seadrift, and they 
 much become a gentleman who lives by practical comments 
 on the imperfections of the revenue laws. This is a wise 
 world. Captain Cornelius Ludlow, and in it there are many 
 men, whose heads are filled, like bales of retailers’ goods, 
 with a general assortment of ideas.—Horn books and prim¬ 
 ers ! here have Van Bummel, Schoenbroeck, and Van der 
 Donck, just sent me a very neatly folded pamphlet, written 
 in good Leyden Dutch, to prove that trade is an exchange 
 of what the author calls equivalents, and that nations have 
 nothing to do but to throw open their ports, in order to 
 make a millenium among the merchants!” 
 
 There are many ingenious men who entertain the same 
 opinions,” observed Ludlow, steady in his purpose to be 
 merely a quiet observer of all that passed. 
 
 “ What cannot a cunning head devise to spoil paper 
 with ! Trade is a racer, gentlemen, and merchants the 
 jockies who ride. He who carries most weight may lose; 
 but then Nature does not give all men the same dimensions, 
 and judges are as necessary to the struggles of the mart as 
 to those of the course. Go, mount your gelding, if you 
 are lucky enough to have one that has not been melted into 
 a weasel by the heartless blacks, and ride out to the Har- 
 laem Flats, on a fine October day, and witness the manner 
 in which the trial of speed is made. The rogues of riders 
 cut in here, and over there; now the whip, and now the 
 spur ; and though they start fair, which is more than can 
 always be said of trade, some one is sure to win. When 
 it is neck and neck, then the heat is to be gone over until 
 the best bottom gain the prize.” 
 
 “ Why is it then that men of deep reflection so often 
 think that commerce flourishes most when least encum¬ 
 bered ? ” 
 
 “ Why is one man born to make laws and another 
 to break them ? — Does not the horse run faster with his 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 275 
 
 four legs free, than when in hopples ? But in trade. Mas¬ 
 ter Seadrift, and Captain Cornelius Ludlow, each of us is 
 his own jockey; and — putting the aid of custom-house 
 laws out of tlie question—just as Nature has happened to 
 make him. Fat or lean, big bones or fine bones, he must 
 get to the goal as well as he can. Theiefore your heavy 
 weights call out for sand-bags and belts, to make all even. 
 That the steed may be crushed with his load, is no proof 
 that his chance of winning will not be better by bringing 
 all the riders to the same level.” 
 
 “ But, to quit these similes,” continued Ludlow, “if 
 trade be but an exchange of equivalents-” 
 
 “ Beggary and stoppages ! ’ interrupted the alderman, 
 who was far more dogmatical than courteous in argument. 
 “ This is the language of men who have read all sorts of 
 books but ledgers. Here have I advices from Tongue and 
 Twaddle of London, which state the nett proceeds of a 
 litle adventure, shipped by the brig Moose, that reached 
 the river on the l 6 ’th of April, ultimo. The history of the 
 whole transaction can be put in a child’s muff. You are a 
 discreet youth. Captain Cornelius, and as to you. Master 
 Seadrift, the affair is altogether out of your line; therefore, 
 as I was observing, here are the items, made out only 
 a fortnight since, in the shape of a memorandum.” While 
 speaking, the alderman had placed his spectacles and 
 drawn his tablets from a pocket. Adjusting himself to 
 the light, he continued : “ ‘ Paid bill of Sand, Furnace and 
 Glass, for beads, 31. 2s. 6d. — Package and box. Is. 10 ~d. 
 — Shipping charges and freight, 11s. 4 d. — Insurance, 
 averaged at Is. 5d. — Freight, charges and commission of 
 agent among Mohawks, 10 /. — Ho. do. do. of shipment and 
 sale of furs in England, 7/• 2 s. Total of costs and charges, 
 20 /. 18s. 8 ^<Z. all in sterling money. Note, sale of furs, to 
 Frost and Rich, nett avails, 196 /. 11 s. 3d. — Balance, as 
 per contra, 175/. 12s. 5^d .’—a very satisfactory equivalent 
 this, Master Cornelius, to appear on the books of Tongue 
 and Twaddle, where I stand charged with the original in¬ 
 vestment of 20 /. 19^ 8 [d.\ How much the Empress of 
 Germany may pay the firm of Frost and Rich for the ar¬ 
 ticles does not appear ? ” 
 
 t 2 
 
276 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Nor does it appear that more was got for your heads 
 in the Mohawk country, than they were valued at there, or 
 was paid for the skins than they were worth where they 
 were produced.” 
 
 “Whe—w—w—w!” whistled the merchant, as he coolly 
 returned the tablets to his pocket. “ One would think that 
 thou hadst been studying the Leyden pamphleteer, son of 
 my old friend ! If the savage thinks so little of his skins, 
 and so much of my beads, I shall never take the pains to 
 set him right; else, always by permission of the Board of 
 Trade, we shall see him one day turning his bark canoe 
 into a good ship, and going in quest of his own ornaments. 
 Enterprise and voyages ! who knows that the rogue would 
 see fit to stop at London even, in which case the mother 
 country might lose the profit of the sale at Vienna, and the 
 Mohawk set up his carriage on the difference in the value 
 of markets ! Thus, you see, in order to run a fair race, the 
 horses must start even, carry equal weights, and, after all, 
 one commonly wins. Your metaphysics are no better than 
 so much philosophical gold-leaf, which a cunning reasoner 
 beats out into a sheet as large as the broadest American 
 lake, to make dunces believe the earth can be transmuted 
 into the precious material, while a plain, practical man 
 puts the value of the metal into his pocket in good current 
 coin.” 
 
 <c And yet I hear you complain that parliament has le¬ 
 gislated more than is good for trade, and speak in a man¬ 
 ner of the proceedings at home, that, you will excuse me 
 for saying, would better become a Hollander than a subject 
 of the crown.” 
 
 “ Have I not told you that the horse will run faster 
 without a rider than with a pack-saddle on his back ! 
 Give your own jockey as little, and your adversary’s as 
 much weight as you can, if you wish to win. I complain 
 of the borough men, because they make laws for us and not 
 for themselves. As I often tell my worthy friend. Aider- 
 man Gulp, eating is good for life, but a surfeit makes a 
 will necessary.” 
 
 “ From all which I infer that the opinions of your Ley¬ 
 den correspondent are not those of Mr. Van Beverout.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 277 
 
 The alderman laid a finger on his nose, and looked at 
 his companions, for a moment, without answering. 
 
 “ Those Leydeners are a sagacious breed! If the 
 United Provinces had but ground to stand on, they would, 
 like the philosopher who boasted of his lever, move the 
 world ! The sly rogues think that the Amsterdammers 
 have naturally an easy seat, and they wish to persuade all 
 others to ride bare-back. I shall send the pamphlet up 
 into the Indian country, and pay some scholar to have it 
 translated into the Mohawk tongue, in order that the famous 
 chief Schenadoh, when the missionaries shall have taught 
 him to read, may entertain right views of equivalents ! I 
 am not certain that I may not make the worthy divines a 
 present, to help the good fruits to ripen.” 
 
 The alderman leered round upon his auditors, and fold¬ 
 ing his hands meekly on his breast, he appeared to leave 
 his eloquence to work its own effects. 
 
 “ These opinions favour but little the occupation of 
 the— the gentleman who now honours us with his com¬ 
 pany,” said Ludlow, regarding the gay-looking smuggler 
 with an eye that showed how much he was embarrassed to 
 find a suitable appellation for one whose appearance was so 
 much at variance with his pursuits. “ If restrictions are 
 necessary to commerce, the lawless trader is surely left 
 without an excuse for his calling.” 
 
 “ I as much admire your discretion in practice, as the 
 justice of your sentiments in theory. Captain Ludlow,” re¬ 
 turned the alderman. “ In a rencontre on the high seas, 
 it would be your duty to render captive the brigantine of 
 this person ; but in what may be called the privacy of do¬ 
 mestic retirement, you are content to ease your mind in 
 moralities! I feel it my duty, too, to speak on this point, 
 and shall take so favourable an occasion, when all is pacific, 
 to disburden myself of some sentiments that suggest them¬ 
 selves very naturally under the circumstances.” Myndert 
 then turned himself towards the dealer in contraband, and 
 continued, much in the manner of a city magistrate reading 
 a lesson of propriety to some disturber of the peace of so¬ 
 ciety. “ You appear here. Master Seadrift,” he said, 
 “ under what, to borrow a figure from your profession, may 
 
278 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 be called false colours. You bear the countenance of one 
 who might be a useful subject, and yet are you suspected 
 of being addicted to certain practices, which — 1 will not 
 say they are dishonest or even discreditable, for on that 
 head the opinions of men are much divided — but which 
 certainly have no tendency to assist her majesty in bringing 
 her wars to a glorious issue, by securing to her European do¬ 
 minions that monopoly of trade by whose means it is her 
 greatest desire to ease us of the colonies of looking any fur¬ 
 ther after our particular interests than beyond the doors of 
 her own custom-houses. This is an indiscretion, to give 
 the act its gentlest appellation; and I regret to add, it is 
 accompanied by certain circumstances which rather heighten 
 than lessen the delinquency.” The alderman paused 
 a moment, to observe the effect of his admonition, and to 
 judge, by the eye of the free-trader, how much farther he 
 might push his artifice ; but perceiving, to his own surprise, 
 that the other bent his face to the floor and stood like one 
 rebuked, he took courage to proceed. “ You have intro¬ 
 duced into this portion of my dwelling, which is exclusively 
 inhabited by my niece, who is neither of a sex nor of years 
 to be legally arraigned for any oversight of this nature, 
 sundries of which it is the pleasure of the queen's advisers 
 her subjects in the colonies should not know the use, since 
 in the nature of fabrications they cannot be submitted to the 
 supervising care of the ingenious artisans of the mother 
 island. Woman, Master Seadrift, is a creature liable to the 
 influence of temptation, and in few things is she weaker 
 than in her efforts to resist the allurements of articles which 
 may aid in adorning her person. My niece, the daughter 
 of Etienne Barberie, may also have an hereditary weakness 
 on this head, since the females of France study these inven¬ 
 tions more than those of some other countries. It is net 
 my intention, however, to manifest any unreasonable 
 severity, since if old Etienne has communicated any hered¬ 
 itary feebleness on the subject of fancy, he has also left his 
 daughter the means of paying for it. Hand in your ac¬ 
 count, therefore, and the debt shall be discharged, if debt 
 has been incurred. And this brings me to the last and the 
 gravest of your offences. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 279 
 
 “ Capital is no doubt the foundation on which a mer¬ 
 chant builds his edifice of character/’ continued Myndert, 
 after taking another jealous survey of the countenance of 
 him he addressed; “ but credit is the ornaments of its front. 
 This is a corner-stone — that the pilasters and carvings by 
 which the building is rendered pleasant; sometimes, when 
 age has undermined the basement, it is the columns on 
 which the superstructure rests, or even the roof by which 
 the occupant is sheltered. It renders the rich man safe, 
 the dealer of moderate means active and respectable, and it 
 causes even the poor man to hold up his head in hope. 
 Still, I admit that buyer and seller need both be wary, when 
 it stands unsupported by any substantial base. This being 
 the value of credit. Master Seadrift, none should assail it 
 without sufficient cause, for its quality is of a nature too 
 tender for rude treatment. I learned when a youth, in my 
 travels in Holland—through which country, by means of 
 the trekschuyts, I passed with sufficient deliberation to 
 profit by what was seen — the importance of avoiding, on 
 all occasions, bringing credit into disrepute. As one event 
 that occurred offers an apposite parallel of what I have now 
 to advance, I shall make a tender of the facts, in the way 
 of illustration. The circumstances show the awful uncer¬ 
 tainty of things in this transitory life. Captain Ludlow, and 
 forewarn the most vigorous and youthful that the strong of 
 arm may be cut down in his pride, like the tender plant of 
 the fields ! The banking house of Van Gelt and Van Stop¬ 
 per, in Amsterdam, had dealt largely in securities issued 
 by the emperor for the support of his wars. It happened 
 at the time that fortune had favoured the Ottoman, who 
 was then pressing the city of Belgrade with some prospects 
 of success. Well, sirs, a headstrong and ill-advised laun¬ 
 dress had taken possession of an elevated terrace in the 
 centre of the town, in order to dry her clothes. This wo¬ 
 man was in the act of commencing the distribution of her 
 linens and muslins with the break of day, when the Mus¬ 
 sulmans awoke the garrison by a rude assault. Some who 
 had been posted in a position that permitted of retreat, 
 having seen certain bundles of crimson, and green, and 
 yellow, on an elevated parapet, mistook them for the heads 
 
 t 4 
 
280 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 of so many Turks; and they spread the report far and near, 
 that a countless band of the infidels, led on by a vast num¬ 
 ber of sheriffs in green turbans, had gained the heart of the 
 place before they were induced to retire. The rumour soon 
 took the shape of a circumstantial report, and having 
 reached Amsterdam, it caused the funds of the imperialists 
 to look down. There was much question on the exchange 
 concerning the probable loss of Van Gelt and Van Stopper 
 in consequence. Just as speculation was at its greatest 
 height on this head, the monkey of a Savoyard escaped 
 from its string and concealed himself in a nut-shop, a few 
 doors distant from the banking-house of the firm, where a 
 crowd of Jew boys collected to witness its antics. Men of 
 reflection, seeing what they mistook for a demonstration on 
 the part of the children of the Israelites, began to feel un¬ 
 easiness for their own property. Draughts multiplied, and 
 the worthy bankers, in order to prove their solidity, dis¬ 
 dained to shut their doors at the usual hour. Money was 
 paid throughout the night, and before noon on the follow¬ 
 ing day, Van Gelt had cut his throat in a summer-house 
 that stood on the banks of the Utrecht canal, and Van 
 Stopper was seen smoking a pipe among strong boxes that 
 were entirely empty. At two o’clock the post brought the 
 intelligence that the Mussulmans were repulsed, and that 
 the laundress was hanged, though I never knew exactly for 
 what crime, as she certainly was not a debtor of the unhappy 
 firm. These are some of the warning events of life, gen¬ 
 tlemen, and as I feel sure of addressing those who are ca¬ 
 pable of making the application, I shall now conclude by 
 advising all who hear me to great discretion of speech on 
 every matter connected with commercial character.” 
 
 When Myndert ceased speaking, he threw another glance 
 around him, in order to note the effect his words had pro¬ 
 duced, and more particularly to ascertain whether he had 
 not drawn a draught on the forbearance of the free-trader 
 which might still meet with a protest. He was at a loss 
 to account for the marked and unusual deference with 
 which he was treated by one who, while he was never 
 coarse, seldom exhibited much complaisance for the opinions 
 of a man he was in the habit of meeting so familiarly on 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 281 
 
 matters of pecuniary interest. During the whole of the 
 foregoing harangue, the young mariner of the brigantine 
 had maintained the same attitude of modest attention, and 
 when his eyes were permitted to rise, it was only to steal 
 uneasy looks at the face of Alida. La Belle Barberie had 
 also listened to her uncle’s eloquence with a more thought¬ 
 ful air than common. She met the occasional glances of 
 the dealer in contraband with answering intelligence, and 
 in short, the most indifferent observer of their deportment 
 might have seen that circumstances had created between 
 them a confidence and an understanding which, if it were 
 not absolutely of the most tender, was unequivocally of the 
 most intimate character. All this was plainly seen by Lud¬ 
 low, though the burgher had been too much engrossed with 
 the ideas he had so complacently dealt out, to note the fact. 
 
 “ Now that my mind is so well stored with maxims on 
 commerce, which I shall esteem as so many commentaries 
 on the instructions of my lords of the admiralty,” observed 
 the Captain, after a brief interval of silence, “ it may be 
 permitted to turn our attention to things less metaphysical. 
 The present occasion is favourable to enquire after the fate 
 of the shipmate we lost in the last cruise, and it ought not 
 to be neglected.” 
 
 You speak truth, Mr. Cornelius—the Patroon of 
 Kinderhook is not a man to fall into the sea, like an anker 
 of forbidden liquor, and no questions asked. Leave this 
 matter to my discretion, sir, and trust me, the tenants of 
 the third-best estate in the colony shall not long be without 
 tidings of their landlord. If you will accompany Master 
 Seadrift into the other part of the villa for a reasonable 
 time, I shall possess myself of all the facts that are at all 
 pertinent to the right understanding of the case.” 
 
 The commander of the royal cruiser and the young ma¬ 
 riner of the brigantine appeared to think that a compliance 
 with this invitation would bring about a singular associa¬ 
 tion. The hesitation of the latter, however, was far the 
 most visible, since Ludlow had coolly determined to main¬ 
 tain his neutral character, until a proper moment to act 
 as a faithful servitor of his royal mistress should arrive. He 
 knew or firmly believed, that the Water Witch again lay 
 
282 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 in the cove, concealed by the shadows of the surrounding 
 wood, and as he had once before suffered by the superior 
 address of the smugglers, he was now resolved to act with 
 so much caution as to enable him to return to his ship in 
 time to proceed against her with decision, and, as he hoped, 
 with effect. In addition to this motive for artifice, there 
 was that in the manner and language of the contraband 
 dealer to place him altogether above the ordinary men of 
 his pursuit, and indeed to create in his favour a certain 
 degree of interest, which the officer of the crown was com¬ 
 pelled to admit. He therefore bowed with sufficient courtesy, 
 and professed his readiness to follow the suggestions of the 
 alderman. 
 
 “ We have met on neutral ground. Master Seadrift,” 
 said Ludlow to his gay companion, as they quitted the 
 saloon of la Cour des Fees ; “ and though bent on differ¬ 
 ent objects, we may discourse amicably of the past. The 
 Skimmer of the Seas has a reputation in his way, that 
 almost raises him to a level of the seamen distinguished in 
 a better service. I will ever testify to his skill and cool¬ 
 ness as a mariner, however much I may lament that those 
 fine qualities have received so unhappy a direction.” 
 
 “ This is speaking with a becoming reservation for the 
 rights of the crown, and with meet respect for the barons 
 of the Exchequer ! ” retorted Seadrift, whose former, and 
 we may say natural spirit, seemed to return the moment he 
 left the presence of the burgher. “ We follow the pursuit, 
 Captain Ludlow, in which accident has cast our fortunes. 
 You serve a queen you never saw, and a nation who will 
 use you in its need and despise you in its prosperity, and 1 
 serve myself. Let reason decide between us.” 
 
 ct I admire this frankness, sir, and have hopes of a bet¬ 
 ter understanding between us, now that you have done 
 with the mystifications of your sea-green woman. The 
 farce has been well enacted, though, with the exception of 
 Oloff Van Staats and those enlightened spirits you lead 
 about the ocean, it has not made many converts to necro¬ 
 mancy.” 
 
 The handsome mouth of the free-trader relaxed in a 
 smile. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 28 3 
 
 “ We have our mistress, too/’ he said, “ but she exacts 
 no tribute. All that is gained goes to enrich her subjects, 
 while all that she knows is cheerfully imparted for their 
 use. If we are obedient, it is because we have experienced 
 her justice and wisdom. I hope Queen Anne deals as 
 kindly by those who risk life and limb in her cause.” 
 
 “ Is it part of the policy of her you follow to reveal the 
 fate of the Patroon ? for though rivals in one dear object 
 —or rather I should say, once rivals, in that object — I 
 cannot see a guest quit my ship with so little ceremony, 
 without an interest in his welfare.” 
 
 “ You make a just distinction,” returned Seadrift, 
 smiling still more meaningly. i( Once rivals is indeed the 
 better expression. Mr. Van Staats is a brave man, however 
 ignorant he may be of the seaman’s art. One who has 
 showed so much spirit will be certain of protection from 
 personal injury in the care of the Skimmer of the Seas.” 
 
 I do not constitute myself the keeper of Mr. Van 
 Staats ; still, as the commander of the ship whence he has 
 been—what shall I term the manner of his abduction ? — 
 for I would not willingly use, at this moment, a term that 
 
 may prove disagreeable-” 
 
 c< Speak freely, sir, and fear not to offend: we of the 
 brigantine are accustomed to divers epithets that might 
 startle less practised ears. We are not to learn, at this late 
 hour, that in order to become respectable, roguery must 
 have the sanction of government. You were pleased. 
 Captain Ludlow, to name the mystifications of the Water 
 Witch, but you seem indifferent to those that are hourly 
 practised near you in the world, and which, without the 
 pleasantry of this of ours, have not half its innocence.” 
 
 ee There is little novelty in the expedient of seeking to 
 justify the delinquency of individuals by the failings of 
 society.” 
 
 I confess it is rather just than original. Triteness 
 and truth appear to be sisters ! And yet do we find our¬ 
 selves driven to this apology, since the refinement of us of 
 the brigantine has not yet attained to the point of under¬ 
 standing all the excellence of novelty in morals.” 
 
 “ I believe there is a mandate of sufficient antiquity 
 
284 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 which bids us to render unto Caesar the things which are 
 Caesar’s.” 
 
 e: A mandate which our modern Caesars have most li¬ 
 berally construed. I am a poor casuist, sir, nor do I think 
 the loyal commander of the Coquette would wish to uphold 
 all that sophistry can invent on such a subject. If we 
 begin with potentates, for instance, we shall find the most 
 Christian king bent on appropriating as many of his neigh¬ 
 bour s goods to his own use, as ambition, under the name 
 of glory, can covet; the most catholic, covering with the 
 mantle of his catholicity a greater multitude of enormities 
 on this very continent, than even charity itself could con¬ 
 ceal ; and our own gracious sovereign, whose virtues and 
 whose mildness are celebrated in prose and verse, causing 
 rivers of blood to run, in order that the little island over 
 which she rules may swell out, like the frog in the fable, to 
 dimensions that nature has denied, and which will one day 
 inflict the unfortunate death that befel the ambitious inha¬ 
 bitant of the pool. The gallows awaits the pickpocket; 
 but your robber under a pennant is dubbed a knight! 
 The man who amasses wealth by gainful industry is asha¬ 
 med of his origin, while he who has stolen from churches, 
 laid villages under contribution, and cut throats by thou¬ 
 sands, to divide the spoils of a galleon or a military chest, 
 has gained gold on the highway of glory ! Europe has 
 reached an exceeding pass of civilisation, it may not be 
 denied; but before society inflicts so severe censure on the 
 acts of individuals, notwithstanding the triteness of the 
 opinion, I must say it is bound to look more closely to the 
 example it sets in its collective character.” 
 
 “ These are points on which our difference of opinion is 
 likely to be lasting,” said Ludlow, assuming the fastidious 
 air of one who felt he had the world on his side. “ We 
 will defer the discussion to a moment of greater leisure, sir. 
 Am I to learn more of Mr. Van Staats, or is the question 
 of his fate to become the subject of a serious official 
 enquiry ? ” 
 
 “ The Patroon of Kinderhook is a bold boarder,” re¬ 
 turned the free-trader, laughing; “ he has carried the 
 residence of the lady of the brigantine by a coup-de-main. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 285 
 
 and he reposes on his laurels ! We of the contraband are 
 merrier in our privacy than is thought, and those who join 
 our mess seldom wish to quit it.” 
 
 “ There may be occasion to look further into its mys¬ 
 teries—until when, I wish you adieu.” 
 
 “ Hold !” gaily cried the other, observing that Ludlow 
 w r as about to quit the room— f< Let the time of our uncer¬ 
 tainty be short, I pray thee. Our mistress is like the insect 
 which takes the colour of the leaf on which it dwells. You 
 have seen her in her sea-green robe, which she never fails 
 to wear when roving over the soundings of your American 
 coast; but in the deep waters her mantle vies with the 
 blue of the ocean’s depths. Symptoms of a change, which 
 always denote an intended excursion far beyond the influ¬ 
 ence of the land, have been seen.” 
 
 “ Hearkee, Master Seadrift! This foolery may do while 
 you possess the power to maintain it. But remember that, 
 though the law only punishes the illegal trader by confisca- 
 cation of his goods when taken, it punishes the kidnapper 
 with personal pains, and sometimes with—death ! And 
 more, remember that the line which divides smuggling 
 from piracy is easily past, while the return becomes im¬ 
 possible.” 
 
 “ For this generous counsel, in my mistress’s name, I 
 thank thee,” the gay mariner replied, bowing with a gra¬ 
 vity that rather heightened than concealed his irony. 
 “ Your Coquette is broad in the reach of her booms, and 
 swift on the water. Captain Ludlow ; but let her be capri¬ 
 cious, wilful, deceitful, nay, powerful, as she may, she 
 shall find a woman in the brigantine equal to all her arts, 
 and far superior to all her threats.” 
 
 With this prophetic warning on the part of the queen’s 
 officer, and the cool reply on that of the dealer in contra¬ 
 band, the two sailors separated. The latter took a book 
 and threw himself into a chair, with a well maintained in¬ 
 difference, while the other left the house in a haste that 
 was not disguised. 
 
 In the mean time the interview between Alderman Van 
 Beverout and his niece still continued. Minute passed 
 after minute, and yet there was no summons to the pavilion. 
 
286 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 The gay young seaman of the brigantine had continued 
 his studies for some time after the disappearance of Lud¬ 
 low, and he now awaited an intimation that his presence 
 was required in la Cour des Fees. During these moments 
 of anxiety the air of the free-trader was sorrowful rather 
 than impatient, and, when a footstep was heard at the door 
 of the room, he betrayed symptoms of strong and uncon¬ 
 trollable agitation. It was the female attendant of Alida, 
 who entered, presented a slip of paper, and retired. The 
 eager expectant read the following words, hastily written, 
 in pencil: — 
 
 I have evaded all his questions, and he is more than 
 half disposed to believe in necromancy. This is not the 
 moment to confess the truth, for he is not in a condition to 
 hear it, being already much disturbed by the uncertainty of 
 what may follow the appearance of the brigantine on the 
 coast, and so near his own villa. But be assured he shall 
 and will acknowledge claims that I know how to support, 
 and which, should I fail of establishing, he would not dare 
 to refuse to the redoubtable Skimmer of the Seas. Come 
 hither, the moment you hear his foot in the passage.’' 
 
 The last injunction was soon obeyed. The alderman 
 entered by one door as the active fugitive retreated by an¬ 
 other, and the wary burgher, instead of meeting his guests, 
 found an empty apartment. This last circumstance, 
 however, gave Myndert Van Beverout but little surprise 
 and no concern, as would appear by the indifference with 
 which he noted the circumstance. 
 
 “ Vagaries and womanhood!” thought rather than mut¬ 
 tered the alderman. The jade turns like a fox in his 
 tracks, and it would be easier to convict a merchant who 
 values his reputation of a false invoice, than this minx of 
 nineteen of an indiscretion. There is so much of old 
 Etienne and his Norman blood in her eye, that one does 
 not like to provoke extremities ; but here, when I expected 
 Van Staats had profited by his opportunity, the girl looks 
 like a nun at the mention of his name. The Patroon is no 
 Cupid, we must allow, or in a week at sea he would have 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 237 
 
 won the heart of a mermaid ! — Ay, and here are more 
 perplexities by the return of the Skimmer and his brig, and 
 the notions that young Ludlow has of his duty. Death 
 and mortality ! one must quit trade at some time or other, 
 and begin to close the books of life. I must seriously 
 think of striking a final balance. If the sum total was only 
 a little more in my favour, it should be done to-morrow !” 
 
 END OP THE SECOND VOLUME. 
 
288 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 VOLUME THE TH7.RD. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphosed me; 
 
 Made me neglect my studies, lose my time, 
 
 War with good counsels, set the world at nought. 
 
 Two Gentlemen of Verona. 
 
 Ludlow quitted the Lust-in-Rust with a wavering pur¬ 
 pose. Throughout the whole of the preceding interview, 
 he had jealously watched the eye and features of la Belle Bar- 
 berie, and he had not failed to draw his conclusions from a 
 mien that too plainly expressed a deep interest in the free¬ 
 trader. For a time only had he been induced, by the 
 calmness and self-possession with which she received her 
 uncle and himself, to believe that she had not visited the 
 Water Witch at all: hut when the eav and reckless being 
 who governed tne movements ot that extraordinary vessel 
 appeared, he could no longer flatter himself with this hope. 
 He now believed that her choice for life was made; and while 
 he deplored the infatuation which could induce so gifted a 
 woman to forget her station and character, he was him¬ 
 self too frank not to see that the individual who had in so 
 short a time gained this ascendency over the feelings of 
 Alida, was in many respects fitted to exercise a powerful 
 influence over the imagination of a youthful and secluded 
 female. 
 
 There was a severe struggle in the mind of the young 
 ccmmander between his duty and his feelings. Remember¬ 
 ing the artifice by which he had formerly fallen into the 
 power of the smugglers, he had taken his precautions so 
 well, in the present visit to the villa, that he firmly believed 
 he had the person of his rival at his mercy. To avail 
 himself of this advantage, or to retire and leave him in 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 289 
 
 possession of liis mistress and his liberty* was the point 
 mooted in his thoughts. Though direct and simple in his 
 habits* like most of the seamen of that age* Ludlow had the 
 sentiments that become a gentleman. He felt keenly for 
 Alida* and he shrunk with sensitive pride from incurring 
 the imputation of having acted under the impulses of dis¬ 
 appointment. To these motives of forbearance was also to 
 be added the inherent reluctance which* as an officer of 
 rank* he felt to the degradation of being employed in a duty 
 that more properly belongs to men of less elevated am¬ 
 bition. He looked on himself as a defender of the rights 
 and glory of his sovereign* and not as a mercenary instru¬ 
 ment of those who collected her customs; and though he 
 would not have hesitated to incur any rational hazard in 
 capturing the vessel of the smuggler* or in making captives 
 of all or any of her crew on their proper element* he dis¬ 
 liked the appearance of seeking a solitary individual on the 
 land: in addition to this creditable feeling* there was his 
 own pledge that he met the proscribed dealer in contraband 
 on neutral ground. Still the officer of the queen had 
 his orders* and he could not shut his eyes to the general 
 obligations of duty. The brigantine was known to inflict 
 so much loss on the revenue of the crown—more particu¬ 
 larly in the other hemisphere — that an especial order had 
 been issued by the admiral of the station for her capture. 
 Here then was an opportunity of depriving the vessel of 
 that master-spirit which* notwithstanding the excellence of 
 its construction, had alone so long enabled it to run the 
 gauntlet of a hundred cruisers with impunity. Agitated by 
 these contending feelings and reflections* the young sailor 
 left the door of the villa* and came upon its little lawn* in 
 order to reflect with less interruption* and indeed to breathe 
 more freely. 
 
 The night had advanced into the first watch of the sea¬ 
 men. The shadow of the mountain* however, still covered 
 the grounds of the villa* the river* and the shores of the 
 Atlantic* with a darkness that was much deeper than the 
 obscurity which dimmed the surface of the rolling ocean 
 beyond. Objects in the near view were so indistinct as to 
 require close and steady looks to ascertain their character* 
 
 u 
 
590 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 while the setting of the scene was faintly to be traced by 
 its hazy and indistinct outlines. The curtains of la Cour 
 des Fe'es had been drawn, and though the lights were still 
 shining within, the eye could not penetrate the pavilion. 
 Ludlow gazed about him for a time, and then he held his 
 way reluctantly towards the water. 
 
 In endeavouring to conceal the interior of her apartment 
 from the eyes of those without, Alida had inadvertently 
 suffered a corner of the drapery to remain open. When 
 Ludlow reached the gate that led to the landing, he turned 
 to take a last look at the villa, and, favoured by his new 
 position, he caught a glimpse through the opening, of the 
 person of her who was uppermost in his thoughts. 
 
 La Belle Barberie was seated at the little table by whose 
 side she had been found earlier in the evening. An elbow 
 rested on the precious wood, and one fair hand supported a 
 brow that was thoughtful far beyond the usual character 
 of its expression, if not melancholy. The commander of 
 the Coquette felt the blood rushing to his heart, for he 
 fancied that the beautiful and pensive countenance was that 
 of a penitent. It is probable that the idea quickened his 
 drooping hopes, for Ludlow believed it might not yet be 
 too late to rescue the woman he so sincerely loved from the 
 precipice over which ehe was suspended. The seemingly 
 irretrievable step already taken was forgotten, and the ge¬ 
 nerous young sailor was about to rush back to la Cour des 
 Fees, to implore its mistress to be just to herself, when 
 the hand fell from her polished brow, and Alida raised her 
 face with a look which denoted that she was no longer 
 alone. The captain drew back to watch the issue. 
 
 When Alida lifted her eyes, it was in kindness, and with 
 that frank ingenuousness with which an unperverted female 
 greets the countenance of those who have her confidence. 
 She smiled, though still in sadness rather than in pleasure, 
 and she spoke, but the distance prevented her words from 
 being audible. At the next instant, Seadrift moved into 
 the space visible through the half-drawn drapery, and took 
 her hand. Alida made no effort to withdraw it, but on 
 the contrary, she looked up into his face with still less 
 equivocal interest, and appeared to listen to his voice with 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 291 
 
 a pleased attention. The gate was swung violently open, 
 and Ludlow had reached the margin of the river before he 
 again paused. 
 
 The barge of the Coquette was found where her com¬ 
 mander had ordered his people to lie concealed, and he was 
 about to enter it, when the noise of the little gate, again 
 shutting with the wind, induced him to cast a look behind. 
 A human form was distinctly to be seen against the light 
 walls of the villa, descending towards the river. The men 
 were commanded to keep close, and withdrawing within 
 the shadow of a fence, the captain waited the approach of 
 the new comer. 
 
 As the unknown person passed, Ludlow recognised the 
 agile form of the free-trader. The latter advanced to the 
 margin of the river, and gazed warily about him for several 
 minutes. A low but distinct note, on a common ship’s 
 call, was then heard. The summons was soon succeeded 
 by the appearance of a small skiff, which glided out of the 
 grass on the opposite side of the stream, and approached 
 the spot where Seadrift awaited its arrival. The free¬ 
 trader sprang lightly into the little boat, which immediately 
 began to steal out of the river. As the skiff passed the 
 spot where he stood, Ludlow saw that it was pulled by a 
 single seaman; and as his own boat was manned by six 
 lusty rowers, he felt that the person of the man whom he 
 so much envied, was at length fairly and honourably in 
 his power. We shall not attempt to analyse the emotion 
 that was ascendant in the mind of the young officer. It is 
 enough for our purpose to add, that he was soon in his 
 boat and in full pursuit. 
 
 As the course to be taken by the barge was diagonal, 
 rather than direct, a few powerful strokes of the oars 
 brought it so near the skiff, that Ludlow, by placing 
 his hand on the gunwale of the latter, could arrest its 
 progress. 
 
 “ Though so lightly equipped, fortune favours you less 
 in boats than in larger craft. Master Seadrift,” said Lud¬ 
 low, when, by virtue of a strong arm, he had drawn his 
 prize so near, as to find himself seated within a few feet 
 of his prisoner. “ We meet on our proper element, where 
 
 u 2 
 
2 92 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 there can be no neutrality between one of the contraband 
 and a servant of the queen.” 
 
 The start, the half-repressed exclamation; and the mo¬ 
 mentary silence, showed that the captive had been taken 
 completely by surprise. 
 
 “ I admit your superior dexterity/’ he at length said, 
 speaking low, and not without agitation. I am your 
 prisoner. Captain Ludlow, and I would now wish to know 
 your intentions in disposing of my person ? ” 
 
 “ That is soon answered. You must be content to take 
 the homely accommodations of the Coquette for the night, 
 instead of the more luxurious cabin of your Water Witch. 
 What the authorities of the province may decide to-mor¬ 
 row, it exceeds the knowledge of a poor commander in the 
 navy to say.” 
 
 The Lord Cornbury has retired to-” 
 
 f£ A gaol,” said Ludlow, observing that the other spoke 
 more like one who mused, than like one who asked a ques¬ 
 tion. “ The kinsman of our gracious queen speculates on 
 the chances of human fortune within the walls of a prison. 
 His successor, the Brigadier Hunter, is thought to have 
 i } ess sympathy for the moral infirmities of human nature ! ’* 
 “ We deal lightly with dignities !” exclaimed the cap¬ 
 tive, all his former gaiety of tone and manner returning 
 like water on the flood. “ You have your revenge for 
 some personal liberties that were certainly taken not a fort¬ 
 night since with this boat and her crew; still, I have 
 much mistaken your character, if unnecessary severity 
 forms one of its features. May I communicate with the 
 brigantine ?” 
 
 Freely,—when she is once in the care of a queen’s 
 officer.” 
 
 “ Oh, sir, you disparage the qualities of my mistress, 
 in supposing there exists a parallel with your own ! The 
 Water Witch will go at large till a far different personage 
 shall become your captive. — May I communicate with the 
 shore ? ” 
 
 “ To that there exists no objection—if you will point 
 out the means.” 
 
 1 have one here who will prove a faithful messenger.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 2Q3 
 
 “ Too faithful to the delusion which governs all youi 
 followers ! Your man must be your companion in the Co¬ 
 quette, Master Seadrift ; though,” and Ludlow spoke in 
 melancholy, “ if there be any on the land who take so 
 near an interest in your welfare as to find more sorrow in 
 uncertainty than in the truth, one of my own crew, in 
 any of whom confidence may he placed, shall do your 
 errand.” 
 
 “ Let it be so,” returned the free-trader, as if satisfied 
 that he could, in reason, expect no more. “ Take this 
 ring to the lady of yonder dwelling,” he continued, when 
 Ludlow had selected the messenger, " and say that he 
 who sends it, is about to visit the cruiser of Queen Anne 
 in company of her commander. Should there be ques¬ 
 tion of the motive, you can speak to the manner of my 
 arrest.” 
 
 “ And, mark me, fellow,” added his captain ; “ that 
 duty done, look to the idlers on the shore, and see that no 
 boat quits the river to apprise the smugglers of their loss.” 
 
 The man, who was armed in the fashion of a seaman 
 on boat-duty, received these orders with the customary de¬ 
 ference, and the barge having drawn to the shore for that 
 purpose, he landed. 
 
 a And now. Master Seadrift, having thus far complied 
 with your wishes, I may expect you will not be deaf to 
 mine. Here is a seat at your service in my barge, and I 
 confess it will much please me to see it occupied.” 
 
 As the captain spoke, he reached forth an arm, partly in 
 natural complaisance, and partly with a carelessness that 
 denoted some consciousness of the difference in their rank, 
 both to aid the other to comply with his request, and at 
 need to enforce it. But the free-trader seemed to repel the 
 familiarity, for he drew back, at first, like one who shrunk 
 sensitively from the contact, and then, without touching 
 the arm that was extended with a purpose so equivocal, he 
 passed lightly from the skiff into the barge, declining 
 assistance. The movement was scarcely made, before 
 Ludlow quitted the latter, and occupied the place which 
 Seadrift had just vacated. He commanded one of his 
 men to exchange with the seaman of the brigantine, and 
 
 u 3 
 
294 
 
 THE WATER WITCH 
 
 having made these preparations, he again addressed his 
 prisoner. 
 
 “ I commit you to the care of my cockswain and these 
 worthy tars. Master Seadrift. We shall steer different 
 ways. You will take possession of my cabin, where all 
 will be at your disposal; ere the middle watch is called, I 
 shall be there to prevent the pennant from coming down, 
 and your sea-green flag turning the people’s heads from 
 their allegiance.” 
 
 Ludlow then whispered his orders to his cockswain, and 
 they separated. The barge proceeded to the mouth of the 
 river, with the long and stately sweep of the oars that 
 marks the progress of a man-of-war’s boat, while the skiff 
 followed noiselessly, and, aided by its colour and dimen¬ 
 sions, nearly invisible. 
 
 When the two boats entered the waters of the bay, the 
 barge held on its course towards the distant ship, while the 
 skiff inclined to the right, steering directly for the bottom 
 of the cove. The precaution of the dealer in contraband 
 had provided his little boat with muffled sculls, and Lud¬ 
 low, when he was enabled to discover the fine tracery of the 
 higher and light spars of the Water Witch, as they rose 
 above the tops of the dwarf trees that lined the shore, had 
 no reason to think his approach was known. Once as¬ 
 sured of the presence and position of the brigantine, he 
 was enabled to make his advances with the caution that was 
 necessary. 
 
 Some ten or fifteen minutes were required to bring the 
 skiff beneath the bowsprit of the beautiful craft, without 
 giving the alarm to those who, doubtless, were watching 
 on her decks. The success of our adventurer, however, 
 appeared to be complete, for he was soon holding by the 
 cable, and not the smallest sound of any kind had been 
 heard in the brigantine. Ludlow now regretted he had 
 not entered the cove with his barge, for so profound and 
 unsuspecting was the quiet of the vessel, that he doubted 
 not of his ability to have carried her by a coup-de-main. 
 Vexed by his oversight, and incited by the prospects of 
 success, he began to devise those expedients which would 
 naturally suggest themselves to a seaman in his situation. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 295 
 
 The wind was southerly, and though not strong, it was 
 charged with the dampness and heaviness of the night air. 
 As the brigantine lay completely protected from the influ¬ 
 ence of the tides, she obeyed the currents of the other 
 element, her bows looking outward, while her stern pointed 
 towards the bottom of the basin. The distance from the 
 land was not fifty fathoms, and Ludlow did not fail to 
 perceive that the vessel rode by a kedge, and that her an¬ 
 chors, of which there were a good provision, were all snugly 
 stowed. These facts induced the hope that he might se¬ 
 parate the hawser that held the brigantine, which, in the 
 event of his succeeding, he had every reason to believe 
 would drift ashore before the alarm could be given to her 
 crew, sail set, or an anchor let go. Although neither he 
 nor his companion possessed any other implement to effect 
 this object than the large seaman’s knife of the latter, the 
 temptation was too great not to make the trial. The pro¬ 
 ject was flattering ; for though the vessel in that situation 
 would receive no serious injury, the unavoidable delay of 
 heaving her off the sands, would enable his boats, and per¬ 
 haps the ship herself, to reach the place in time to secure 
 their prize. The bargeman was asked for his knife, and 
 Ludlow himself made the first cut upon the solid and diffi¬ 
 cult mass. The steel had no sooner touched the compact 
 yarns, than a dazzling glare of light shot into the face of 
 him who held it. Recovering from the shock, and rubbing 
 his eyes, our startled adventurer gazed upwards with that 
 consciousness of wrong which assails us when detected in 
 any covert act, however laudable may be its motive ; a sort 
 of homage that nature, under every circumstance, pays to 
 loyal dealings. 
 
 Though Ludlow felt, at the instant of this interruption, 
 that he stood in jeopardy of his life, the concern it 
 awakened was momentarily lost by the spectacle before 
 him. The bronzed and unearthly features of the image 
 were brightly illuminated, and while her eyes looked on 
 him steadily, as if watching his smallest movement, her 
 malign and speaking smile appeared to turn his futile effort 
 into scorn ! There was no need to bid the seaman at the 
 oars to do his duty. No sooner did he catch the expres- 
 
 u 4 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 WO 
 
 sion of that mysterious face, than the skiff whirled away 
 from the spot like a sea-fowl taking wing under alarm. 
 Though Ludlow at each moment expected a shot, even the 
 imminence of the danger did not prevent him from gazing, 
 till the last, at the image. The light by which it was 
 illumined, though condensed, powerful, and steadily cast, 
 wavered a little, and exhibited her attire. Then the cap¬ 
 tain saw the truth of what Seadrift had so lately asserted, 
 for by some process of the machine, into which he had not 
 leisure to enquire, the sea-green mantle had been changed 
 for a slighter robe of the pure azure of the deep waters. 
 As if satisfied with having betrayed the intention of the 
 sorceress to depart, the light vanished. 
 
 “ This mummery is well maintained!” muttered Lud¬ 
 low, when the skiff had reached a distance that assured 
 him of safety. “ Here is a symptom that the rover means 
 to quit the coast. The change of dress is some signal to 
 his superstitious and deluded crew. It is my task to dis¬ 
 appoint his mistress, as he terms her, though it must be 
 confessed that she does not sleep at her post.” 
 
 During the ten succeeding minutes, our foiled adventurer 
 had leisure, no less than motive, to feel how necessary is 
 success to any project whose means admit of dispute. Had 
 the hawser been cut, and the brigantine stranded, it is pro¬ 
 bable that the undertaking of the captain would have been 
 accounted among those happy expedients which, in all pur¬ 
 suits, are thought to distinguish the mental efforts of men 
 particularly gifted by nature ; while, under the actual cir¬ 
 cumstances, he who would have reaped all the credit of so 
 felicitous an idea, was mentally chafing with the apprehen¬ 
 sion that his unlucky design might become known. His 
 companion was no other than Robert Yarn, the fore-top- 
 man, who, on a former occasion, had been heard to affirm 
 that he had already enjoyed so singular a view of the lady 
 of the brigantine, while assisting to furl the fore-topsail of 
 the Coquette. 
 
 f ‘ This has been a false board. Master Yarn,” observed 
 the captain, when the skiff was past the entrance of the 
 cove, and some distance down the bay ; “ for the credit of 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 297 
 
 our cruise, we will not enter the occurrence in the log. 
 You understand me, sir ; I trust a word is sufficient for so 
 shrewd a wit ? ” 
 
 “ I hope I know my duty, your honour, which is to 
 obey orders, though it may break owners,” returned the 
 top-man. “ Cutting a hawser with a knife is but slow 
 w r ork in the best of times ; but though one w T ho has little 
 right to speak in the presence of a gentleman so w 7 ell taught, 
 it is my opinion that the steel is not yet sharpened which 
 is to part any rope aboard yon rover, without the consent 
 of the black-looking woman under her bowsprit.” 
 
 “ And what is the opinion of the berth-deck concerning 
 this strange brigantine that we have so long been following 
 without success ? ” 
 
 “ That we shall follow her till the last biscuit is eaten, 
 and the scuttle-butt shall be dry, with no better fortune. 
 It is not my business to teach your honour, but there is 
 not a man in the ship who ever expects to be a farthing 
 the better for her capture. Men are of many minds con¬ 
 cerning the Skimmer of the Seas; but all are agreed that, 
 unless aided by some uncommon luck, which may amount 
 to the same thing as being helped by him who seldom lends 
 a hand to any honest undertaking, that he is altogether 
 such a seaman as another like him does not sail the 
 ocean ! ” 
 
 “ I am sorry that my people should have reason to 
 think so meanly of our own skill. The ship has not yet 
 had a fair chance. Give her an open sea and a capful of 
 wind, and she’ll defy all the black women that the brigan¬ 
 tine can stow. As to your Skimmer of the Seas, man or 
 devil, he is our prisoner.” 
 
 ff And does your honour believe that the trim-built and 
 light-sailing gentleman we overhauled in this skiff, is in 
 truth that renowned rover?” asked Yarn, resting on his 
 sculls in the interest of the moment. “ There are some 
 on board the ship who maintain that the man in question 
 is taller than the big tidewaiter at Plymouth, with a pair 
 of shoulders-” 
 
 “ I have reason to know they are mistaken. If we are 
 
298 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 more enlightened than our shipmates. Master Yarn, let us 
 be close-mouthed, that others do not steal our knowledge. 
 Hold, here is a crown with the face of King Louis ; he is 
 our bitterest enemy, and you may swallow him whole, if 
 you please, or take him in morsels, as shall best suit your 
 humour. But remember that our cruise in the skiff is 
 under secret orders, and the less we say about the anchor- 
 watch of the brigantine the better.” 
 
 Honest Bob took the piece of silver with a gusto that 
 no opinions of the marvellous could diminish, and touch¬ 
 ing his hat, he did not fail to make the usual protestations 
 of discretion. That night the messmates of the fore-top- 
 man endeavoured in vain to extract from him the particulars 
 of his excursion with the captain, though the direct answers 
 to their home questions were only evaded by allusions so 
 dark and ambiguous, as to give to that superstitious feel¬ 
 ing of the crew which Ludlow had wished to lull, double 
 its original force. 
 
 Not long after this short dialogue, the skiff reached the 
 side of the Coquette. Her commander found his prisoner 
 in possession of his own cabin, and though grave, if not 
 sad in demeanour, perfectly self-possessed. His arrival 
 had produced a deep effect on the officers and men, 
 though, like Yarn, most of both classes refused to believe 
 that the handsome and gayly attired youth they had been 
 summoned to receive, was the notorious dealer in contra¬ 
 band. 
 
 Light observers of the forms under which human qua¬ 
 lities are exhibited, too often mistake their outward signs. 
 Though it is quite in reason to believe that he who min¬ 
 gles much in rude and violent scenes should imbibe some 
 of their rough and repelling aspects, still it would seem 
 that, as the stillest waters commonly conceal the deepest 
 currents, so the powers to awaken extraordinary events, are 
 not unfrequently cloaked under a chastened, and, some¬ 
 times, under a cold exterior. It has often happened, that 
 the most desperate and self-willed men are those whose 
 mien and manners would give reason to expect the mildest 
 and most tractable dispositions, while he who has seemed 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 2QQ 
 
 a lion, sometimes proves, in his real nature, to be little 
 better than a lamb. 
 
 Ludlow had reason to see that the incredulity of his 
 topman had extended to most on board; and as he could 
 not conquer his tenderness on the subject of Alida and all 
 that concerned her, while on the other hand there existed 
 no motive for immediately declaring the truth, he rather 
 favoured the general impression by his silence. First 
 giving some orders of the last importance at that moment, 
 he passed into the cabin, and sought a private interview 
 with his captive. 
 
 That vacant state-room is at your service. Master 
 Seadrift,” he observed, pointing to the little apartment 
 opposite to the one he occupied himself. We are likely 
 to be shipmates several days, unless you choose to shorten 
 the time by entering into a capitulation for the Water 
 Witch; in which case-” 
 
 “ You had a proposition to make ? ” 
 
 Ludlow hesitated, cast an eye behind him, to he certain 
 they were alone, and drew nearer to his captive. 
 
 “ Sir, I will deal with you as becomes a seaman. La 
 Belle Barberie is dearer to me than ever woman was be¬ 
 fore ; — dearer, I fear, than ever woman will be again. 
 You need not learn that circumstances have occurred, 
 -- Do you love the lady ? ” 
 
 “ I do.” 
 
 “ And she — fear not to trust the secret to one who 
 will not abuse the trust — returns she your affection?” 
 
 The mariner of the brigantine drew back with dignity, 
 and then instantly recovering his ease, as if fearful he 
 might forget himself, he said with warmth, — 
 
 “ This trifling with woman’s weakness is the besetting 
 sin of man ! None may speak of her inclinations. Captain 
 Ludlow, hut herself. It never shall be said that any of 
 the sex had aught but fitting reverence for their dependent 
 state, their constant and confiding love, their faithfulness 
 in all the world’s trials, and their singleness of heart, from 
 
 f 
 
 me! 
 
 “ These sentiments do you honour; and I could wish 
 
300 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 for your own sake, as well as that of others, there was 
 less of contrariety in your character. One cannot but 
 grieve-” 
 
 “ You had a proposition for the brigantine?” 
 
 <c I would have said, that were the vessel yielded with¬ 
 out further pursuit, means might be found to soften the 
 blow to those who will otherwise be most wounded by 
 her capture.” 
 
 The face of the dealer in contraband had lost some of its 
 usual brightness and animation; the colour of the cheek 
 was not as rich, and the eye was less at ease, than in his 
 former interviews with Ludlow; but a smile of security 
 crossed his face, when the other spoke of the fate of the 
 brigantine. 
 
 The keel of the ship that is to capture the Water 
 Witch is not yet laid,” he said firmly ; “ nor is the can¬ 
 vass that is to drive her through the water wove! Our 
 mistress is not so heedless as to sleep when there is 
 most occasion for her services.” 
 
 “ This mummery of a supernatural aid may be of use 
 in holding the minds of the ignorant beings who follow 
 your fortunes in subjection, but it is lost when addressed 
 to me. I have ascertained the position of the brigantine — 
 nay, I have been under her very bowsprit, and so near her 
 cutwater as to have examined her moorings. Measures are 
 now taking to improve my knowledge, and to secure the 
 prize.” 
 
 The free-trader heard him without exhibiting alarm, 
 though he listened with an attention that rendered his 
 breathing audible. 
 
 “ You found my people vigilant ?” he rather carelessly 
 observed, than asked. 
 
 <c So much so, that I have said the skiff was pulled be¬ 
 neath her martingale without a hail! Had there been 
 means, it would not have required many moments to cut 
 the hawser by which she rides, and to have laid your beau¬ 
 teous vessel ashore !” 
 
 The gleam of Seadrift’s eye was like the glance of an 
 eagle. It seemed to enquire and to resent in the same 
 instant. Ludlow shrunk from the piercing look, and red- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 SOI 
 
 dened to the brow, whether with his recollections or not it 
 is unnecessary to explain. 
 
 “ The worthy device was thought of! — nay, it was 
 attempted ! ” exclaimed the other, gathering confirmation 
 in the consciousness of his companion. — You did not— 
 you could not succeed ! ” 
 
 “ Our success will be proved in the result.” 
 
 “ The lady of the brigantine forgot not her charge ! 
 You saw her bright eye — her dark and meaning face! 
 Light shone on that mysterious countenance — my words 
 are true, Ludlow—thy tongue is silent, but that honest 
 countenance confesses all!” 
 
 The gay dealer in contraband turned away and laughed 
 in his merriest manner. 
 
 “ I knew it would be so,” he continued ; “ what is the 
 absence of one humble actor from her train ! Trust me, 
 you will find her coy as ever, and ill disposed to hold con¬ 
 verse with a cruiser who speaks so rudely through his can¬ 
 non. Ha !—here are auditors !” 
 
 An officer to announce the near approach of a boat en¬ 
 tered. Both Ludlow and his prisoner started at this intel¬ 
 ligence, and it was not difficult to fancy both believed that 
 a message from the Water Witch might be expected. The 
 former hastened on deck, while the latter, notwithstanding 
 a self-possession that was so much practised, could not 
 remain entirely at his ease. He passed into the state-room, 
 and it is more than probable that he availed himself of the 
 window of its quarter-gallery, to reconnoitre those who were 
 so unexpectedly coming to the ship. 
 
 But after the usual hail and reply, Ludlow no longer 
 anticipated any proposal from the brigantine. The an¬ 
 swer had been what a seaman would call lubberly ; or, it 
 wanted that attic purity that men of the profession rarely 
 fail to use on all occasions, and by the means of which 
 they can tell a pretender to their mysteries, with a quick¬ 
 ness that is instinctive. When the short, quick “ Boat- 
 ahoy” of the sentinel on the gangway, was answered by 
 the “ What do you want ? ” of a startled respondent in the 
 boat, it was received among the crew of the Coquette, with 
 such a sneer, as the tyro who has taken two steps in any 
 
302 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 particular branch of knowledge, is apt to bestow on the 
 blunders of him who has taken but one. 
 
 A deep silence reigned while a party, consisting of two 
 men and as many females, mounted the side of the ship, 
 leaving a sufficient number behind them in the boat to man 
 its oars. Notwithstanding more than one light was held 
 in such a manner as would have discovered the faces of the 
 strangers had they not all been closely muffled, the party 
 passed into the cabin without recognition. 
 
 “ Master Cornelius Ludlow, one might as well put on 
 the queen’s livery at once, as to be steering, in this un¬ 
 certain manner, between the Coquette and the land, like a 
 protested note, sent from endorser to endorser to be paid,” 
 commenced Alderman Van Beverout, uncasing himself in 
 the great cabin with the coolest deliberation, while his 
 niece sunk into a chair unbidden, her two attendants stand¬ 
 ing near in submissive silence. “ Here is Alida, who has 
 insisted on paying so unseasonable a visit, and what is 
 worse still, on dragging me in her train, though I am past 
 the day of following a woman about merely because she 
 happens to have a pretty face. The hour is unseasonable, 
 and as to the motive—why, if Master Seadrift has got a 
 little out of his course, no great harm can come of it while 
 the affair is in the hands of so discreet and amiable an of¬ 
 ficer as yourself.” 
 
 The alderman became suddenly mute, for the door of 
 the state-room opened, and the individual he had named 
 entered in person. 
 
 Ludlow needed no other explanation than a knowledge 
 of the persons of his guests, to understand the motive of 
 their visit. Turning to Alderman Van Beverout, he said, 
 with a bitterness he could not repress,— 
 
 “ My presence may be intrusive. Use the cabin as 
 freely as your own house; and rest assured that, while it 
 is thus honoured, it shall be sacred to its present uses. 
 My duty calls me to the deck.” 
 
 The young man bowed gravely, and hurried from the 
 place. As he passed Alida, he caught a gleam of her dark 
 and eloquent eye, and he construed the glance into an ex¬ 
 pression of gratitude. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 303 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 If it we v e done, when ’tis done, then ’twere well 
 It were done quickly. 
 
 Macbeth. 
 
 The words of the immortal poet with which, in deference 
 to an ancient usage in the literature of the language, we 
 have prefaced the incidents to be related in this chapter, 
 are in perfect conformity with that governing maxim of a 
 vessel, which is commonly found embodied in its standing 
 orders, and which prescribes the necessity of exertion and 
 activity in the least of its operations. A strongly manned 
 ship, like a strong-armed man, is fond of showing its phy¬ 
 sical power, for it is one of the principal secrets of its ef¬ 
 ficiency. In a profession in which there is an unceasing 
 contest with the wild and fickle winds, and in which human 
 efforts are to be manifested in the control of a delicate and 
 fearful machinery on an inconstant element, this governing- 
 principle becomes of the last importance. Where “ delay 
 may so easily be death,” it soon gets to be a word that is 
 expunged from the language, and there is, perhaps, no 
 truth more necessary to be known to all young aspirants 
 for naval success, than this which teaches that, while no¬ 
 thing should be attempted in a hurry, nothing should be 
 done without the last degree of activity that is compatible 
 with precision. 
 
 The commander of the Coquette had early been im¬ 
 pressed with the truth of the foregoing rule, and he had 
 not neglected its application in the discipline of his crew. 
 When he reached the deck, therefore, after relinquishing 
 the cabin to his visiters, he found those preparations which 
 he had ordered to be commenced when he first returned to 
 the ship, already far advanced towards their execution. 
 As these movements are closely connected with the future 
 events it is our duty to explain, we shall relate them with 
 some particularity. 
 
 Ludlow had no sooner given his orders to the officer in 
 
304 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 charge of the deck, than the whistle of the boatswain was 
 heard summoning all hands to their duty. When the 
 crew had been collected, tackles were hooked to the large 
 boats stowed in the centre of the ship, and the whole of 
 them were lowered into the water. The descent of those 
 suspended on the quarters, was of course less difficult and 
 much sooner effected. So soon as all the boats, with the 
 exception of one at the stern, were out, the order was given 
 to cross top-gallant yards.” This duty had been com¬ 
 menced while other things were in the course of perform¬ 
 ance, and a minute had scarcely passed, before the upper 
 masts were again in possession of their light sails. Then 
 was heard the usual summons of e< All hands up anchor, 
 ahoy !” and the rapid orders of the young officers to “ man 
 capstan bars,” to (C nipper,” and finally, to “ heave away.” 
 The business of getting the anchor on board a cruiser and 
 on board a ship engaged in commerce, is of very different 
 degrees of labour, as well as of expedition. In the latter 
 a dozen men apply their powers to a slow moving and re¬ 
 luctant windlass, while the untractable cable, as it enters, 
 is broken into coils by the painful efforts of a grumbling 
 cook, thwarted, perhaps, as much as he is aided by the 
 waywardness of some wilful urchin who does the service 
 of the cabin. On the other hand, the upright and con¬ 
 stantly moving capstan knows no delay. The revolving 
 <c messenger” is ever ready to be applied, and skilful petty 
 officers are always in the tiers to dispose of the massive 
 rope, that it may not encumber the decks. 
 
 Ludlow appeared among his people while they were 
 thus employed. Ere he had made one hasty turn on the 
 quarter-deck, he was met by the busy first lieutenant. 
 
 “ We are short, sir,” said that agent of all-work. 
 
 “ Set your topsails.” 
 
 The canvass was instantly permitted to fall, and it was 
 no sooner stretched to the yards, than force was applied to 
 the halyards, and the sails were hoisted. 
 
 “ Which way, sir, do you wish the ship cast ? ” de¬ 
 manded the attentive Luff. 
 
 “ To seaward.” 
 
 The head-yards were accordingly braced aback in the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 305 
 
 proper direction, and it was then reported to the captain 
 that all was ready to get the ship under way. 
 
 Trip the anchor at once, sir; when it is stowed, and 
 the decks are cleared, report to me.” 
 
 This sententious and characteristic communication be¬ 
 tween . Ludlow and his second in command, was sufficient 
 for all the purposes of that moment. The one was accus¬ 
 tomed to issue his orders without explanation, and the 
 other never hesitated to obey, and rarely presumed to en¬ 
 quire into their motive. 
 
 “ We are a-weigh and stowed, sir; every thing clear,” 
 said Mr. Luff, after a few minutes had been allowed to 
 execute the preceding commands. 
 
 Ludlow then seemed to arouse himself from a reverie. 
 He had hitherto spoken mechanically, rather than as one 
 conscious of what he uttered, or whose feelings had any 
 connection with his words. But it was now necessary to 
 mingle with his officers, and to issue mandates that, as they 
 were less in routine, required more thought and great dis¬ 
 cretion. The crews of the different boats were “ called 
 away,” and arms were placed in their hands. When 
 nearly or quite one half of the ship’s company were in the 
 boats, and the latter were all reported to be ready, officers 
 were assigned to each, and the particular service expected at 
 their hands was distinctly explained. 
 
 A master’s mate in the captain’s barge, its crew being 
 strengthened by half a dozen marines, was ordered to pull 
 directly for the cove, into which he was to enter with muf¬ 
 fled oars, and where he was to await a signal from the first 
 lieutenant, unless he met the brigantine endeavouring to 
 escape, in which case his orders were imperative to board 
 and carry her at every hazard. The high spirited youth 
 no sooner received this charge, than he quitted the ship, 
 and steered to the southward, keeping inside the tongue of 
 land so often named that forms the cape. 
 
 Luff was then told to take command of the launch. 
 With this heavy and strongly manned boat, he was ordered 
 to proceed by the outside passage to the inlet, where he 
 was to give the signal to the barge, and whence he was to 
 go to the assistance of the latter, so soon as he was assuied 
 
 x 
 
306 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the Water Witch could not again escape by the secret 
 channel. 
 
 The two cutters were entrusted to the command of the 
 second lieutenant, with orders to pull into the broad pas¬ 
 sage between the end of the cape, or the “ Hook/’ and that 
 long narrow island which stretches from the harbour of 
 New York for more than forty leagues to the eastward, 
 sheltering the whole coast of Connecticut from the tempests 
 of the ocean. Ludlow knew, though ships of a heavy 
 draught were obliged to pass close to the cape in order to 
 gain the open sea, that a light brigantine, like the Water 
 Witch, could find a sufficient depth of water for her pur¬ 
 poses further north. The cutters were therefore sent in 
 that direction, with orders to cover as much of the channel 
 as possible, and to carry the smuggler should an occasion 
 offer. Finally, the yawl was to occupy the space between 
 the two channels, with orders to repeat signals, and to be 
 vigilant in reconnoitring. 
 
 While the different officers entrusted with these duties 
 were receiving their instructions, the ship, under the charge 
 of Trysail, began to move towards the cape. When off the 
 point of the Hook, the two cutters and the yawl “ cast off,” 
 and took to their oars, and when fairly without the buoys, 
 the launch did the same, each boat taking its prescribed 
 direction. 
 
 If the reader retains a distinct recollection of the scene 
 described in one of the earlier pages of this work, he will 
 understand the grounds on which Ludlow based his hopes 
 of success. By sending the launch into the inlet, he be¬ 
 lieved he should enclose the brigantine on every side j since 
 her escape to sea through either of the ordinary channels 
 would become impossible while he kept the Coquette in the 
 offing. The service he expected from the three boats sent 
 to the northward, was to trace the movement of the smug¬ 
 gler in the bay, in the event of her passing the barge, and, 
 should a suitable opportunity offer, to attempt to carry him 
 by surprise. 
 
 When the launch parted from the ship, the Coquette 
 came slowly up to the wind, and with her fore-topsail 
 •thrown to the mast, she lay waiting to allow her boats the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 307 
 
 time necessary to reach their several stations. The dif¬ 
 ferent expeditions had reduced the force of the crew quite 
 one half; and as both the lieutenants were otherwise em¬ 
 ployed, there now remained on board no officer of a rank be¬ 
 tween those of the captain and Trysail. Some time after the 
 vessel had been stationary, and the men had been ordered 
 to keep close, or in other words to dispose of their persons 
 as they pleased, with a view to permit them to catch “ cats’ 
 naps,” as some compensation for the loss of their regular 
 sleep, the latter approached his superior, who stood gazing 
 over the hammock-cloths in the direction of the cove, and 
 spoke. 
 
 “ A dark night, smooth water, and fresh hands, make 
 boating agreeable duty ! ” he said. “ The gentlemen are 
 in fine heart, and full of young men’s hopes ; but he who 
 lays that brigantine aboard, will, in my poor judgment, 
 have more work to do than merely getting up her side. I 
 was in the foremost boat that boarded a Spaniard in the 
 Mona, last war, and though we went into her with light 
 heels, some of us were brought out with broken heads. — I 
 think the fore-top-gallant-mast has a better set. Captain 
 Ludlow, since we gave the last pull at the rigging ? ” 
 
 “ It stands well,” returned his half attentive commander. 
 “ Give it the other drag, if you think best.” 
 
 “ Just as you please, sir; ’tis all one to me. I care not 
 if the mast is hove all of one side, like the hat on the head 
 of a country buck; but when a thing is as it ought to be, 
 reason would tell us to let it alone. Mr. Luff was of 
 opinion that by altering the slings of the main-yard we 
 should give a better set to the topsail sheets; but it was 
 little that could be done with the stick aloft; and I am 
 ready to pay her majesty the difference between the wear of 
 the sheets as they stand now, and as Mr. Luff would have 
 them out of my own pocket, though it is often as empty 
 as a parish church in which a fox-hunting parson preaches. 
 I was present once when a real tally-ho was reading the 
 service, and one of your godless squires got in the wake of 
 a fox with his hounds, within hail of the church windows ! 
 The cries had some such effect on my roarer, as a puff of 
 wind would have on this ship ; that is to say, he sprung 
 
308 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 his luff, and though he kept on muttering something, I never 
 knew what, his eyes were in the fields the whole time the 
 pack was in view. But this wasn’t the worst of it, for when 
 he got fairly back to his work again, the wind had been blow¬ 
 ing the leaves of his book about, and he plumped us into the 
 middle of the marriage ceremony. I am no great lawyer, 
 but there were those who said it was a godsend that half 
 the young men in the parish waren’t married to their own 
 grandmothers.” 
 
 “ I hope the match was agreeable to the family,” said 
 Ludlow, relieving one elbow by resting the weight of his 
 head on the other. 
 
 “ Why as to that, I will not take upon me to say, since 
 the clerk corrected the parson’s reckoning before the mis¬ 
 chief was entirely done. There has been a little dispute 
 between me and the first lieutenant, Captain Ludlow, 
 concerning the trim of the ship. He maintains that we 
 fiave got too much in forward of what he calls the centre 
 of gravity, and he is of opinion that had we been less by the 
 head, the smuggler would never have had the heels of us 
 in the late chase : whereas I invite any man to lay a craft 
 on her water line-” 
 
 u Show our light!” interrupted Ludlow. “ Yonder 
 goes the signal of the launch !” 
 
 Trysail ceased speaking, and stepping on a gun, he also 
 began to gaze in the direction of the cove. A lantern or 
 some other bright object was leisurely raised three times, 
 and as often hid from view. The signal came from under 
 the land, and in a quarter that left no doubt of its object. 
 
 “ So far well! ” cried the captain, quitting his stand, 
 and turning for the first time with consciousness to his 
 officer. ’T is a sign that they are at the inlet, and that 
 the offing is clear. I think. Master Trysail, we are now 
 sure of our prize. Sweep the horizon thoroughly with the 
 night glass, and then we will close in upon this boasted 
 brigantine.” 
 
 Both took glasses and devoted several minutes to this 
 duty. A careful examination of the margin of the sea 
 from the coast of New Jersey to that of Long Island, gave 
 them reason to believe that nothing of any size was lying 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 309 
 
 without the cape. The sky was more free from clouds to 
 the eastward than under the land, and it was not difficult 
 to make certain of this important fact. It gave them the 
 assurance that the Water Witch had not escaped by the 
 secret passage during the time lost in their own prepar¬ 
 ations. 
 
 “ This is still well,’’ continued Ludlow. “ Now he 
 cannot avoid us — show the triangle.” 
 
 Three lights, disposed in the form just named, were 
 then hoisted at the gaff-end of the Coquette. It was an 
 order for the boats in the cove to proceed. The signal 
 was quickly answered from the launch, and then a small 
 rocket was seen sailing over the trees and shrubbery of the 
 shore. All on hoard the Coquette listened intently to catch 
 some sound that should denote the tumult of an assault. 
 Once Ludlow and Trysail thought the cheers of seamen 
 came on the thick air of the night, and once, again, either 
 fancy or their senses told them they heard the menacing 
 hail which commanded the outlaws to submit. Many 
 minutes of intense anxiety succeeded. The whole of the 
 hammock-cloths, on the side of the ship nearest to the land, 
 were lined with curious faces, though respect left Ludlow 
 to the sole occupation of the short and light deck which 
 covered the accommodations, whither he had ascended, to 
 command a more perfect view of the horizon. 
 
 cc ’Tis time to hear their musketry, or to see the signal 
 of success ! ” said the young man to himself, so intently 
 occupied by his interest in the undertaking as to be uncon¬ 
 scious of having spoken. 
 
 “ Have you forgotten to provide a signal for failure?” 
 said one at his elbow. 
 
 “ Ha ! Master Seadrift — I would have spared you this 
 spectacle.” 
 
 “ ’Tis one too often witnessed to be singular. A life 
 passed on the ocean has not left me ignorant of the effect 
 of night, with a view seaward, a dark coast, and a back¬ 
 ground of mountain! ” 
 
 (e You have great confidence in him left in charge of 
 your brigantine ! I shall have faith in your sea-green lady 
 myself, if he escape my boats this time.” 
 
 x 3 
 
310 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 u See ! — there is a token of her fortune,” returned the 
 other, pointing towards three lanterns that were shown at 
 the inlet’s mouth, and over which many lights were burnt 
 in rapid succession, 
 
 a ’ T is the sign of failure ! Let the ship fall off, and 
 square away the yards ! Round in, men, round in. We 
 will run down to the entrance of the bay, Mr. Trysail. 
 The knaves have been aided by their lucky star !” 
 
 Ludlow spoke with deep vexation, but always with the 
 authority of a superior and the promptitude of a seaman. 
 The motionless being near him maintained a profound 
 silence. No exclamation of triumph escaped him, nor did 
 he open his lips either in pleasure or in surprise. It 
 appeared as if confidence in his vessel rendered him as 
 much superior to exultation as to apprehension. 
 
 (t You look upon this exploit of your brigantine. Master 
 Seadrift, as a thing of course,” Ludlow observed, when 
 his own ship was steering towards the extremity of the 
 cape again. “ Fortune has not deserted you yet, but with 
 the land on three sides, and this ship and her boats on the 
 fourth, I do not despair yet of prevailing over your bronzed 
 goddess! ” 
 
 “ Our mistress never sleeps,” returned the dealer in 
 contraband, drawing a long breath, like one who had 
 struggled long to repress his interest. 
 
 “ Terms are still in your power. I shall not conceal 
 that the commissioners of her majesty’s customs set so 
 high a price on the possession of the Water Witch, as to 
 embolden me to assume a responsibility, from which I 
 might on any other occasion shrink. Deliver the vessel, 
 and I pledge you the honour of an officer, that the crew 
 shall land without question.—Leave her to us with empty 
 decks and a swept hold, if you will, but leave the swift 
 boat in our hands.” 
 
 “ The lady of the brigantine thinks m otherwise. She 
 wears her mantle of the deep waters, and, trust me, spite 
 of all your nets, she will lead her followers beyond the 
 offices of the lead, and far from soundings ;—ay ! spite of 
 all the navy of Queen Anne ! ” 
 
 “ I hope that others may not repent this obstinacy ! 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 311 
 
 But this is no time to bandy words ; the duty of the ship 
 requires my presence.” 
 
 Seadrift took the hint, and reluctantly retired to the 
 cabin. As he left the poop, the moon rose above the line 
 of water in the eastern board, and shed its light along the 
 whole horizon. The crew of the Coquette were now 
 enabled to see with sufficient distinctness, from the sands 
 of the Hook to the distance of many leagues to seaward. 
 There no longer remained a doubt that the brigantine v/as 
 still within the bay. Encouraged by this certainty, 
 Ludlow endeavoured to forget all motives of personal 
 feeling, in the discharge of a duty that was getting to be 
 more and more interesting as the prospect of its successful 
 accomplishment grew brighter. 
 
 It was not long before the Coquette reached the channel 
 which forms the available mouth of the estuary. Here 
 the ship was again brought to the wind, and men were sent 
 upon the yards and all her more lofty spars, in order to 
 overlook, by the dim and deceitful light, as much of the 
 inner water as the eye could reach; while Ludlow, assisted 
 by the master, was engaged in the same employment on 
 the deck. Two or three midshipmen were included among 
 the common herd aloft. 
 
 “ There is nothing visible within,” said the captain, 
 after a long and anxious search with a glass. “ The 
 shadows of the Jersey mountains prevent the sight in that 
 direction, while the spars of a frigate might be confounded 
 with the trees of Staten Island here, in the northern board. 
 —Cross-jack-yard there !” 
 
 The shrill voice of a midshipman answered the hail. 
 
 “ What do you make out within the Hook, sir ?” 
 
 “ Nothing visible. Our barge is pulling along the land, 
 and the launch appears to be lying off the inlet; ay, here 
 is the yawl, resting on its oars without the Romar*, but 
 we can find nothing which looks like the cutter in the range 
 of Coney.” 
 
 “ Take another sweep of the glass more westward, and 
 look well into the mouth of the Raritan;—mark you any 
 thing in that quarter ?” 
 
 Well-known breakers between Coney Island and the point of Sandy Hook. 
 
 x 4 
 
312 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Ha ! here is a speck on our lee quarter !” 
 
 ' c What do you make of it ? ” 
 
 “ Unless sight deceives me greatly, sir, there is a light 
 boat pulling in for the ship about three cables’ length 
 distant.” 
 
 Ludlow raised his own glass and swept the water in the 
 direction named. After one or two unsuccessful trials, his 
 eye caught the object, and as the moon had now some 
 power, he was at no loss to distinguish its character. 
 There was evidently a boat, and one that, by its move¬ 
 ments, had a design of holding communication with the 
 cruiser. 
 
 The eye of a seaman is acute on his element, and his 
 mind is quick in forming opinions on all things that 
 properly appertain to his profession. Ludlow saw instantly, 
 by the construction, that the boat was not one of those 
 sent from the ship, that it approached in a direction which 
 enabled it to avoid the Coquette, by keeping in a part of 
 the bay where the water was not sufficiently deep to admit 
 of her passage, and that its movements were so guarded as 
 to denote great caution, while there was an evident wish to 
 draw as near to the cruiser as prudence might render 
 advisable. Taking a trumpet, he hailed in the well-known 
 and customary manner. 
 
 The answer came up faintly against the air, but it was 
 uttered with much practice in the implement, and with an 
 exceeding compass of voice. 
 
 “ Ay, ay,” and “ a parley from the brigantine,” were 
 the only words that were distinctly audible. 
 
 For a minute or two the young man paced the deck 
 undecided. Then he suddenly commanded the only 
 boat which the cruiser now possessed to be lowered and 
 manned. 
 
 “ Throw an ensign into the stern-sheets,” he said, 
 when these orders were executed, “ and let there be arms 
 beneath it. We will keep faith while faith is observed, 
 but there are reasons for caution in this interview.” 
 
 Trysail was directed to keep the ship stationary, and 
 after giving to his subordinate private instructions of im¬ 
 portance. in the event of treachery, Ludlow went into the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 313 
 
 boat in person. A very few minutes sufficed to bring the 
 jolly-boat and the stranger so near each other that the 
 means of communication were both easy and sure. The 
 men of the former were then commanded to cease rowing, 
 and raising his glass, the commander of the cruiser took a 
 more certain and minute survey of those who awaited his 
 coming. The strange boat was dancing on the waves, 
 like a light shell that floated so buoyantly as scarce to 
 touch the element which sustains it, while four athletic 
 seamen leaned on the oars that lay ready to urge it ahead. 
 In the stern sheets stood a form whose attitude and mien 
 could not readily he mistaken. In the admirable steadi¬ 
 ness of the figure, the folded arms, the fine and manly 
 proportions, and the attire, Ludlow recognised the mariner 
 of the India-shawl. A wave of the hand induced him to 
 venture nearer. 
 
 i( What is asked of the royal cruiser ? ” demanded the 
 captain of the vessel named, when the two boats were as 
 near each other as seemed expedient.” 
 
 “ Confidence,” was the reply. “ Come nearer. Captain 
 Ludlow ; I am here with naked hands. Our conference 
 need not be maintained with trumpets.” 
 
 Ashamed that a boat belonging to a ship of war should 
 betray doubts, the people of the yawl were ordered to go 
 within reach of the oars. 
 
 “ Well, sir, you have your wish. I have quitted my 
 ship and come to the parley with the smallest of my boats.” 
 
 “ It is unnecessary to say what has been done with the 
 others,’' returned Tiller, across the firm muscles of whose 
 face there passed a smile that was scarcely perceptible. 
 “ You hunt us hard, sir, and give but little rest to the 
 brigantine ; but again are you foiled.” 
 
 <c We have a harbinger of better fortune in a lucky blow 
 that has been struck to-night-” 
 
 “ You are understood, sir. Master Seadrift has fallen 
 into the hands of the queen’s servants ; but take good heed! 
 if injury, in word or deed, befal that youth, there live those 
 who well know how to resent the wrong.” 
 
 These are lofty expressions to come from a proscribed 
 man; but we will overlook them in the motive. Your 
 
314 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 brigantine, Master Tiller, lost its master-spirit in the 
 Skimmer of the Seas, and it may be wise to listen to the 
 suggestions of moderation. If you are disposed to treat, I 
 am here with no disposition to extort.” 
 
 “ We meet in a suitable spirit, then, for I come prepared 
 to offer terms of ransom, that Queen Anne, if she love her 
 revenue, need not despise ; but, as in duty to her majesty, 
 I will first listen to her royal pleasure.” 
 
 t{ First, then, as a seaman, and one who is not ignorant of 
 what a vessel can perform, let me direct your attention to 
 the situation of the parties. I am certain that the Water 
 Witch, though for the moment concealed by the shadows 
 of the hills, or favoured perhaps by distance and the feeble¬ 
 ness of this light, is in the waters of the bay. A force, 
 against which she has no power of resistance, watches the 
 inlet ; you see the cruiser in readiness to meet her off the 
 Hook. My boats are so stationed as to preclude the pos¬ 
 sibility of escape, without sufficient notice, by the northern 
 channel; and, in short, the outlets are all closed to your 
 passage. With the morning light we shall know your 
 position, and act accordingly-” 
 
 “ No chart can show the dangers of rocks and shoals 
 more clearly ! — and to avoid these dangers ? ” 
 
 “ Yield the brigantine and depart. Though outlawed, 
 we shall content ourselves with the possession of this 
 remarkable vessel in which you do your mischief, and hope 
 that, deprived of the means to err, you will return to better 
 courses.” 
 
 “ With the prayers of the church for our amendment! 
 Now listen. Captain Ludlow, to what I offer. You have 
 the person of one much loved by all who follow the lady of 
 the sea-green mantle in your power, and we have a brigan¬ 
 tine that does much injury to Queen Anne’s supremacy 
 in the waters of this hemisphere ; yield you the captive, 
 and we promise to quit this coast, never to return.” 
 
 “ This were a worthy treat truly, for one whose habit¬ 
 ation is not a mad-house ! Relinquish my right over the 
 principal doer of the evil, and receive the unsupported 
 pledge of a subordinate’s word ! Your happy fortune. 
 Master Tiller, has troubled your reason. What I offer, is 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 315 
 
 offered because I would not drive an unfortunate and re¬ 
 markable man, like him we have, to extremities, and — 
 there may be other motives, but do not mistake my lenity. 
 Should force become necessary to put your vessel into our 
 hands, the law may view your offences with a still harsher 
 eye. Deeds which the lenity of our system now considers 
 as venial, may easily turn to crime ! ” 
 
 “ I ought not to take your distrust as other than ex¬ 
 cusable,” returned the smuggler, evidently suppressing a 
 feeling of wounded pride. “ The word of a free-trader 
 should have little weight in the ears of a queen’s officer. 
 We have been trained in different schools, and the same 
 objects are seen in different colours. Your proposal has 
 been heard, and, with some thanks for its fair intentions, 
 it is refused without a hope of acceptance. Our brigantine 
 is, as you rightly think, a remarkable vessel! Her equal, 
 sir, for beauty or speed, floats not the ocean. By Heaven ! 
 I would sooner slight the smiles of the fairest woman that 
 walks the earth, than entertain a thought which should 
 betray the interest I feel in that jewel of naval skill! You 
 have seen her at different times. Captain Ludlow: in 
 squalls and calms; with her wings abroad and her pinions 
 shut ; by day and night; near and far ; fair and foul; 
 and I ask you with a seaman’s frankness, is she not a toy 
 to fill a seaman’s heart! ” 
 
 “ I deny not the vessel’s merits nor her beauty—’tis 
 a pity she bears no better reputation.” 
 
 “ I knew you could not withhold this little praise ! But 
 I grow childish when there is question of that brigantine! 
 Well, sir, each has been heard, and now comes the con¬ 
 clusion. I part with the apple of my eye, ere a stick of 
 that lovely fabric shall be willingly deserted. Let us find 
 other ransom for the youth ! — What think you of a pledge 
 in gold, to be forfeited should we forget our word.” 
 
 “ You ask impossibilities. In treating thus at all, I 
 quit the path of authority, because, as has been said, there 
 is that about the Skimmer of the Seas that raises him above 
 the coarse herd, who in common traffic against the law. 
 The brigantine or nothing.” 
 
 <f My life before the brigantine ! Sir, you forget our for- 
 
316 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 tunes are protected by one v/ho laughs at the efforts of your 
 fleet. You think that we are enclosed, and that, when 
 light shall return, there will remain merely the easy task to 
 place your iron-mounted cruiser on our beam, and drive us 
 to seek mercy. Here are honest mariners, who could tell 
 you of the hopelessness' of the expedient. The Water 
 Witch has run the gauntlet of all your navies, and shot has 
 never yet defaced her heauty.” 
 
 “ And yet her limbs have been known to fall before a 
 messenger from my ship.” 
 
 “ The stick wanted the commission of our mistress,” 
 interrupted the other, glancing his eye at the credulous and 
 attentive crew of the boat. “ In a thoughtless moment, 
 't was taken up at sea, and fashioned to our purpose, with¬ 
 out counsel from the book. Nothing that touches our 
 decks, under fitting advice, comes to harm. You look in¬ 
 credulous, and't is in character to seem so. If you refuse 
 to listen to the lady of the brigantine, at least lend an ear to 
 your own laws. Of what offence can you charge Master 
 Seadrift, that you hold him captive ? ” 
 
 " His redoubted name of Skimmer of the Seas were 
 warranty to force him from a sanctuary,” returned Ludlow, 
 smiling. “ Though proof should fail of any immediate 
 crime, there is impunity for the arrest, since the law re¬ 
 fuses to protect him.” 
 
 “ This is your boasted justice ! Rogues in authority 
 combine to condemn an absent and a silent man. But if 
 you think to do your violence with impunity, know there 
 are those who take deep interest in the welfare of that 
 youth.” 
 
 “ This is foolish bandying of menaces,” said the captain, 
 warmly. “ If you accept my offers, speak; and if you 
 reject them, abide the consequences.” 
 
 “ I abide the consequences. But since we cannot come 
 to terms, as victor and the submitting party, we may part 
 in amity. Touch my hand. Captain Ludlow, as one brave 
 man should salute another, though the next minute they 
 are to grapple at the throat.” 
 
 Ludlow hesitated. The proposal was made with so 
 frank and manly a mien, and the air of the free-trader, as 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 31 ? 
 
 he leaned beyond the gunwale of his boat, was so superior 
 to his pursuit, that, unwilling to seem churlish, or to be 
 outdone in courtesy, he reluctantly consented, and laid his 
 palm within that the other offered. The smuggler profited 
 by the junction to draw the boats nearer, and to the amaze¬ 
 ment of all who witnessed the action, lit stepped boldly 
 into the yawl, and was seated face to face with its officer in 
 a moment. 
 
 “ There are matters that are not fit for every ear,” said 
 the decided and confident mariner, in an under tone, when 
 he had made this sudden change in the position of the 
 parties. “ Deal with me frankly,- Captain Ludlow ; is 
 your prisoner left to brood on his melancholy, or does he 
 feel the consolation of knowing that others take an interest 
 in his welfare ? ” 
 
 (i He does not want for sympathy. Master Tiller — 
 since he has the pity of the finest woman in America.” 
 
 u Ha! la Belle Barberie owns her esteem!—is the 
 conjecture right ? ” 
 
 “ Unhappily you are too near the truth. The infatuated 
 girl seems but to live in his presence. She lias so far 
 forgotten the opinions of others, as to follow him to my 
 ship!” 
 
 Tiller listened intently, and from that instant all con¬ 
 cern disappeared from his countenance. 
 
 “ He who is thus favoured may, for a moment, even 
 forget the brigantine ! ” he exclaimed, with his natural 
 recklessness of air. “ And the alderman-? ” 
 
 “ Has more discretion than his niece, since he did not 
 permit her to come alone.” 
 
 “ Enough, Captain Ludlow; let what will follow, we 
 part as friends. Fear not, sir, to touch the hand of a 
 proscribed man again ; it is honest, after its own fashion, 
 and many is the peer and prince who keeps not so clean 
 a palm. Deal tenderly with that gay and rash young 
 sailor; he wants the discretion of an older head, but the 
 heart is kindness itself—I would hazard life to shelter 
 his—but at every hazard the brigantine must be saved. 
 Adieu.” 
 
 There was a tremor in the voice of the mariner of the 
 
318 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 shawl, notwithstanding his high bearing. Squeezing the 
 hand of Ludlow, he passed back into his own barge, 
 with the ease and steadiness of one who made the ocean 
 his home. 
 
 “ Adieu ! ” he repeated, signing to his men to pull in 
 the direction of the shoals, where it was certain the ship 
 could not follow. “We may meet again; until then 
 adieu.” 
 
 “ We are sure to meet, with the return of light.” 
 
 “ Believe it not, brave gentleman. Our lady will 
 thrust the spars under her girdle, and pass a fleet unseen. 
 —A sailor’s blessing on you — fair winds and a plenty ; a 
 safe land-fall and a cheerful home ! Deal kindly by the 
 boy, and in all but evil wishes to my vessel, success light 
 on your ensign !” 
 
 The seamen of both boats dashed their oars into the 
 water at the same instant, and the two parties were quickly 
 without the hearing of the voice. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Did I tell this, 
 
 Who would believe me ? Measure for Measure. 
 
 The time in the interview, related in the close of the 
 preceding chapter, was in the early watches of the night. 
 It now becomes our duty to transport the reader to another, 
 that had place several hours later, and after day had 
 dawned on the industrious burghers of Manhattan. 
 
 There stood, near one of the wooden wharves which 
 lined the arm of the sea on which the city is so happily 
 placed, a dwelling, around which there was every sign 
 that its owner was engaged in a retail commerce that was 
 active and thriving for that age and country. Notwith¬ 
 standing the earliness of the hour, the windows of this 
 house were open, and an individual of a busy-looking face 
 thrust his head so often from one of the casements, as to 
 show that he already expected the appearance of a second 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 319 
 
 party, in the affair that had probably called him from his 
 bed even sooner than common. A tremendous rap at the 
 door relieved his visible uneasiness, and hastening to open 
 it, he received his visiter with much parade of ceremony, 
 and many protestations of respect, in person. 
 
 “ This is an honour, my lord, that does not often 
 befal men of my humble condition,” said the master of 
 the house, in the flippant utterance of a vulgar cockney ; 
 “ but I thought it would he more agreeable to your lord- 
 ship to receive the a—a — here, than in the place where 
 your lordship just at this moment resides. Will your 
 lordship please to rest yourself, after your lordship’s 
 walk ? ” 
 
 “ I thank you, Carnaby,” returned the other, taking 
 the offered seat with an air of easy superiority. ie You 
 judge with your usual discretion as respects the place, 
 though 1 doubt the prudence of seeing him at all. Has 
 the man come ? ” 
 
 <( Doubtless, my lord; he would hardly presume to 
 keep your lordship waiting, and much less would I 
 countenance him in so gross a disrespect. He will be most 
 happy to wait on you, my lord whenever your lordship 
 shall please.” 
 
 “ Let him wait; — there is no necessity for haste. He 
 has probably communicated some of the objects of this ex¬ 
 traordinary call on my time, Carnaby, and you can break 
 them in the intervening moments.” 
 
 ei I am sorry to say, my lord, that the fellow is as 
 obstinate as a mule, I felt the impropriety of introducing 
 him personally to your lordship, but as he insisted he had 
 affairs that would deeply interest you, my lord, I could 
 not take upon me to say, what would he agreeable to your 
 lordship, or what not ; and so I was bold enough to write 
 the note.” 
 
 te And a very properly expressed note it was. Master 
 Carnaby. I have not received a better worded communi¬ 
 cation since my arrival in this colony.” 
 
 <f I am sure the approbation of your lordship might 
 justly make any man proud ! It is the ambition of my 
 life, my lord, to do the duties of my station in a proper 
 
3 20 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 manner, and to treat all above me with a suitable respect, 
 my lord, and all below me as in reason bound. If I 
 might presume to think in such a matter, my lord, I 
 should say, that these colonists are no great judges of 
 propriety in their correspondence, or indeed in any thing 
 else.” 
 
 The noble visiter shrugged his shoulder, and threw an 
 expression into his look that encouraged the retailer to 
 proceed. 
 
 “ It is just what I think myself, my lord,” he continued 
 simpering ; “ but then,” he added, with a condoling and 
 patronising air — “ how should they know any better ! 
 England is but an island after all, and the whole world 
 cannot be born and educated on the same bit of earth.” 
 
 “ ’T would be inconvenient, Carnaby, if it led to no 
 other unpleasant consequence.” 
 
 “ Almost word for word what I said to Mrs. Carnaby 
 myself no later than yesterday, my lord, only vastly better 
 expressed. ’T would be inconvenient, said I, Mrs. Car¬ 
 naby, to take in the other lodger, for every body cannot 
 live in the same house, which covers, as it were, the 
 ground taken in your lordship’s sentiment. I ought to 
 add, in behalf of the poor woman, that she expressed, on 
 the same occasion, strong regrets that it is reported your 
 lordship will be likely to quit us soon on your return to old 
 England.” 
 
 “ That is really a subject on which there is more cause 
 to rejoice than to weep. This imprisoning or placing 
 within limits so near a relative of the crown, is an affair 
 that must have unpleasant consequences, and which offends 
 sadly against all propriety.” 
 
 “ It is awful, my lord ! If it be not sacrilege, by the 
 law, the greater the shame of the opposition in parliament, 
 who defeat so many other wholesome regulations intended 
 for the good of the subject.” 
 
 Faith, I am not sure I may not be driven to join them 
 myself, bad as they are, Carnaby; for this neglect of 
 ministers, not to call it by a worse name, might goad a 
 man to even a more heinous measure.” 
 
 (C I am sure nobody could blame your lordship were 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 321 
 
 your lordship to join anybody or anything but the French ! 
 I have often told Mrs. Carnaby as much as that, in our 
 frequent conversations concerning the unpleasant situation 
 in which your lordship is just now placed.” 
 
 “ I had not thought the awkward transaction attracted so 
 much notice,” observed the other, wincing under the allusion. 
 
 “ It attracts it only in a proper and respectful way, 
 my lord: neither Mrs. Carnaby nor myself ever indulges 
 in any of these remarks but in the most proper and truly 
 English manner.” 
 
 “ The reservation might palliate a greater error. That 
 word proper is a prudent term, and expresses all one 
 could wish. I had not- thought, you so intelligent and 
 shrewd a man. Master Carnaby ; clever in the way of 
 business, I always knew you to be ; but so apt in reason 
 and so matured in principle, is what I will confess I had 
 not expected. Can you form no conjecture of the business 
 of this man ? ” 
 
 f< Not in the least, my lord. I pressed the impropriety 
 of a personal interview ; for though he alluded to some 
 business or other, I scarcely know what, with which he 
 appeared to think your lordship had some connection, I 
 did not understand him, and we had like to have parted 
 without an explanation.” 
 
 “ I will not see the fellow.” 
 
 “ Just as your lordship pleases. I am sure that after 
 so many little affairs have passed through my hands, I 
 might be safely trusted -with this, and I said as much ; but 
 as he positively refused to make me an agent, and he 
 insisted that it was so much to your lordship’s interests, 
 why, I thought, my lord, that perhaps—just now-” 
 
 “ Show him in.” 
 
 Carnaby bowed low and submissively, and after busying 
 himself in placing the chairs aside, and adjusting the table 
 more conveniently for the elbow of his guest, he left the 
 room. 
 
 “ Where is the man I bid you keep in the shop ? ” de¬ 
 manded the retailer, ijj a coarse, authoritative voice, when 
 without, addressing a meek and humble-lookang lad, who 
 did the duty of clerk. “ I warrant me, he is left in the 
 
 Y 
 
322 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 kitchen, and you have been idling about on the walk ! A 
 more heedless and inattentive lad than yourself is not to 
 be found in America, and the sun never rises but I repent 
 having signed your indentures. You shall pay for this, 
 you- 
 
 The appearance of the person he sought cut short the 
 denunciations of the obsequious grocer and the domestic 
 tyrant. He opened the door, and having again closed it, 
 left his two visiters together. 
 
 Though the degenerate descendant of the great Clarendon 
 had not hesitated to lend his office to cloak the irregular 
 and unlawful trade that was then so prevalent in the 
 American seas, he had paid the sickly but customary defer¬ 
 ence to virtue, of refusing on all occasions to treat person¬ 
 ally with its agents. Sheltered behind his official and 
 personal rank, he had soothed his feelings by tacitly 
 believing that cupidity is less venal when its avenues are 
 hidden, and that in protecting his station from an imme¬ 
 diate contact with its ministers, he had discharged an im¬ 
 portant, and, for one in his situation, an imperative duty. 
 Unequal to the exercise of virtue itself, he thought he had 
 done enough in preserving some of its seemliness. Though 
 for from paying even this slight homage to decency in his 
 more ordinary habits, his pride of rank had on the subject 
 of so coarse a failing induced him to maintain an appear¬ 
 ance which his pride of character would not have suggested. 
 Carnaby was inuch the most degraded and the lowest of 
 those with whom he ever condescended to communicate 
 directly ; and even with him there might have been some 
 scruple, had not his necessities caused him to stoop so far 
 as to accept pecuniary assistance from one he both despised 
 and detested. 
 
 When the door opened, therefore, the Lord Cornbury 
 rose, and, determined to bring the .“interview to a speedy 
 issue, he turned to face the individual who entered with a 
 mien into which he threw all the distance and hauteur 
 that he thought necessary for such an object. But he en¬ 
 countered in the mariner of the India shawl a very differ¬ 
 ent man from the flattering and obsequious grocer who had 
 just quitted him. Eye met eye, his gaze of authority re- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 323 
 
 ceiving a look as steady if not as curious as his own. It 
 was evident by the composure of the fine manly frame he 
 saw, that its owner rested his claims on the aristocracy of 
 nature. The noble forgot his acting under the influence 
 of surprise, and his voice expressed as much of admiration 
 as command, when he said, — 
 
 ff This then is the Skimmer of the Seas ? ” 
 
 “ Men call me thus : if a life passed on oceans give a 
 claim to the title, it has been fairly earned.” 
 
 “ Your character — I may say that some portions of 
 your history — are not unknown to me. Poor Carnaby, 
 who is a worthy and an industrious man, with a growing 
 family dependent on his exertions, has entreated me to re¬ 
 ceive you, or there might be less apology for this step than 
 I could wish. Men of a certain rank. Master Skimmer, 
 owe so much to their station, that I rely on your dis 
 eretion.” 
 
 “ I have stood in nobler presences, my lord, and found 
 so little change by the honour, that I am not apt to boast 
 of what I see. Some of princely rank have found their 
 profit in my acquaintance.” 
 
 “ I do not deny your usefulness, sir ; it is only the ne¬ 
 cessity of prudence 1 would urge. There has been, I believe, 
 some sort of implied contract between us—at least so Car¬ 
 naby explains the transaction, for I rarely enter into these de¬ 
 tails myself — by which you may perhaps feel some right 
 to include me in the list of your customers. Men in high 
 places must respect the laws, and yet it is not always con¬ 
 venient, or even useful, that they should deny themselves 
 every indulgence which policy would prohibit to the 
 mass. One who has seen as much of life as yourself, 
 needs no explanations on this head, and I cannot doubt 
 but our present interview will have a satisfactory termin¬ 
 ation.” 
 
 The Skimmer scarce deemed it necessary to conceal the 
 contempt that caused his lip to curl, while the other was 
 endeavouring to mystify his cupidity, and when the speaker 
 was done, he merely expressed an assent by a slight inclin¬ 
 ation of the head. The ex-governor saw that his attempt 
 was fruitless, and by relinquishing his masquerade, and 
 
 y 2 
 
324 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 yielding more to his natural .propensities and tastes, he 
 succeeded better. 
 
 “ Carnaby has been a faithful agent,” he continued, 
 “ and by his reports it would seem that our confidence has 
 not been misplaced. If fame speaks true, there is not a 
 more dexterous navigator of the narrow seas than thyself. 
 Master Skimmer. It is to be supposed that your corre¬ 
 spondents on this coast, too, are as lucrative as I doubt not 
 they are numerous.” 
 
 <e He who sells cheap can never want a purchaser. I 
 think your lordship has no reason to complain of prices.” 
 
 As pointed as his compass ! Well, sir, as I am no 
 longer master here, may I ask the object of this inter¬ 
 view ? ” 
 
 <e I have come to seek your interest in behalf of one 
 who has fallen into the grasp of the queen’s officers.” 
 
 “ Hum — the amount of which is, that the cruiser in 
 the bay has entrapped some careless smuggler. We are 
 none of us immortal, and an arrest is but a legal death to 
 men of your persuasion in commerce. Interest is a word 
 of many meanings. It is the interest of one man to lend, 
 and of another to borrow; of the creditor to receive, and 
 of the debtor to avoid payment. Then there is interest at 
 court, and interest in court ; in short, you must deal more 
 frankly, ere I can decide on the purport of your visit.” 
 
 “ 1 am not ignorant that the queen has been pleased to 
 name another governor over this colony, or that your credi¬ 
 tors, my lord, have thought it prudent to take a pledge for 
 their dues in your person. Still I must think that one 
 who stands so near the queen in blood, and who, sooner or 
 later, must enjoy both rank and fortune in the mother 
 country, will not solicit so slight a boon as that I ask with¬ 
 out success. This is the reason I prefer to treat with 
 you.” 
 
 “ As clear an explanation as the shrewdest casuist could 
 desire ! I admire your succinctness, Master Skimmer, and 
 confess you for the pink of etiquette. When your fortune 
 shall be made, I recommend the court circle as your place 
 of retirement. Governors, creditors, queen, and imprison¬ 
 ment, ail as compactly placed in the same sentence, as if 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 S25 
 
 it were the creed written on a thumb-nail! M ell, sir, 
 w T ill suppose my interest what you wish it. — Who and 
 what is the delinquent ? ” 
 
 “ One named Seadrift, a useful and a pleasant youth, 
 who passes much between me and my customers; heedless 
 and merry in his humours, but dear to all in my brigan¬ 
 tine, because of tried fidelity and shrewd wit. We could 
 sacrifice the profits of the voyage that he were free. To 
 me he is a necessary agent, for his skill in the judgment of 
 rich tissues, and other luxuries that compose my traffic, is 
 exceeding; and I am better fitted to guide the vessel to 
 her haven, and to look to her safety amid shoals and in 
 tempests, than to deal in these trifles of female vanity.” 
 
 “ So dexterous a go-between should not have mistaken 
 a tidewaiter for a customer — how befel the accident ? ” 
 
 “ He met the barge of the Coquette at an unlucky mo¬ 
 ment, and as we had so lately been chased off the coast by 
 the cruiser, there was no choice but to arrest him.” 
 
 “ The dilemma is not without embarrassment. When 
 once his mind is settled, it is no trifle that will amuse thij, 
 Mr. Ludlow. I do not know a more literal construer of 
 his orders in the fleet ; a man, sir, who thinks words have 
 but a single set of meanings, and who knows as little as 
 can be imagined of the difference between a sentiment and 
 a practice.” 
 
 “ He is a seaman, my lord, and he reads his instruc¬ 
 tions with a seaman’s simplicity. I think none the worse 
 of him that he cannot be tempted from his duty; for let 
 us understand the right as we will, our service once taken, 
 it becomes us all to do it faithfully.” 
 
 A small red spot came and went on the cheek of the 
 profligate Cornbury. Ashamed of his weakness, he affected 
 to laugh at what he had heard, and continued the dis¬ 
 course. 
 
 “ Your forbearance and charity might adorn a church¬ 
 man, Master Skimmer,” he answered. “ Nothing can be 
 more true, for this is an age of moral truths, as witness the 
 Protestant succession. Men are now expected to perform,, 
 and not to profess. Is the fellow of such usefulness that 
 he may not be abandoned to his fate ? ” 
 
 y 3 
 
326 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Much as I doat on my brigantine — and few men set 
 their affections on woman with a stronger love — I would 
 see tb e beauteous craft degenerate to a cutter for the queen’s 
 revenue, before I will entertain the thought! But I will 
 not anticipate a long and painful imprisonment for the 
 youth, since those who are not altogether powerless already 
 take a friendly concern in his safety.” 
 
 (i You have overcome the brigadier!” cried the other, in 
 a burst of exultation that conquered the little reserve of 
 manner he had thought it necessary to maintain ; “ that 
 immaculate and reforming representative of my royal 
 cousin has bitten of the golden bait, and proves a true 
 colony governor after all ! ” 
 
 Lord Viscount, no. What we have to hope, or what 
 we have to fear, from your successor is to me a secret.” 
 
 “ Ply him with promises. Master Skimmer — set golden 
 hopes before his imagination ; set gold itself before his 
 eyes, and thou wilt prosper. I will pledge my expected 
 earldom that he yield ! Sir, these distant situations are 
 like so many half-authorised mints, in which money is to 
 be coined, and the only counterfeit is your mimic repre¬ 
 sentative of majesty. Ply him with golden hopes ; if 
 mortal, he will yield ! ” 
 
 (C And yet, my lord, I have met men who preferred 
 poverty and their opinions to gold and the wishes of 
 others.” 
 
 The dolts were lusus naturae! ” exclaimed the disso¬ 
 lute Cornbury, losing all reserve, in a manner that better 
 suited his known and confirmed character. “ You should 
 have caged them. Skimmer, and profited by their dulness 
 to lay the curious under contribution. Don’t mistake me, 
 sir, if I speak a little in confidence. I hope I know the 
 difference between a gentleman and a leveller as well as 
 another, but trust me, this Mr. Hunter is human, and he 
 will yield if proper appliances are used. And thou ex- 
 pectest from me-” 
 
 “ The exercise of that influence which cannot fail of 
 success ; since there is a courtesy between men of a certain 
 station, which causes them to overlook rivalry in the spirit 
 of their caste. The cousin of Queen Anne can yet obtain 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 327 
 
 the liberty of one whose heaviest crime is a free trade, 
 though he may not he able to keep his own seat in the chair 
 of the government.” 
 
 “ Thus far, indeed, my poor influence may yet extend, 
 provided the fellow be not named in any act of outlawry. 
 I would gladly enough, Mr. Skimmer, end my deeds in this 
 hemisphere with some act of graceful mercy, if, indeed, I 
 saw the means.” 
 
 “ They shall not be wanting. I know the law is like 
 any other article of great price; some think that justice holds 
 the balance, in order to weigh her fees. Though the 
 profits of this hazardous and sleepless trade of mine be 
 much overrated, I would gladly line her scales with two 
 hundred broad pieces, to have that youth again safe in the 
 cabin of the brigantine.” 
 
 As the Skimmer of the seas thus spoke, he drew, with 
 the calmness of a man who saw no use in circumlocution, 
 a heavy bag of gold from beneath his frock, and deposited 
 it, without a second look at the treasure, on the table. 
 When this offering was made he turned aside, less by de¬ 
 sign than by a careless movement of the body, and when 
 he faced his companion again, the bag had vanished. 
 
 “ Your affection for the lad is touching, Master Skim¬ 
 mer,” returned the corrupt Cornbury ; “ it were a pity 
 such friendship should be wasted. Will there be proof to 
 insure his condemnation ? ” 
 
 “ It may be doubted. His dealings have only been with 
 the higher class of my customers, and with but few of 
 them. The care I now take is more in tenderness to the 
 youth than with any great doubts of the result. I shall 
 count you, my lord, among his protectors, in the event that 
 the affair is noised ? ” 
 
 “ I owe it to your frankness. But will Mr. Ludlow 
 content himself with the possession of an inferior, when 
 the principal is so near, and shall we not have a confis¬ 
 cation of the brigantine on our hands ? ” 
 
 “ I charge myself with the care of all else. There was 
 indeed a lucky escape only the last night, as we lay at a 
 light kedge, waiting for the return of him who has been 
 arrested. Profiting by the possession of our skiff, the com- 
 
 y 4 
 
328 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 mander of the Coquette himself got within the sweep of 
 my hawse — nay, he was in the act of cutting the very 
 fastenings, when the dangerous design was discovered. 
 ’Twould have been a fate unworthy of the Water Witch, 
 to be cast on shore like a drifting log, and to check her 
 noble career by some such a seizure as that of a stranded 
 waif! ” 
 
 “ You avoided the mischance?” 
 
 ce My eyes are seldom shut, Lord Viscount, when danger 
 is nigh. The skiff was seen in time, and watched, for I 
 knew that one in whom I trusted was abroad. When the 
 movement grew suspicious, we had our means of frighten¬ 
 ing this Mr. Ludlow from his enterprise, without recourse 
 to violence.” 
 
 “ I had not thought him one to be scared from follow¬ 
 ing up a business like this.” 
 
 l( You judged him rightly — I may say we judged him 
 rightly. When his boats sought us at our anchorage, the 
 bird had flown.” 
 
 “ You got the brigantine to sea in season?” observed 
 Cornbury, not sorry to believe that the vessel was already 
 off the coast. 
 
 fc I had other business. My agent could not be thus 
 deserted, and there were affairs to finish in the city. Our 
 course lay up the bay.” 
 
 “ Ha ! Master Skimmer, Twas a bold step, and one that 
 says little for thy discretion !” 
 
 “ Lord Viscount, there is safety in courage,” calmly and 
 perhaps ironically, returned the other. “ WTiile the 
 queen’s captain closed all the outlets, my little craft was 
 floating quietly under the hills of Staten. Before the 
 morning watch was set, she passed these wharves, and she 
 now awaits her captain in the broad basin that lies beyond 
 the bend of yonder headland.” 
 
 “ This is a hardiness to be condemned ! A failure of 
 wind, a change of tide, or any of the mishaps common to 
 the sea, may throw you on the mercy of the law, and will 
 greatly embarrass all who feel an interest in your safety.” 
 
 “ So far as this apprehension is connected with my 
 welfare, I thank you much, my lord; but trust me, many 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 329 
 
 hazards have left me but little to learn in this particular. 
 We shall run the Hell Gate, and gain the open sea by the 
 Connecticut Sound.” 
 
 “ Truly, Master Skimmer, one has need of nerves to be 
 thy confidant! Faith in a compact constitutes the beauty 
 of social order ; without it, there is no security for interests, 
 nor any repose for character. But faith may be implied, 
 as well as expressed; and when men, in certain situations, 
 place their dependence on others who should have motives 
 for being wary, the first are bound to respect, even to the 
 details of a most scrupulous construction, the conditions of 
 the covenant. Sir, I wash my hands of this transaction, if 
 it be understood that testimony is to be accumulated against 
 us by thus putting your Water Witch in danger of trial 
 before the Admiralty.” 
 
 “ I am sorry that this is your decision,” returned the 
 Skimmer. “ What is done cannot be recalled, though I 
 still hope it may be remedied. My brigantine now lies 
 within a league of this, and ’t would be treachery to deny 
 it. Since it is your opinion, my lord, that our contract 
 is not valid, there is little use in its seal—the broad pieces 
 may still be serviceable in shielding that youth from harm.” 
 
 <f You are as literal in construction. Master Skimmer, as 
 a school-boy’s version of his Virgil. There is an idiom in 
 diplomacy, as well as in language, and one who treats so 
 sensibly should not be ignorant of its phrases. Bless me ! 
 sir, an hypothesis is not a conclusion, any more than a 
 promise is a performance. That which is advanced by 
 way of supposition is but the ornament of reasoning, while 
 your gold has the more solid character of demonstration. 
 Our bargain is made.” 
 
 The unsophisticated mariner regarded the noble casuist 
 a moment, in doubt whether to acquiesce in this conclusion 
 or not, but ere he had decided on his course, the windows 
 of the room were shaken violently, and then came the heavy 
 roar of a piece of ordnance. 
 
 “ The morning gun ! ” exclaimed Cornbury, who started 
 at the explosion with the sensitiveness of one unworthily 
 employed .—“ No ! ’tis an hour past the rising of the sun !” 
 
 The Skimmer showed no yielding of the nerves, though 
 
330 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 it was evident by his attitude of thought, and the momentary 
 fixedness of his eye, that he foresaw danger was near. 
 Moving to the window, he looked out on the water, and 
 instantly drew back, like one who wanted no further 
 evidence. 
 
 “ Our bargain then is made,” he said, hastily approach¬ 
 ing the viscount, whose hand he seized and wrung, in spite 
 of the other's obvious reluctance to allow the familiarity ; 
 “ our bargain then is made. Deal fairly by the youth, and 
 the deed will be remembered ; deal treacherously, and it 
 shall be revenged!” 
 
 For one instant longer the Skimmer held the member of 
 the effeminate Cornbury imprisoned, and then raising his 
 cap, with a courtesy that appeared more in deference to 
 himself than his companion, he turned on his heel, and 
 with a firm, but quick step, he left the house. 
 
 Carnaby, who entered on the instant, found his guest 
 in a state between resentment, surprise, and alarm. v But 
 habitual levity soon conquered other feeling, and finding 
 himself freed from the presence of a man who had treated 
 him with so little ceremony, the ex-governor shook his 
 head, like one accustomed to submit to evils he could not 
 obviate, and assumed the ease and insolent superiority he 
 was accustomed to maintain in the presence of the ob¬ 
 sequious grocer. 
 
 “ This may be a coral, or a pearl, or any other pre¬ 
 cious gem of the ocean. Master Carnaby,” he said, uncon¬ 
 scious himself that he was, in a manner, endeavouring to 
 cleanse his violated hand from the touch it had endured, 
 by the use of his handkerchief, “ but it is one on which 
 the salt-water hath left its crust. Truly it is to be hoped 
 that I am never again to be blockaded by such a monster, 
 or I may better say, harpooned ; for the familiarity of the 
 boatswain is more painful than any inventions of his 
 brethren of the deep can prove to their relative the leviathan. 
 Has the clock told the hour ? ” 
 
 “ ’T is not yet six, my lord, and there is abundant 
 leisure for your lordship to return in season to your lord- 
 ship s lodgings. Mrs. Carnaby has dared to flatter herself 
 that your lordship will condescend to honour us so far as 
 to taste a dish of bohea under our humble roof?” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 331 
 
 “ What is the meaning of that gun. Master Carnaby ? 
 It gave the alarm to the smuggler, as if it had been a 
 summons from Execution Dock, or a groan from the ghost 
 of Kidd.” 
 
 “ I never presumed to think, my lord. I suppose it to 
 be some pleasure of her majesty’s officers in the fort, and 
 when that is the case, one is quite certain that all is proper 
 and very English, my lord.” 
 
 “ ’Fore George, sir, English or Dutch, it had the 
 quality to frighten this sea-fowl—this curlew—this alba¬ 
 tross, from his perch ! ” 
 
 “ Upon my duty to your lordship, your lordship has 
 the severest wit of any gentleman in her majesty’s king¬ 
 dom ! But all the nobility and gentry are so witty, that 
 it is quite an honour and an edification to hear them ! If 
 it is your lordship’s pleasure, I will look out of the window, 
 my lord, and see if there be any thing visible.” 
 
 “ Do so. Master Carnaby—I confess a little curiosity 
 to know what has given the alarm to my sea-lion. Hah ! 
 do I not see the masts of a ship moving above the roofs of 
 yonder line of stores ? ” 
 
 “ Well, your lordship has the quickest eye, and the 
 happiest way of seeing things, of any nobleman in Eng¬ 
 land ! Now I should have stared a quarter of an hour 
 before I thought of looking over the roofs of those stores 
 at all; and yet your lordship looks there at the very first 
 glance!” 
 
 “ Is it a ship, or a brig. Master Carnaby? — you have 
 the advantage of position, for I would not willingly be seen 
 —speak quickly, dolt! is it ship, or brig ? ” 
 
 e( My lord — ’tis a brig—or a ship — really I must ask 
 your lordship, for I know so little of these things-” 
 
 “ Nay, complaisant Master Carnaby, have an opinion 
 of your own for one moment, if you please—there is 
 smoke curling upward behind those masts ! ” 
 
 Another rattling of windows, and a second report, re¬ 
 moved all doubts on the subject of the firing. At the next 
 instant, the bows of a vessel of war appeared at the open¬ 
 ing of a ship-yard, and then came gun axter gun in view, 
 until the wffiole broadside and the frowning battery of the 
 Coquette were visible. 
 
332 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 The viscount sought no further solution of the reason 
 why the Skimmer had left him so hurriedly. Fumbling a 
 moment in a pocket, he drew forth a hand filled with 
 broad pieces of gold. These he appeared about to lay upon 
 the table, but, as it were by forgetfulness, he kept the 
 member closed, and bidding the grocer adieu, he left the 
 house with as firm a resolution as was ever made by any 
 man, conscious of having done both a weak and a wicked 
 action, of never again putting himself in familiar contact 
 with so truckling a miscreant as its owner. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 What care these roarers 
 For the name of king ? 
 
 Tempest. 
 
 The Manhattanese will readily comprehend the situation of 
 the two vessels; but those of our countrymen who live in 
 distant parts of the Union, may be glad to have the 
 localities explained. 
 
 Though the vast estuary which receives the Hudson and 
 so many minor streams is chiefly made by an indentation 
 of the continent, that portion of it which forms the port of 
 New York is separated from the ocean by the happy po¬ 
 sition of its islands. Of the latter there are two, which give 
 the general character to the basin, and even to a long line 
 of coast, while several that are smaller, serve as useful and 
 beautiful accessories to the haven and to the landscape 
 Between the Bay of Rariton and that of New York there 
 are two communications, one between the Islands of Staten 
 and Nassau, called the Narrows, which is the ordinary ship- 
 channel of the port, and the other between Staten and the 
 Main, which is known by the name of the Kilns. By 
 means of the latter, vessels pass into the neighbouring 
 waters of New Jersey, and have access to so many of the 
 rivers of that state. But while the Island of Staten does 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 o <> o 
 
 ooo 
 
 so much for the security and facilities of the port, that of 
 Nassau produces an effect on a great extent of coast. 
 After sheltering one half of the harbour from the ocean, 
 the latter approaches so near the continent as to narrow the 
 passage between them to the length of two cables, and 
 stretching away eastward for the distance of a hundred 
 miles, it forms a wide and beautiful sound. After passing 
 a cluster of islands, at a point which lies forty leagues 
 from the city, vessels can gain the open sea by another 
 passage. 
 
 The seaman will at once understand that the tide of 
 flood must necessarily flow into these vast estuaries from 
 different directions. The current which enters by Sandy 
 Hook (the scene of so much of this tale) flows westward 
 into the Jersey rivers, northward into the Hudson, and 
 eastward along the arm of the sea that lies between Nassau 
 and the Main. The current that comes by the way of 
 Montauk, or the eastern extremity of Nassau, raises the vast 
 basin of the Sound, fills the streams of Connecticut, and 
 meets the western tide at a place called Throgmorton, 
 within twenty miles of the city. 
 
 As the size of the estuaries is so great, it is scarcely 
 necessary to explain that the pressure of so wide sheets of 
 water, causes the currents at all the narrow passes to be 
 exceedingly rapid; since that equal diffusion of the element 
 which depends on a natural law, must, wherever there is a 
 deficiency of space, be obtained by its velocity. There is, 
 consequently, a quick tide throughout the whole distance 
 between the harbour and Throgmorton ; while it is per¬ 
 mitted to poetic licence to say that at the narrowest part o. 
 the channel, the water darts by the land like an arrow 
 parting from its bow. Owing to a sudden bend in the 
 course of the stream, which makes two right angles within 
 a short distance, the dangerous position of many rocks that 
 are visible, and more that are not, and the confusion pro¬ 
 duced by currents, counter-currents and eddies, this critical 
 pass has received the name of i( Hell-Gate.” * It is me¬ 
 morable for causing many a gentle bosom to palpitate with 
 
 * By a puerile and vulgar affectation, this passage is often called Hurl Gate: 
 an appellation that has neither good taste, good sense, nor good authority 
 
334 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 a terror that is perhaps a little exaggerated by the boding 
 name, though it is constantly the cause of pecuniary losses, 
 and has in many instances been the source of much personal 
 danger. It was here that a British frigate was lost, during 
 the war of the revolution, in consequence of having struck 
 a rock called “ the Pot,” the blow causing the ship to fill 
 and to founder so suddenly, that even some of her people 
 are said to have been drowned. A similar, but a greatly 
 lessened effect, is produced in the passage among the 
 islands, by which vessels gain the ocean at the eastern 
 extremity of the Sound ; though the magnitude of the lat¬ 
 ter sheet of water is so much greater than that of Rariton 
 Bay and the harbour of New York united, that the force 
 of its pressure is diminished by a corresponding width in 
 the outlets. With these explanations, we shall return to 
 the thread of the narrative. > , 
 
 When the person who has so long been known in our 
 pages by the nom-de-guerre of Tiller, gained the open 
 street, he had a better opportunity of understanding the 
 nature of the danger which so imminently pressed upon the 
 brigantine. With a single glance at the symmetrical spars 
 and broad yards of the ship that was sweeping past the 
 town, he knew her to be the Coquette. The little flag at 
 her fore-top-gallant-mast sufficiently explained the mean¬ 
 ing of the gun; for the two, in conjunction with the di¬ 
 rection the ship was steering, told him in language that 
 any seaman could comprehend, that she demanded a 
 Hell-Gate pilot. By the time the Skimmer reached the 
 end of a lone wharf, where a light and swift rowing-boat 
 awaited his return, the second report bespoke the im¬ 
 patience of his pursuers to be furnished with the necessary 
 guide. 
 
 Though the coastwise navigation of the republic now em¬ 
 ploys a tonnage equalling that used in all the commerce of 
 any other nation of Christendom, England alone excepted, 
 it was of no great amount at the commencement of the 
 eighteenth century. A single ship lying at the wharves, 
 and two or three brigs and schooners at anchor in the 
 rivers, composed the whole show of sea vessels then in port. 
 To these were to be added some twenty smaller coasters and 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 335 
 
 river-craft, most of whom were the shapeless and slow- 
 moving masses which then plied, in voyages of a month’s 
 duration, between the two principal towns of the colony. 
 The appeal of the Coquette, therefore, at that hour and in 
 that age, was not likely to be quickly answered. 
 
 The ship had got fairly into the arm of the sea which 
 separates the island of Manhattan from that of Nassau ; 
 and though it was not then, as now, narrowed by artificial 
 means, its tide was so strong, as, aided by the breeze, to 
 float her swiftly onward. A third gun shook the windows 
 of the city, causing many a worthy burgher to thrust his 
 head through his casement, and yet no boat was seen pull¬ 
 ing from the land, nor was there any other visible sign that 
 the signal would be speedily obeyed. Still the royal cruiser 
 stood steadily on, with sail packed above sail, and every 
 sheet of canvass spread that the direction of a wind, which 
 blew a little forward of the beam, would allow. 
 
 i( We must pull for our own safety, and that of the brigan¬ 
 tine, my men," said the Skimmer, springing into his boat 
 and seizing the tiller. “ A quick stroke and a strong: 
 here is no time for holiday feathering, or your man-of-war 
 jerk! Give way, boys ; give way, with a will and to¬ 
 gether.” 
 
 These were sounds that had often saluted the ears of 
 men engaged in the hazardous pursuit of his crew. The 
 oars fell into the water at the same moment, and quick as 
 thought the light bark was in the strength of the current. 
 
 The short range of wharves was soon passed, and, ere 
 many minutes, the boat was gliding up with the tide be¬ 
 tween the bluffs of Long Island, and the projection which 
 forms the angle on that part of Manhattan. Here the 
 Skimmer was induced to sheer more into the centre of the 
 passage, in order to avoid the eddies fdrmed by the point, 
 and to preserve the whole benefit of the current. As the 
 boat approached Coerlers, his eye was seen anxiously ex¬ 
 amining the wider reach of the water, that began to open 
 above, in quest of his brigantine. Another gun was heard. 
 A moment after the report, there followed the whistling of 
 a shot, and then succeeded the rObound on the water and 
 the glittering particles of spray. The ball glanced a few 
 
336 
 
 THE WATER MITCH. 
 
 hundred feet farther, and skipping from place to place, it 
 soon sunk quietly into the element. 
 
 <e This Mr. Ludlow is disposed to kill two birds with 
 the same stone,” coolly observed the Skimmer, not even 
 bending his head aside to note the position of the ship 
 “ He wakes the burghers of the town with his noise, while 
 he menaces our boat with his bullets. We are seen, my 
 friends, and have no dependence but our own manhood 
 with some assistance from the lady of the sea-green man¬ 
 tle. A quicker stroke and a strong ! You have the queen’s 
 cruiser before you. Master Coil; does she show boats on 
 her quarters, or are the davits empty ? ” 
 
 The seaman addressed pulled the stroke-oar of the boat, 
 and consequently he faced the Coquette. Without in the 
 least relaxing his exertions, he rolled his eyes over the ship, 
 and answered with a steadiness that showed him to be a 
 man accustomed to critical situations. 
 
 “ His boat-falls are as loose as a mermaid’s locks, your 
 honour, and he shows few men in his tops; there are 
 enough of the rogues left, however, to give us another 
 shot.” 
 
 Her majesty’s servants are early awake this morning. 
 Another stroke or two, hearts of oak, and we throw them 
 behind the land ! ” 
 
 A second shot fell into the water, just without the 
 blades of the oars, and then the boat, obedient to its helm, 
 whirled round the point, and the ship was no longer visible. 
 As the cruiser was shut in by the formation of the land, 
 the brigantine came into view on the opposite side of Co- 
 erlers. Notwithstanding the calmness that reigned in the 
 features of the Skimmer, an expression of concern was 
 shadowing his manly face, as the Water Witch first met 
 his eye. Still he spoke not, concealing his uneasiness, if in 
 truth he felt any, from those whose exertions were at that 
 moment of the last importance. As the crew of the ex¬ 
 pecting vessel saw their boat, they altered their course, and 
 the two were soon together. 
 
 “ Why is that signal still flying?” demanded the Skim¬ 
 mer the instant his foot touched the deck of the brigantine. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 337 
 
 pointing as he spoke at the little dag which fluttered at the 
 head of the forward mast. 
 
 “ We keep it aloft to hasten off the pilot/’ was the 
 answer. 
 
 “ Has not the treacherous knave kept faith ! ” exclaimed 
 the Skimmer, half recoiling in surprise. “ He has my 
 gold, and in return I hold fifty of his worthless promises. 
 Ha! the laggard is in yonder skiff ; ware the brig round 
 and meet him, for moments are as precious now as water 
 in a desert.” 
 
 The helm was a-weather, and the lively brigantine had 
 already turned more than half aside, when another gun 
 drew every eye towards the point. The smoke was seen 
 rising above the bend of the land, and presently the head- 
 sails, followed by all the hull and spars of the Coquette, 
 came into view. At that instant a voice from forward 
 announced that the pilot had turned, and was rowing with 
 all his powers towards the shore. The imprecations that 
 were heaped on the head of the delinquent were many and 
 deep ; but it was no time for indecision. The two vessels 
 were not half a mile apart, and now was the moment to 
 show the qualities of the W ater Witch. Her helm was 
 shifted, and, as if conscious herself of the danger that 
 threatened her liberty, the beautiful fabric came sweeping 
 up to her course; inclining to the breeze, with one heavy 
 flap of the canvass, she glided ahead with her wonted ease. 
 But the royal cruiser was a ship of ten thousand! For 
 twenty minutes the nicest eye might have been at a loss to 
 say which lost or which gained, so equally did the pursuer 
 and the pursued hold their way. As the brigantine was 
 the first, however, to reach the narrow passage formed by 
 Blackwell's, her motion was favoured by the increasing 
 power of the stream. It would seem that this change, 
 slight as it was, did not escape the vigilance of those in 
 the Coquette, for the gun which had been silent so long, 
 again sent forth its flame and smoke. Four discharges, in 
 less than so many minutes, threatened a serious disadvan¬ 
 tage to the free-traders. Shot after shot passed among 
 their spars, opening wide rents in the canvass. A few 
 more such assaults would deprive them of the means of 
 
 z 
 
338 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 motion. Aware of the crisis, the accomplished and prompt 
 seaman who governed her movements, needed hut an in¬ 
 stant to form his decision. 
 
 The brigantine was now nearly up with the head of 
 Blackwell’s. It was half-flood on a spring tide. The 
 reef that projects from the western end of the island, far 
 into the reach below, was nearly covered, but still enough 
 was visible to show the nature of the barrier it presented 
 to a passage from one shore to the other. There was one 
 rock, near the island itself, which lifted its black head 
 fairly above the water. Between this dark mass of stone 
 and the land, there was an opening of some twenty fathoms 
 in width. The Skimmer saw, by the even and unbroken 
 waves that rolled through the passage, that the bottom lay 
 less near to the surface of the water in that opening, than 
 at any other point along the line of reef. He commanded 
 the helm a-weather once more, and calmly trusted to the 
 issue. 
 
 Not a man on board that brigantine was aware that the 
 shot of the royal cruiser was whistling between their masts, 
 and damaging their gear, as the little vessel glided into the 
 narrow opening. A single blow on the rock -would have 
 been destruction, and the lesser danger was entirely ab¬ 
 sorbed in the greater. But when the passage was cleared, 
 and the true stream in the other channel gained, a com¬ 
 mon shout proclaimed both the weight of their apprehension 
 and their relief. In another minute the head of Black¬ 
 well’s protected them from the shot of their pursuers. 
 
 The length of the reef prevented the Coquette from 
 changing her direction, and her draught of water closed 
 the passage between the rock and the island. But the de¬ 
 viation from the straight course, and the passage of the 
 eddies, had enabled the ship, which came steadily on, to 
 range up nearly abeam of her chase. Both vessels, though 
 separated by the long narrow island, were now fairly in 
 the force of those currents which glide so swiftly through 
 the confined passages. A sudden thought glanced on the 
 mind of the Skimmer, and he lost no time in attempting 
 to execute its suggestion. Again the helm was put up, and 
 the image of the sea-green lady was seen struggling to stem 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 339 
 
 the rapid waters. Had this effort been crowned with suc¬ 
 cess, the triumph of her followers would have been com¬ 
 plete ; since the brigantine might have reached some of the 
 eddies of the reach below, and, leaving her heavier pursuer 
 to contend with the strength of the tide, she would have 
 gained the open sea by the route over which she had so 
 lately passed. JBut a single minute of trial convinced the 
 bold mariner that the attempt came too late. The wind 
 was insufficient to pass the gorge, and, environed by the 
 land, with a tide that grew stronger at each moment, he 
 saw that delay would be destruction. Once more the 
 light vessel yielded to the helm, and with every thing set 
 to the best advantage, she darted along the passage. 
 
 In the mean time the Coquette had not been idle. 
 Borne on by the breeze and floating with the current, 
 she had even gained upon her chase ; and as her lofty and 
 light sails drew strongest over the land, there was every 
 prospect of her first reaching the eastern end of Blackwell’s. 
 Ludlow saw his advantage, and made his preparations 
 accordingly. 
 
 There needs little explanation to render the circumstances 
 which brought the royal cruiser up to town intelligible to 
 the reader. As the morning approached she had entered 
 more deeply into the bay, and, when the light permitted, 
 those on board her had been able to see that no vessel lay 
 beneath the hills, nor in any of the more retired places of 
 the estuary. A fisherman, however, removed the last of 
 their doubts, by reporting that he had seen a vessel whose 
 description answered that of the Water Witch, passing the 
 Narrows in the middle watch. He added, that a swiftly- 
 rowing boat was, shortly after, seen pulling in the same 
 direction. This clue had been sufficient. Ludlow made 
 a signal for his own boats to close the passages of the Kilns 
 and the Narrows, and then, as has been seen, he steered 
 directly into the harbour. 
 
 When Ludlow found himself in the position just 
 described, he turned all his attention to the double object 
 of preserving his own vessel, and of arresting that of the 
 free-trader. Though there was still a possibility of 
 damaging the spars of the brigantine, by firing across the 
 
 z 2 
 
340 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 land, the feebleness of his own crew, reduced as it was by 
 more than half its numbers, the danger of doing injury to 
 the farm-houses that were here and there placed along the 
 low cliffs, and the necessity of preparation to meet the 
 formidable danger ahead, united to prevent the attempt. 
 The ship was no sooner fairly entered into the pass 
 between Blackwell’s and Nassau, than he issued an order 
 to secure the gun that had been used, and to clear away the 
 anchors. 
 
 “ Cock-bill the bowers, sir,” he hastily added in his 
 orders to Trysail. “We are in no condition to sport with 
 stock-and-fluke; have every thing ready to let go at a 
 word; and see the grapnels ready—we will throw them 
 aboard the smuggler as we close, and take him alive. 
 Once fast to the chain, we are yet strong enough to haul 
 him in under our scuppers, and to capture him with the 
 pumps ! Is the signal still abroad for a pilot ?” 
 
 “We keep it flying, sir, but Twill be a swift boat that 
 overhauls us in this tide’s way. The Gate begins at yonder 
 bend in the land. Captain Ludlow ?” 
 
 “ Keep it abroad; the lazy rogues are sometimes 
 loitering in the cove this side the rocks, and chance may 
 throw one of them aboard us as we pass. See to the 
 anchors, sir ! the ship is driving through this channel like 
 a race-horse under the whip ! ” 
 
 The men were hurriedly piped to this duty, while their 
 young commander took his station on the poop, now 
 anxiously examining the courses of the tides, and the 
 positions of the eddies, and now turning his eyes towards 
 the brigantine, whose upper spars and white sails were to 
 be seen, at the distance of two hundred fathoms, glancing 
 past the trees of the island. But miles and minutes seemed 
 like rods and moments, in that swift current. Trysail had 
 just reported the anchors ready, when the ship swept up 
 abreast of Hallet’s cove, where vessels often seek an 
 anchorage to await favourable moments for entering the 
 Gate. Ludlow saw at a glance, that the place was entirely 
 empty. For an instant he yielded to the heavy responsi¬ 
 bility—a responsibility before which a seaman sooner 
 shrinks than before any other—that of charging himself 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 341 
 
 with the duty of the pilot, and he thought of running into 
 the anchorage for shelter. But another glimpse at the 
 spars of the brigantine caused him to waver. 
 
 a We are near the Gate, sir !” cried Trysail, in a voice 
 that was full of warning. 
 
 “Yon daring mariner stands on.” 
 
 “ The rogue sails his vessel without the queen’s per¬ 
 mission, Captain Ludlow. They tell me this is a passage 
 that has been well named ! ” 
 
 “ I have been through it, and will vouch for its character 
 —he shows no signs of anchoring ! ” 
 
 “ If the woman who points his course can carry him 
 through safely, she deserves her title. We are passing 
 the cove. Captain Ludlow ! ” 
 
 “We are past it,” returned Ludlow, breathing heavily. 
 “ Let there be no whisper in the ship—pilot or no pilot, 
 we sink or swim ! ” 
 
 Trysail had ventured to remonstrate while there was a 
 possibility of avoiding the danger, but, like his commander, 
 he now saw that all depended on their own coolness and 
 care. He passed busily among the crew ; saw that each 
 brace and bowline was manned; cautioned the few young 
 officers who continued on board to vigilance; and then 
 awaited the orders of his superior with the composure that 
 is so necessary to a seaman in the moment of trial. 
 Ludlow himself, while he felt the load of responsibility he 
 had assumed, succeeded equally well in maintaining an 
 outward calm. The ship was irretrievably in the Gate, 
 and no human power could retrace the step. At such 
 moments of intense anxiety, the human mind is wont to 
 seek support in the opinions of others. Notwithstanding 
 the increasing velocity, and the critical condition of his 
 own vessel, Ludlow cast a glance, in order to ascertain the 
 determination of the Skimmer of the Seas. Blackwell’s 
 was already behind them, and as the two currents were 
 again united, the brigantine had luffed up into the entrance 
 of the dangerous passage, and now followed within two 
 hundred feet of the Coquette, directly in her wake. The 
 bold and manly-looking mariner who controlled her, stood 
 between the knight-heads, just above the image of his 
 
 z 3 
 
342 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 pretended mistress, where he examined the foaming reefs, 
 the whirling eddies, and the varying currents, with folded 
 arms and a stern eye. A glance was exchanged between 
 the two officers, and the free-trader raised his sea-cap. 
 Ludlow was too courteous not to return the salutation, and 
 then all his senses were engrossed by the care of the ship. 
 A rock lay before them, over which the water broke in a 
 loud and unceasing roar. For an instant it seemed that 
 the vessel could not avoid the danger, and then it was past. 
 
 “ Brace up,” said Ludlow, in the calm tones that denote 
 a forced tranquillity. 
 
 “ Luff! ” called out the Skimmer so quickly as to show 
 that he took the movements of the cruiser for his guide. 
 The ship came closer to the wind, but the sudden bend in 
 the stream no longer permitted her to steer in a direct line 
 with its course. Though drifting to windward with vast 
 rapidity, her way through the water, which was greatly 
 increased by the contrary actions of the wind and tide, 
 caused the cruiser to shoot across the current, while a reef, 
 over which the water madly tumbled, lay immediately in 
 her course. The danger seemed too imminent for the 
 observances of nautical etiquette, and Trysail called aloud 
 that the ship must be thrown aback, or she was lost. 
 
 ci Hard-a-lee ! ” shouted Ludlow, at the top of his voice. 
 “ Up with every thing—tacks and sheets—main-top-sail 
 haul! ” 
 
 The ship seemed as conscious of her danger as any on 
 her decks. The bows whirled away from the foaming reef, 
 and as the sails caught the breeze on their opposite surfaces, 
 they aided in bringing her head in the contrary direction. 
 A minute had scarcely passed ere she was aback; in the 
 next, she was about and full again. The intensity of the 
 brief exertion kept Trysail fully employed, but no sooner 
 had he leisure to look ahead, than he again called aloud — 
 Here is another roarer under her bows; luff, sir, luff, 
 or we are upon it! ” 
 
 “ Hard down your helm !” once again shouted Ludlow. 
 “ Let fly your sheets — throw all aback, forward and aft 
 — away with the yards, with a will, men !” 
 
 There was need for all of these precautions. Though the 
 ship had so happily escaped the dangers of the first reef, a 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 343 
 
 turbulent and roaring cauldron in the water, which, as 
 representing the element in ebullition, is called the Pot, lay 
 so directly before her as to render the danger apparently 
 inevitable. But the power of the canvass was not lost on 
 this trying occasion. The forward motion of the ship 
 diminished, and as the current still swept her swiftly to 
 windward, her bows did not enter the rolling waters until 
 the hidden rocks which caused the commotion had been 
 passed. The yielding vessel rose and fell in the agitated 
 water, as if in homage to the whirlpool, but the deep keel 
 drifted past unharmed. 
 
 <c If the ship shoot ahead twice her length more, her 
 bows will touch the eddy,” exclaimed the vigilant master. 
 
 Ludlow looked around him for a single moment in inde¬ 
 cision. The waters were whirling and rearing on every 
 side, and the sails began to lose their power as the ship drew 
 near the bluff, which forms the second angle in this critical 
 pass. He saw, by objects on the land, that he still ap¬ 
 proached the shore. There was but a moment to decide, 
 and he had recourse to the seaman’s last expedient. 
 
 f ‘ Let go both anchors ! ” was the final order. 
 
 The fall of the massive iron into the water was succeeded 
 by the rumbling of the cable. The first effort to check the 
 progress of the vessel appeared to threaten dissolution to 
 the whole fabric, which trembled under the shock from its 
 mast heads to the keel. But the enormous ropes again 
 yielded, and smoke was seen rising round the wood which 
 held it. The ship whirled with the sudden check, rolled 
 nearly to the muzzle of her guns, and sheered wildly in 
 towards the shore. Met by the helm, and again checked 
 by the efforts of the crew, she threatened to defy restraint. 
 There was an instant when all on board expected to hear 
 the cables snap, but happily the upper sails filled, and as 
 the wind was now brought over the taffrail, the force of 
 the current was, in some degree, met by that of the breeze. 
 The ship answered her helm, and became stationary, while 
 the water foamed against her cut-water as if she weie 
 driven ahead with the power of a brisk breeze. 
 
 The time, from the moment when the Coquette entered 
 the Gate to that when she anchored below the Pot, though 
 
 z 4 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 su 
 
 the distance was near a mile, seemed but a minute. Cer¬ 
 tain, however, that his ship was now checked, the thoughts 
 of Ludlow returned to their other duties with the quickness 
 of lightning. 
 
 “ Clear away the grapnels ! ” he eagerly cried. “ Stand 
 by to heave and haul in ! — heave ' ” 
 
 That the reader may better comprehend the motive of 
 this sudden order, he must consent to return to the entrance 
 of the dangerous passage, and accompany the Water Witch 
 also in her hazardous experiment to get through without a 
 pilot. 
 
 The abortive attempt of the brigantine to stem the tide 
 at the western end of Blackwell’s, will be remembered. It 
 had no other effect than to place her pursuer more in ad¬ 
 vance, and to convince her own commander that he had 
 now no other resource than to continue his course, for had 
 he anchored, boats would have ensured his capture. When 
 the two vessels appeared off the eastern end of the island, 
 the Coquette was ahead, a fact that the experienced free¬ 
 trader did not at all regret. He profited by the circum¬ 
 stance to follow her movements, and to make a favourable 
 entrance into the uncertain currents. To him Hell-gate 
 was known only by its fearful reputation among mariners, 
 and unless he might avail himself of the presence of the 
 cruiser, he had no other guide than his own general know¬ 
 ledge of the power of the element. 
 
 When the Coquette tacked, the calm and observant 
 Skimmer was satisfied with throwing his head-sails flat to 
 the mast. From that instant the brigantine lay floating in 
 the current, scarcely advancing or receding a foot, always 
 keeping her position at a safe distance from the ship that 
 was so adroitly made to answer the purposes of a beacon, 
 while she drifted fast to windward. The sails were watched 
 with the closest care, and so nicely was the delicate machine 
 tended, that it would have been, at any moment, in her 
 people’s power to have lessened her drift by turning to the 
 stream. The Coquette was followed till she anchored, and 
 the call on board the cruiser to heave the grapnels had been 
 given, because the brigantine was floating directly down on 
 her broadside. 
 
 When the grapnels were hove from the royal cruiser.. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 345 
 
 the free-trader stood on the low poop of his little vessel, 
 within fifty feet of him who had issued the order. There 
 was a smile of indifference on his firm mouth, while he 
 silently waved a hand to his own crew. The signal was 
 obeyed by bracing round their yards and suffering all the 
 canvass to fill. The brigantine shot ahead, like a steed that 
 is pricked by the spur, and the useless irons fell heavily into 
 the water. 
 
 “ Many thanks for your pilotage. Captain Ludlow ! ’’ 
 cried the daring and successful mariner of the shawl as his 
 vessel, borne on by wind and current, receded rapidly from 
 the cruiser. “ You will find me off Montauk ; for affairs 
 still keep us on the coast. Our lady has, however, put on 
 the blue mantle, and, ere many settings of the sun, we shall 
 look for deep water. Take good care of her majesty’s ship, 
 I pray thee, for she has neither a more beautiful, nor a 
 faster!” 
 
 One thought succeeded another, with the tumult of a 
 torrent, in the mind of Ludlow. As the brigantine lay 
 directly under his broadside, the first impulse was to use 
 his guns ; but at the next moment he was conscious that 
 before they could be cleared, distance would render them 
 useless. His lips had nearly parted, with intent to order 
 the cables cut; but he remembered the speed of the bri¬ 
 gantine, and hesitated. A sudden freshening of the breeze 
 decided his course. Finding that the ship was enabled to 
 keep her station, he ordered the crew to thrust the whole 
 of the enormous ropes through the hawse-holes, and, freed 
 from the restraint, he abandoned the anchors, until an op¬ 
 portunity to reclaim them should offer. 
 
 The operation of slipping the cables consumed several 
 minutes, and when the Coquette, with every thing set, was 
 again steering in pursuit, the Water Witch was already 
 beyond the reach of her guns. Both vessels, however, held 
 on their way, keeping as near as possible to the centre of 
 the stream, and trusting more to fortune than to any know¬ 
 ledge of the channel for safety. 
 
 When passing the two small islands that lie at no great 
 distance from the Gate, a boat was seen moving towards the 
 royal cruiser. A man in it pointed to the signal which was 
 still flying, and offered his services. 
 
346 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Tell me,” demanded Ludlow, eagerly, “ has yonder 
 brigantine taken a pilot ? ” 
 
 “ By her movements, I judge not. She brushed the 
 sunken rock off the mouth of Flushing Bay, and as she 
 passed, I heard the song of the lead. I should have gone 
 on board myself, but the fellow rather flies than sails; and 
 as for signals, he seems to mind none but his own !” 
 
 “ Bring us up with him, and fifty guineas shall be thy 
 reward !” 
 
 The slow-moving pilot, who in truth had just awoke 
 from a refreshing sleep, opened his eyes, and seemed to 
 gather a new impulse from the promise. When his ques¬ 
 tions were asked and answered, he began deliberately to 
 count on his fingers all the chances that still existed of a 
 vessel, whose crew was ignorant of the navigation, falling 
 into their hands. 
 
 “ Admitting that, by keeping mid-channel, she goes 
 clear of White Stone and Frogs,” he said, giving to 
 Throgmorton’s its vulgar name, “ he must be a wizard to 
 know that the Stepping Stones lie directly across his course, 
 and that a vessel must steer away northerly, or bring up on 
 rocks that will as surely hold him as if he were built there. 
 Then he runs his chance for the Executioners, which are as 
 prettily placed as needs be, to make our trade flourish; be¬ 
 sides the Middle Ground further east, though I count but 
 little on that, having often tried to find it myself without 
 success. Courage, noble captain ; if the fellow be the man 
 you say, we shall get a nearer look at him before the sun 
 sets, for certainly he who has run the Gate without a pilot 
 in safety, has had as much good luck as can fall to his 
 share in one day.” 
 
 The opinion of the East River Branch proved erroneous. 
 Notwithstanding the hidden perils by which she was en¬ 
 vironed, the Water Witch continued her course with a 
 speed that increased as the wind rose with the sun, and 
 with an impunity from harm that amazed all who were in 
 the secret of her situation. Off Throgmorton’s there was, 
 in truth, a danger that might even have baffled the sagacity 
 of the followers of the mysterious lady, had they not been 
 aided by accident. This is the point where the straitened 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 347 
 
 arm of the sea expands into the basin of the Sound. A broad 
 and inviting passage lies directly before the navigator, 
 while, like the flattering prospects of life, numberless hid¬ 
 den obstacles are in wait to arrest the unheeding and igno¬ 
 rant. 
 
 The Skimmer of the Seas was deeply practised in all the 
 intricacies and dangers of shoals and rocks. Most of his 
 life had been passed in threading the one or in avoiding the 
 other. So keen and quick had his eye become in detecting 
 the presence of any of those signs which forewarn the 
 mariner of danger, that a ripple on the surface, or a deeper 
 shade in the colour of the water, rarely escaped his vigi¬ 
 lance. Seated on the topsail-yard of his brigantine, he had 
 overlooked the passage from the moment they were through 
 the Gate, issuing his mandates to those below, with a pre¬ 
 cision and promptitude that was not surpassed by the 
 trained conductor of the Coquette himself. But when his 
 sight embraced the wide reach of water that lay in front, as 
 his little vessel swept round the headland of Throgmorton, 
 he believed there no longer existed a reason for so much care. 
 Still there was a motive for hesitation. A heavily moulded 
 and dull-sailing coaster was going eastward, not a league 
 ahead of the brigantine, while one of the light sloops of 
 those waters was coming westward, still further in the dis¬ 
 tance. Notwithstanding the wind was favourable to each 
 alike, both vessels had deviated from the direct line, and 
 were steering towards a common centre near an island that 
 was placed more than a mile to the northward of the 
 straight course. A mariner like him of the India shawl 
 could not overlook so obvious an intimation of a change in 
 the channel. The Water Witch was kept away, and her 
 lighter sails were lowered, in order to allow the royal 
 cruiser, whose lofty canvass was plainly visible above the 
 land, to draw near. When the Coquette was seen also to 
 diverge, there no longer remained a doubt of the direction 
 necessary to be taken, and every thing was quickly set again 
 upon the brigantine, even to her studding sails. Long ere 
 she reached the island, the two coasters had met, and each 
 again changed its course, reversing that on which the other 
 had just been sailing. There was, in these movements, as 
 
348 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 plain an explanation as a seaman could desire, that the pur¬ 
 sued were right. On reaching the island, therefore, they 
 again luffed into the wake of the schooner, and having 
 nearly crossed the sheet of water, they passed the coaster, 
 receiving an assurance in words that all was now plain 
 sailing before them. 
 
 Such was the famous passage of the Skimmer of the Seas, 
 through the multiplied and hidden dangers of the eastern 
 channel. To those who have thus accompanied him, step 
 by step, through its intricacies and alarms, there may seem 
 nothing extraordinary in the event, but coupled as it was 
 with the character previously earned by that bold mariner, 
 and occurring, as it did, in an age when men were more 
 disposed than at present to put faith in the marvellous, the 
 reader will not be surprised to learn, that it greatly in¬ 
 creased his reputation for daring, and had no small influence 
 on an opinion, which was by no means uncommon, that the 
 dealers in contraband were singularly favoured by a power 
 which greatly exceeded that of Queen Anne and all her 
 servants. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Thou shalt see me at Philippi. 
 
 Julius CcEsar. 
 
 The commander of her Britannic majesty’s ship Coquette 
 slept that night in the hammock-cloths. Before the sun 
 had set, the light and swift brigantine, by following the 
 gradual bend of the land, had disappeared in the eastern 
 board, and it was no longer a question of overtaking her 
 by speed. Still sail was crowded on the royal cruiser, and 
 long ere the period when Ludlow threw himself, in his 
 clothes, between the ridge-ropes of the quarter-deck, the 
 vessel had gained the broadest part of the Sound, and was 
 already approaching the islands that form the “ Race.” 
 
 Throughout the whole of that long and anxious day, the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 349 
 
 young sailor had held no communication with the inmates 
 of the cabin. The servants of the ship had passed to and 
 fro, but though the door seldom opened that he did not 
 bend his eyes feverishly in its direction, neither the aider- 
 man, his niece, the captive, nor even Francois or the negress, 
 made her appearance on the deck. If any there felt an 
 interest in the result of the chase, it was concealed in a 
 profound and almost mysterious silence. Determined not 
 to be outdone in indifference, and goaded by feelings which, 
 with all his pride, he could not overcome, our young sea¬ 
 man took possession of the place of rest we have mentioned, 
 without using any measures to resume the intercourse. 
 
 When the first watch of the night was come, sail was 
 shortened on the ship, and from that moment till the day 
 dawned again, her captain seemed buried in sleep. With 
 the appearance of the sun, however, he arose, commanding 
 the canvass to be spread once more, and every exertion 
 made to drive the vessel forward to her object. 
 
 The Coquette reached the Race early in the day, and 
 shooting through the passage on an ebb tide, she was off 
 Montauk at noon. No sooner had the ship drawn past the 
 cape, and reached a point where she felt the breeze and the 
 waves of the Atlantic, than men were sent aloft, and twenty 
 pair of eyes were curiously employed in examining the 
 offing. Ludlow remembered the promise of the Skimmer 
 to meet him at that spot, and notwithstanding the motives 
 which the latter might be supposed to have for avoiding 
 the interview, so great was the influence of the free-trader’s 
 manner and character, that the young captain entertained 
 some secret expectations that the promise would be kept. 
 
 “ The offing is clear ! ’’ said the young captain in a tone 
 of disappointment, when he lowered his glass ; ‘ f and yet 
 that rover does not seem a man to hide his head in fear—” 
 
 iC Fear — that is to say, fear of a Frenchman, and a 
 decent respect for her majesty’s cruisers, are very different 
 sorts of things,” returned the master. I never got a 
 bandanna, or a bottle of your Cogniac ashore in my life, 
 that I did not think every man that I passed in the street 
 could see the spots in the one, or scent the flavour of the 
 other; but then I never supposed this shyness amounted 
 
350 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 to more than a certain suspicion in my own mind, that 
 other people know when a man is running on an illegal 
 course. I suppose that one of your rectors, who is snugly 
 anchored for life in a good warm living, would call this 
 conscience ; but for my own part. Captain Ludlow, though 
 no great logician in matters of this sort, I have always be¬ 
 lieved that it was natural concern of mind lest the articles 
 should be seized. If this Skimmer of the Seas comes out 
 to give us another chase, in rough water, he is by no means 
 as good a judge of the difference between a large and a small 
 vessel as I had thought him; and I confess, sir, I should 
 have more hopes of taking him, were the woman under his 
 bowsprit fairly burnt.” 
 
 “ The offing is clear!” 
 
 “ That is it, with a show of the wind holding here at 
 south-half-south. This bit of water that we have passed, 
 between yon island and the main, is lined with bays, and 
 while w T e are here looking out for them on the high seas, 
 the cunning varlets may be trading in any one of the fifty 
 good basins that lie between the cape and the place where 
 ■we lost him. For aught we know, he may have run 'west¬ 
 ward again in the night-watches, and be, at this moment, 
 laughing in his sleeve at the manner in which he dodged a 
 cruiser.” 
 
 “ There is too much truth in what you say, Trysail; for 
 if the Skimmer be now disposed to avoid us, he has cer¬ 
 tainly the means in his power.” 
 
 “ Sail, oh ! ” cried the look-out, on the main-top-gallant- 
 yard. 
 
 ec Where-a-way ? ” 
 
 “ Broad on the weather beam, sir ; here, in a range with 
 the light cloud that is just lifting from the water.” 
 
 “ Can you make out the rig ? ” 
 
 “ ’Fore George, the fellow is right!” interrupted the 
 master. “ The cloud caused her to be unseen; but here 
 she is, sure enough, a full-rigged ship, under easy canvass, 
 with her head to the westward !” 
 
 The look of Ludlow through the glass was long, atten¬ 
 tive, and grave. 
 
 W e are weak-handed to deal with a stranger,” he said. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 351 
 
 when he returned the instrument to Trysail. <e You see 
 he has nothing but his topsails set ; a show of canvass that 
 would satisfy no trader in a breeze like this !” 
 
 The master was silent, but his look was even longer and 
 more critical than that of his captain. When it had ended, 
 he cast a cautious glance towards the diminished crew, who 
 were curiously regarding the vessel, that had now become 
 sufficiently distinct by a change in the position of the cloud, 
 and then answered in an under-tone, — 
 
 “ ’Tis a Frenchman, or I am a whale ! One may see it 
 by his short yards and the hoist of his sails : ay, and Tis a 
 cruiser, too; for no man who had a profit to make on his 
 freight, would be lying there under short canvass, and his 
 port within a day’s run.” 
 
 “ Your opinion is my own : would to Heaven our people 
 were all here! This is but a short complement to take into 
 action with a ship whose force seems equal to our ow 7 n. 
 What number can w r e count?” 
 
 We are short of seventy—a small muster for four- 
 and-twenty guns, with yards like these to handle.” 
 
 “ And yet the port may not be insulted ! We are known 
 to be on this coast-” 
 
 “ We are seen ! ” interrupted the master; “ the fellow has 
 worn ship, and he is already setting his top-gallant-sails!” 
 
 There no longer remained any choice between downright 
 flight and preparations for combat. The former would 
 have been easy, for an hour would have taken the ship 
 within the cape ; but the latter was far more in consonance 
 with the spirit of the service to which the Coquette be¬ 
 longed. The order was therefore given for “ all hands to 
 clear ship for action.” It was in the reckless nature of 
 sailors to exult in this summons, for success and audacity 
 go hand in hand; and long familiarity with the first had, 
 even at that early day, given a confidence that often ap¬ 
 proached temerity to the seamen of Great Britain and her 
 dependencies. The mandate to prepare for battle was re¬ 
 ceived by the feeble crew of the Coquette, as it had often 
 been received before, when her decks were filled with the 
 number necessary to give full efficiency to her armament, 
 though a few of the older and more experienced of the 
 
352 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 mariners — men in whom confidence had been diminished 
 by experience — were seen to shake their heads, as if they 
 doubted the prudence of the intended contest. 
 
 Whatever might have been the secret hesitation of Lud¬ 
 low when the character and force of his enemy were clearly 
 established, he betrayed no signs of irresolution from the 
 moment his decision appeared to be taken. The necessary 
 orders were issued calmly, and with the clearness and 
 readiness that perhaps constitute the greatest merit of a 
 naval captain. The yards were slung in chains ; the booms 
 were sent down: the lofty sails were furled; and, in short, 
 all the preparations then customary, were made with the 
 usual promptitude and skill. The drum beat to quarters ; 
 and when the people were at their stations, their young 
 commander had a better opportunity of examining into the 
 true efficiency of his ship. Calling to the master, he ascended 
 the poop, in order that they might confer together with less 
 risk of being overheard, and at the same time better observe 
 the manoeuvres of the enemy. 
 
 The stranger had, as Trysail perceived, suddenly worn 
 round on his heel, and laid his head to the northward. The 
 change in the course brought Lim before the wind ; and as 
 he immediately spread all the canvass that would draw, he 
 was approaching fast. During the time occupied in pre¬ 
 paration on board the Coquette, his hull had risen, as it 
 were from out of the water, and Ludlow and his companion 
 had not studied his appearance long from the poop, before 
 the streak of white paint dotted with ports, which marks a 
 vessel of war, became visible to the naked eye. As the 
 cruiser of Queen Anne continued also to steer in the direc¬ 
 tion of the chase, half an hour more brought them suffici¬ 
 ently near to each other to remove all doubts of their re¬ 
 spective characters and force. The stranger then came to 
 the wind, and in his turn made his preparations for combat. 
 
 cc The fellow shows a stout heart and a warm battery,” 
 observed the master, when the broadside of their enemy 
 became visible by this change in his position. “ Six-and- 
 twenty teeth, by my count; though the eye-teeth must be 
 wanting, or he would never he so fool-hardy as to brave 
 Queen Anne’s Coquette in this impudent fashion! A 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 353 
 
 prettily-turned boat. Captain Ludlow, and one nimble 
 enough in her movements. But look at his topsails. Just 
 like his character, sir, all hoist; and with little or no head 
 to them. I’ll not deny but that the hull is well enough, 
 for that is no more than carpenter’s work ; but when it 
 comes to the rig, or trim, or cut of a sail, how should a 
 l’Orient or a Brest man understand what is comely? There 
 is no equalling, after all, a good, wholesome, honest English 
 topsail, which is neither too narrow in the head, nor too 
 deep in the drop ; with a bolt-rope of exactly the true 
 size, robands, and earings, and bowlines that look as if 
 they grew there, and sheets that neither nature nor art 
 could alter to advantage. Here are these Americans, now, 
 making innovations in ship-building, and in the sparring 
 of vessels, as if any thing could be gained by quitting the 
 customs and opinions of their ancestors ! Any man may 
 see that all they have about them that is good for any thing 
 is English, while all their nonsense and new-fangled changes 
 come from their own vanity.” 
 
 “ They get along. Master Trysail, notwithstanding,” 
 returned the captain, who, though a sufficiently loyal sub¬ 
 ject, could not forget his birth-place ; “ and many is the 
 time this ship — one of the finest models of Plymouth— 
 has been bothered to overhaul the coasters of these seas. 
 Here is the brigantine* that has laughed at us on our best 
 tack, and with our choice of wind ! ” 
 
 “ One cannot say where that brigantine was built. Cap¬ 
 tain Ludlow. It may be here, it may be there; for I look 
 upon her as a nondescript, as old Admiral Top used to call 
 the galliots of the north seas ; but concerning these new 
 American fashions, of what use are they, I would ask^ 
 Captain Ludlow ? In the first place, they are neither 
 English nor French, which is as much as to confess they 
 are altogether outlandish : in the second place, they dis¬ 
 turb established usages among wrights and sail-makers; 
 and though they may get along well enough now, sooner or 
 later, take my word for it, they will come to harm. It is 
 unreasonable to suppose that a new people can discover any 
 thing in the construction of a ship, that has escaped the 
 
 wisdom of seamen as old-'the Frenchman is clueing up 
 
 A A 
 
S54 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 his top-gallant-sails, and means to let them hang, which is 
 much the same as condemning them at once; — and there¬ 
 fore I am of opinion that all these new fashions will come 
 to no good.” 
 
 “ Your reasoning is absolutely conclusive. Master Try¬ 
 sail,” returned the captain, whose thoughts were differently 
 employed. “ I agree with you it would be safer for the 
 strongest to send down his yards.” 
 
 “ There is something manly and becoming in seeing a 
 ship strip herself as she comes into action, sir ! It is like 
 a boxer taking off his jacket with the intention of making a 
 fair stand-up fight of it. — That fellow is filling away again, 
 and means to manoeuvre before he comes up honestly to 
 his work.” 
 
 The eye of Ludlow had never quitted the stranger. He 
 saw that the moment for serious action was not distant ; 
 and bidding Trysail keep the vessel on her course, he 
 descended to the quarter-deck. For a single instant the 
 young commander paused with his hand on the door of the 
 cabin, and then, overcoming his reluctance, he entered the 
 apartment. 
 
 The Coquette was built after a fashion much in vogue a 
 century since, and which, by a fickleness that influences 
 marine architecture as well as less important things, is 
 again coming into use in vessels of her particular force. 
 The accommodations of the commander were on the same 
 deck with the batteries of the ship, and they were fre¬ 
 quently made to contain two, or even four guns of the 
 armament. When Ludlow entered his cabin, therefore, he 
 found a crew stationed around the gun which was placed 
 on the side next the enemy, and all the customary arrange¬ 
 ments made which precede a combat. The state-rooms 
 abaft, however, as well as the little apartment which lay 
 between them, were closed. Glancing his eye about him, 
 and observing the carpenters in readiness, he made a signal 
 for them to knock away the bulkheads, and to lay the 
 whole of the fighting part of the ship in common. While 
 this duty was going on, he entered the after-cabin. 
 
 Alderman Van Beverout and his companions were found 
 together, and evidently in expectation of the visit they now 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 355 
 
 received. Passing coolly by the former, Ludlow approached 
 his niece, and taking her hand he led her to the quarter¬ 
 deck, making a sign for her female attendant to follow. 
 Descending into the depths of the ship, the captain con¬ 
 ducted his charge into a part of the berth-deck that was 
 below the water-line, and as much removed from danger as 
 she could well be, without encountering a foul air, or sights 
 that might be painful to one of her sex and habits. 
 
 “ Here is as much safety as a vessel of war affords in a 
 moment like this,” he said, when his companion was silently 
 seated on a mess-chest. “ On no account quit the spot, 
 till I, or some other, advise you it may be done without 
 hazard.” 
 
 Alida had submitted to be led thither without a question. 
 Though her colour went and came, she saw the little dis¬ 
 positions that were made for her comfort, and without 
 which, even at that moment, the young sailor could not 
 quit her, in the same silence. But when they were ended, 
 and her conductor was about to retire, his name escaped 
 her lips by an exclamation that seemed hurried and in¬ 
 voluntary. 
 
 “ Can I do aught else to quiet your apprehensions ? ” 
 the young man enquired, though he studiously avoided her 
 eye, as he turned to put the question. “ I know your 
 strength of mind, and that you have a resolution which ex¬ 
 ceeds the courage of your sex, else I would not venture so 
 freely to point out the danger which may beset one, even 
 here, without a self command and discretion that shall re¬ 
 strain all sudden impulses of fear.” 
 
 “ Notwithstanding your generous interpretation of my 
 character, Ludlow, I am but woman after all.” 
 
 “ I did not mistake you for an Amazon,” returned the 
 young man, smiling, perceiving that she checked her words 
 by an effort. “ All I expect from you is the triumph of 
 reason over female terror. I shall not conceal that the odds, 
 perhaps I may say that the chances, are against us; and 
 yet the enemy must pay for my ship ere he has her 1 She 
 will be none the worse defended, Alida, from the conscious¬ 
 ness that thy liberty and comfort depend, in some measure, 
 on our exertions. — Would you say more?’ 
 
 A a 2 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 356 
 
 La Belle Barberie struggled with herself, and she became 
 talm, at least in exterior. 
 
 “ There has been a singular misconception between us, 
 and yet this is no moment for explanations! Ludlow, I 
 would not have you part with me, at such a time as this, 
 with that cold and reproachful eye ! ” 
 
 She paused. When the young man ventured to raise 
 his look, he saw the beautiful girl standing with a hand 
 extended towards him, as if offering a pledge of amity, 
 while the crimson on her cheek, and her yielding but half- 
 averted eye spoke with the eloquence of maiden modesty. 
 Seizing the hand, he answered, hastily,— 
 
 “ Time was, when this action would have made me 
 happy-” 
 
 The young man paused, for his gaze had unconsciously 
 become riveted on the rings of the hand he held. Alida 
 understood the look, and, drawing one of the jewels, she 
 offered it with a smile that was as attractive as her 
 beauty. 
 
 One of these may be spared/’ she said. “ Take it, 
 Ludlow, and when thy present duty shall be performed, re¬ 
 turn it as a gage that I have promised thee no explan¬ 
 ation which you may have a right to ask shall be with¬ 
 held.” 
 
 The young man took the ring, and forced it on the 
 smallest of his fingers, in a mechanical manner, and with a 
 bewildered look, that seemed to enquire if some one of those 
 which remained was not the token of a plighted faith. It 
 is probable that he might have continued the discourse, had 
 not a gun been fired from the enemy. It recalled him to 
 the business of the hour. Already more than half disposed 
 to believe all he could wish, he raised the fair hand which 
 had just bestowed the boon to his lips, and rushed upon 
 deck. 
 
 “ The Monsieur is beginning to bluster,” said Trysail, 
 who had witnessed the descent of his commander, at that 
 moment and on such an errand, with great dissatisfaction. 
 “ Although his shot fell short, it is too much to let a 
 Frenchman have the credit of the first word.” 
 
 “ He has merely given the weather gun ; the signal of 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 357 
 
 defiance. Let him come down, and he will not find us in 
 a hurry to leave him !’* 
 
 f< No, no ; as for that we are snug enough ! ” returned 
 the master, chuckling as he surveyed the half-naked spars, 
 and the light top-hamper, to which he had himself reduced 
 the ship. “ If running is to be our play, we have made a 
 false move at the beginning of the game. These topsails, 
 spanker and jib, make a show that says more for bottom 
 than for speed. Well, come what will of this affair, it 
 will leave me a master, though it is beyond the power of 
 the best duke in England to rob me of my share of the 
 honour!” 
 
 With this consolation for his perfectly hopeless con¬ 
 dition as respects promotion, the old seaman walked for¬ 
 ward, examining critically into the state of the vessel, while 
 his young commander, having cast a look about him, mo¬ 
 tioned to his prisoner and the alderman to follow to the 
 poop. 
 
 “ I do not pretend to enquire into the nature of the tie 
 which unites you with some in this ship,” Ludlow com¬ 
 menced, addressing his words to Seadrift, though he kept 
 his gaze on the recent gift of Alida; “ but that it must be 
 strong, is evident by the interest they have taken in your 
 fate. One who is thus esteemed should set a value on 
 himself. How far you have trifled with the laws, I do 
 not wish to say ; but I'ere is an opportunity to redeem some 
 of the public favour. You are a seaman, and need not 
 be told that my ship is not as strongly manned as one could 
 wish her at this moment, and that the services of every 
 Englishman will be welcome. Take charge of these six 
 guns, and depend on my honour, that your devotion to the 
 flag shall not go unrequited." 
 
 “ You much mistake my vocation, noble captain,” re¬ 
 turned the dealer in contraband, faintly laughing. cc Though 
 one of the seas, I am one more used to the calm latitudes, 
 than to these whirlwinds of war. You have visited the 
 brigantine of our mistress, and must have seen that her 
 temple resembles that of Janus more than that of Mars. 
 The deck of the Water Witch has none of this frowning 
 garniture of artillery.” 
 
 A A 3 
 
358 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 Ludlow listened in amazement. Surprise, incredulity 
 and scorn, was each, in turn, expressed in his frowning 
 countenance. 
 
 “ This is unbecoming language for one of your calling,” 
 he said, scarce deeming it necessary to conceal the contempt 
 he felt. “ Do you acknowledge fealty to this ensign—are 
 you an Englishman?” 
 
 “ I am such as Heaven was pleased to make me — fitter 
 for the zephyr than the gale — the jest, than the war-shout 
 — the merry moment, than the angry mood.” 
 
 “ Is this the man whose name for daring has passed 
 into a proverb ! — the dauntless, reckless, skilful Skimmer 
 of the Seas ? ” 
 
 “ North is not more removed from south, than I from 
 him in the qualities you seek ! It was not my duty to un¬ 
 deceive you as to the value of your captive, while he whose 
 services are beyond price to our mistress was still on the 
 coast. So far from being him you name, brave captain, I 
 claim to be no more than one of his agents, who, having 
 some experience in the caprices of woman, he trusts to 
 recommend his wares to female fancies. Though so use¬ 
 less in inflicting injuries, I may make bold however to rate 
 myself as excellent at consolation. Suffer that I appease 
 the fears of la Belle Barberie during the coming tumult, 
 and you shall own that one more skilful in that merciful 
 office is rare indeed ? ” 
 
 “ Comfort whom, where, and what thou wilt, miserable 
 effigy of manhood ! — hut hold, there is less of terror than 
 of artifice in that lurking smile and treacherous eye ! ” 
 
 “ Discredit both, generous captain ! On the faith of 
 one who can be sincere at need, a wholesome fear is upper¬ 
 most, whatever else the disobedient features may betray. 
 I could fain weep rather than be thought valiant just 
 now ! ” 
 
 Ludlow listened in wonder. He had raised an arm to 
 arrest the retreat of the young mariner, and by a natural 
 movement his hand slid along the limb it had grasped, 
 until it held that of Seadrift. The instant he touched the 
 soft and ungloved palm, an idea, as novel as it was sudden, 
 crossed his brain. Retreating a step or two, he examined 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 o5<J 
 
 the light and agile form of the other from the head to the 
 feet. The frown of displeasure which had clouded his 
 brow changed to a look of unfeigned surprise, and for the 
 first time, the tones of the voice came over his recollection 
 as being softer and more melodious than is wont in man. 
 
 “ Truly thou art not the Skimmer of the Seas !” he ex¬ 
 claimed, when his short examination was ended. 
 
 “ No truth more certain. I am one of little account in 
 this rude encounter ; though were that gallant seaman 
 here,” and the colour deepened on the cheeks of Seadrift 
 as he spoke, “ his arm and counsel might prove a host! 
 Oh ! I have seen him in scenes far more trying than this, 
 when the elements have conspired with other dangers. The 
 example of his steadiness and spirit has given courage even 
 to the feeblest heart in the brigantine! Now, suffer me to 
 offer consolation to the timid Alida.” 
 
 “ I should little merit her gratitude were the request 
 refused,” returned Ludlow. “ Go, gay and gallant Master 
 Seadrift! If the enemy fears thy presence on the deck, as 
 little as I now dread it with la Belle Barbeiie, thy services 
 here will be useless !” 
 
 Seadrift coloured to the temples, crossed his arms meekly 
 on his bosom, sunk in an attitude of leave-taking that was 
 so equivocal as to cause the attentive and critical young 
 captain to smile, and then glided past him and disappeared 
 through a hatchway. 
 
 The eye of Ludlow followed the active and graceful form 
 while it continued in sight, and when it was no longer 
 visible, he faced the alderman with a look which seemed to 
 enquire how far he might be acquainted with the true cha¬ 
 racter of the individual who had been the cause of so much 
 pain to himself. 
 
 tc Have I done well, sir, in permitting a subject of Queen 
 Anne to quit us at this emergency ?” he demanded, observ¬ 
 ing that either the phlegm or the self-command of Myn- 
 dert rendered him proof to scrutiny. 
 
 “ The lad may be termed contraband of war,” returned 
 the alderman, without moving a muscle; “ an article that 
 will command a better price in a quiet, than in a turbulent 
 market. In short, Captain Cornelius Ludlow, this Mas- 
 
 a a 4 
 
360 
 
 THE WATER WITCH 
 
 ter Seadrift will not answer thy purpose at all in a com¬ 
 bat.” 
 
 ec And is this example of heroism to go any farther, 
 or may I count on the assistance of Mr. Alderman VanBe- 
 verout ? He has the reputation of a loyal citizen.” 
 
 “ As for loyalty,” returned the alderman, “ so far as 
 saying God bless the queen, at city feasts, will go, none are 
 more so. A wish is not an expensive return for the pro¬ 
 tection of her fleets and armies, and I wish her and you 
 success against the enemy with all my heart. But I never 
 admired the manner in which the States General were dis¬ 
 possessed of their territories on this continent. Master 
 Ludlow, and therefore I pay the Stuarts little more than I 
 owe them in law.” 
 
 “ Which is as much as to say that you will join the gay 
 smuggler in administering consolation to one whose spirit 
 places her above the need of such succour ? ” 
 
 Not so fast, young gentleman. We mercantile men 
 like to see offsets in our books before they are balanced. 
 Whatever may be my opinion of the reigning family, 
 which I only utter to you in confidence, and not as coin 
 that is to pass from one to another, my love for the grand 
 monarque is still less. Louis is at loggerheads with the 
 United Provinces, as well as with our gracious queen, and 
 I see no harm in opposing one of his cruisers, since they 
 certainly annoy trade, and render returns for investments 
 inconveniently uncertain. I have heard artillery in my 
 time, having in my younger days led a band of city volun¬ 
 teers in many a march and countermarch around the bowl¬ 
 ing-green ; and for the honour of the second ward of the 
 good town of Manhattan, I am now ready to undertake to 
 show that all knowledge of the art has not entirely departed 
 from me.” 
 
 “ That is a manly answer, and provided it be sustained 
 by a corresponding countenance, there shall be no imperti¬ 
 nent enquiry into motives. ’T is the officer that makes 
 the ship victorious, for when he sets a good example and 
 understands his duty, there is little fear of the men. 
 Choose your position among any of these guns, and we will 
 make an effort to disappoint these servants of Louis, whe- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 361 
 
 ther we do it as Englishmen, or only as the allies of the 
 seven provinces.” 
 
 Myndert descended to the quarter-deck, and having de¬ 
 liberately deposited his coat on the capstan, replaced his 
 wig by a handkerchief, tightened the buckle that did the 
 office of suspenders, he squinted along the guns with a cer¬ 
 tain air, that served to assure the spectators he had at least 
 no dread of the recoil. 
 
 Alderman Van Beverout was a personage far too im¬ 
 portant not to be known by most of those who frequented 
 the goodly town of which he was a civic officer. His pre¬ 
 sence therefore among the men, not a few of whom were 
 natives of the colony, had a salutary effect; some yielding 
 to the sympathy which is natural to a hearty and encou¬ 
 raging example, while it is possible there were a few that 
 argued less of the danger, in consequence of the indiffe¬ 
 rence of a man who, being so rich, had so many motives 
 to take good care of his person. Be this as it might, the 
 burgher was received by a cheer, which drew a short but 
 pithy address from him, in which he exhorted his compa¬ 
 nions in arms to do their duty in a manner which should 
 teach the Frenchmen the wisdom of leaving that coast in 
 future free from annoyance, while he wisely abstained from 
 all the common-place allusions to king and country, a 
 subject to which he felt his inability to do proper jus¬ 
 tice. 
 
 “ Let every man remember that cause for courage which 
 may be most agreeable to his own habits and opinions,” 
 concluded this imitator of the Hannibals and Scipios of old ; 
 (e for that is the surest and the briefest method of bring¬ 
 ing his mind into an obstinate state. In my own case 
 there is no want of motive, and I dare say each one of you 
 may find some sufficient reasoning for entering heart and 
 hand into this battle. Protests and credit! what would 
 become of the affairs of the best house in the colonies were 
 its principal to be led a captive to Brest or l’Orient ? It 
 might derange the business of the whole city. I’ll not 
 offend your patriotism with such a supposition, but at once 
 believe that your minds are resolved, like my own, to resist 
 to the last, for this is an interest which is general, as afl 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 36 ? 
 
 questions of a commercial nature become through their in¬ 
 fluence on the happiness and prosperity of society.” 
 
 Having terminated his address in so apposite and public- 
 spirited a manner, the worthy burgher hemmed loudly, and 
 resumed his accustomed silence, perfectly assured of his 
 own applause. If the matter of Myndert’s discourse wears 
 too much the air of an undivided attention to his own in¬ 
 terests, the reader will not forget it is by this concentration 
 of individuality, that most of the mercantile prosperity of 
 the world is achieved. The seamen listened with admir¬ 
 ation, for they understood no part of the appeal; and 
 next to a statement which shall be so lucid as to induce 
 every hearer to believe it is no more than a happy explan¬ 
 ation of his own ideas, that which is unintelligible is apt to 
 unite most suffrages in its favour. 
 
 “ You see your enemy, and you know your work !” said 
 the clear, deep, manly voice of Ludlow, who, as he passed 
 among the people of the Coquette, spoke to them in that 
 steady unwavering tone which in moments of danger goes 
 to the heart. “ I shall not pretend that we are as strong as 
 I could wish; but the greater the necessity for a strong pull, 
 the readier a true seaman will be to give it. There are no 
 nails in that ensign. When I am dead, you may pull it 
 down if you please; but long as I live, my men, there it 
 shall fly! And now, one cheer to show your humour, and 
 then let the rest of your noise come from the guns.” 
 
 The crew complied with a full-mouthed and hearty 
 hurrah ! —Trysail assured a young, laughing, careless mid¬ 
 shipman, who even at that moment could enjoy an uproar, 
 that he had seldom heard a prettier piece of sea-eloquence 
 than that which had just fallen from the captain, it being 
 both neat and gentlemanlike.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 363 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Sir,it is 
 
 A charge too heavy for ray strength; but yet 
 We ’ll strive to hear it for your worthy sake, 
 
 To the extreme edge or nazard. 
 
 All's well that ends well. 
 
 The vessel which appeared so inopportunely for the safety 
 of the ill-manned British cruiser, was, in truth, a ship 
 that had roved from among the islands of the Caribbean sea 
 in quest of some such adventure as that which now pre¬ 
 sented itself. She was called la Belle Fontange, and her 
 commander, a youth of two-and-twenty, was already well 
 known in the salons of the Marais, and behind the walls of 
 the Rue Basse des Remparts*, as one of the most gay and 
 amiable of those who frequented the former, and one of the 
 most spirited and skilful among the adventurers who some¬ 
 times trusted to their address in the latter. Rank and 
 influence at Versailles had procured for the young Chevalier 
 Dumont de la Rochforte a command to which he could lay 
 no claim, either by his experience or his services. His 
 mother, a near relative of one of the beauties of the court, 
 had been commanded to use sea-bathing, as a preventive 
 against the consequences of the bite of a rabid lap-dog. By 
 way of a suitable episode to the long descriptions she was 
 in the daily habit of writing to those whose knowledge of 
 her new element was limited to the constant view of a few 
 ponds and ditches teeming with carp, or an occasional 
 glimpse of some of the turbid reaches of the Seine, she had 
 vowed to devote her youngest child to Neptune ! In due 
 time, that is to say, while the poetic sentiment was at the 
 access, the young chevalier was duly enrolled, and in a 
 time that greatly anticipated all regular and judicious pre¬ 
 ferment, he was placed in command of the corvette in 
 question, and sent to the Indies to gain glory for himself 
 and his country. 
 
 * This allusion will, be understood by all who are familiar with the history of 
 Pans. At the time of the tale, all the duels were fought below the ramparts. 
 
364 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 The Chevalier Dumont de la Rocheforte was brave, but 
 his courage was not the calm and silent self-possession of a 
 seaman. Like himself, it was lively, buoyant, thoughtless, 
 bustling, and full of animal feeling. He had all the pride 
 of a gentleman, and, unfortunately for the duty which he 
 had now for the first time to perform, one of its dictates 
 taught him to despise that species of mechanical knowledge 
 which it was, just at this moment, so important to the 
 commander of la Fontange to possess. He could dance to 
 admiration, did the honours of his cabin with faultless 
 elegance, and had caused the death of an excellent mariner, 
 who had accidentally fallen overboard, by jumping into the 
 sea to aid him without knowing how to swim a stroke him¬ 
 self ; a rashness that had diverted those exertions which 
 might have saved the unfortunate sailor, from the assistance 
 of the subordinate to the safety of his superior. He wrote 
 sonnets prettily, and he had some ideas of the new philo¬ 
 sophy which was just beginning to dawn upon the world, 
 but the cordage of his ship and the lines of a mathematical 
 problem, equally presented labyrinths he had never threaded. 
 
 It was perhaps fortunate for the safety of all in her, that 
 la Belle Fontange possessed an inferior officer, in the per¬ 
 son of a native of Boulogne-sur-Mer, who was quite com¬ 
 petent to see that she kept the proper course, and that she 
 displayed none of the top-gallants of her pride at unpro- 
 pitious moments. The ship itself was scientifically and 
 finely moulded, of a light and airy rig, and of established 
 reputation for speed. If it was defective in any thing, it 
 had the fault, in common with its commander, of a want of 
 sufficient solidity to resist the vicissitudes and dangers of 
 the turbulent element on which it was destined to act. 
 
 The vessels were now within a mile of each other. The 
 breeze was steady, and sufficiently fresh for all the ordinary 
 evolutions of a naval combat, while the water was just quiet 
 enough to permit the ships to be handled with confidence 
 and accuracy. La Fontange was running with her head to 
 the eastward, and, as she had the advantage of the wind, 
 her tall tracery of spars leaned gently in the direction of 
 her adversary. The Coquette was standing on the other 
 tack, and necessarily inclined from her enemy. Both vessels 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 365 
 
 were stripped to their topsails, spankers, and jibs, though 
 the lofty sails of the Frenchmen were fluttering in the 
 breeze, like the graceful folds of some fanciful drapery. No 
 human being was distinctly visible in either fabric, though 
 dark clusters around each mast-head showed that the 
 ready top-men were prepared to discharge their duties, 
 even in the confusion and dangers of the impending con¬ 
 test. Once or twice la Fontange inclined her head more 
 in the direction of her adversary, and then sweeping up 
 again to the wind, she stood on in stately beauty. The 
 moment was near when the ships were about to cross each 
 other at a point where a musket would readily send its 
 messenger across the water that lay between them. Lud¬ 
 low, who closely watched each change of position, and 
 every rise and fall of the breeze, went on the poop, and 
 swept the horizon with his glass for the last time, before his 
 ship should be enveloped in smoke. To his surprise, he dis¬ 
 covered a pyramid of canvass rising above the sea in the 
 direction of the wind. The sail was clearly visible to the 
 naked eye, and had only escaped earlier observation in the 
 duties of so urgent a moment. Calling the master to his 
 side, he enquired his opinion concerning the character of 
 the second stranger. But Trysail confessed it exceeded 
 even his long tried powers of observation to say more than 
 that it was a ship running before the wind, with a cloud 
 of sail spread. After a second and a longer look, however, 
 the experienced master ventured to add that the stranger had 
 the squareness and symmetry of a cruiser, but of what size 
 he would not yet presume to declare. 
 
 It may be a light ship under her top-gallant and 
 studding sails, or it may be that we see only the lofty duck 
 of some heavier vessel. Captain Ludlow ?— ha ! he has 
 caught the eye of the Frenchman, for the corvette has sig¬ 
 nals abroad! ” 
 
 “ To your glass. If the stranger answer we have no 
 choice but our speed.” 
 
 There was another keen and anxious examination of the 
 upper spars of the distant ship, but the direction of the 
 wind prevented any signs of her communicating with the 
 corvette from being visible. La Fontange appeared equally 
 
366 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 uncertain of the character of the stranger, and for a mo¬ 
 ment there was some evidence of an intention to change 
 her course. But the moment for indecision had past. The 
 ships were already sweeping up abreast of each other under 
 the constant pressure of the breeze. 
 
 “ Be ready, men!” said Ludlow, in a low but firm 
 voice, retaining his elevated post cn the poop, while he 
 motioned to his companion to return to the main-deck. 
 iC Fire at his flash ! ” 
 
 Intense expectation succeeded. The two graceful fabrics 
 sailed steadily on and came within hail. So profound was 
 the stillness in the Coquette, that the rushing sound of 
 the water she heaped under her bows was distinctly audible 
 to all on board, and might he likened to the deep breathing 
 of some vast animal that was collecting its physical ener¬ 
 gies for an unusual exertion. On the other hand, tongues 
 were loud and clamorous among the cordage of la Fontange. 
 Just as the ships were fairly abeam, the voice of young 
 Dumont was heard, shouting through a trumpet for his 
 men to fire. Ludlow smiled in a seaman's scorn. Raising 
 his own trumpet, with a quiet gesture to his attentive and 
 ready crew, the whole discharge of their artillery broke out 
 of the dark side of the ship, as if it had been by the voli¬ 
 tion of the fabric. The answering broadside was received 
 almost as soon as their own had been given, and the two 
 vessels passed swiftly without the line of shot. 
 
 The wind had sent back their own smoke upon the En¬ 
 glish, and for a time it floated on their decks, wreathed 
 itself in the eddies of the sails, and passed away to leeward, 
 with the breeze that succeeded to the counter-current of 
 the explosions. The whistling of shot and the crash of 
 wood had been heard amid the din of the combat. Giving 
 a glance at his enemy, who still stood on, Ludlow leaned 
 from the poop, and with a sailor’s anxiety he endeavoured 
 to scan the gear aloft. 
 
 “ What is gone, sir?” he asked of Trysail, whose 
 earnest face just then became visible through the drifting 
 smoke. “ What sail is so heavily flapping ?” 
 
 “ Little harm done, sir — little harm. Bear a hand 
 with the tackle on that fore-yard-arm, you lubbers ! you 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 367 
 
 move like snails in a minuet! The fellow has shot away 
 the lee fore-topsail-sheet, sir ; but we shall soon get our 
 wings spread again. Lash it down, boys, as if it were butt- 
 bolted ; — so ; steady out your bowline forward ! Meet 
 her, you can ; meet her, you may — meet her !” 
 
 The smoke had disappeared, and the eye of the captain 
 rapidly scanned the whole of his ship. Three or four top- 
 men had already caught the flapping canvass, and were 
 seated on the extremity of the fore-yard, busied in securing 
 their prize. A hole or two was visible in the other sails, 
 and here and there an unimportant rope was dangling in a 
 manner to show that it had been cut up by shot. Further 
 than this, the damage aloft was not of a nature to attract 
 his attention. 
 
 There was a different scene on deck. The feeble crew 
 were earnestly occupied in loading the guns, and rammers 
 and sponges were handled with the intentness which men 
 would manifest in a moment so exciting. The alderman 
 was never more absorbed in his ledger than he now ap¬ 
 peared in his duty of a cannoneer, and the youths to whom 
 the command of the batteries had necessarily been confided, 
 diligently aided him with their greater authority and ex¬ 
 perience. Trysail stood near the capstan, coolly giving 
 the orders which have been related, and gazing upward 
 with an interest so absorbed as to render him unconscious 
 of all that passed around his person. Ludlow saw with 
 pain that blood discoloured the deck at his feet, and that a 
 seaman lay dead within reach of his arm. The rent plank 
 and shattered ceiling showed the spot where the destructive 
 missile had entered. 
 
 Compressing his lips, like a man resolved, the com¬ 
 mander of the Coquette bent further forward, and glanced 
 at the wheel. The quarter-master, who held the spokes 
 was erect, steady, and kept his eye on the leech of the 
 head-sail, as unerringly as the needle points to the pole. 
 
 These were the observations of a single minute. The 
 different circumstances related had been ascertained with 
 so many rapid glances of the eye, and they had even been 
 noted without losing for a moment the knowledge of the 
 precise situation of la Fontange. The latter was already 
 
6t>8 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 in stays. It became necessary to meet the evolution by 
 another as prompt. 
 
 The order was no sooner given, than the Coquette, as if 
 conscious of the hazard she ran of being raked, whirled 
 away from the wind, and by the time her adversary was 
 ready to deliver her other broadside, she was in a position 
 to receive and to return it. Again the ships approached 
 each other, and once more they exchanged their streams of 
 fire when a-beam. 
 
 Ludlow now saw, through the smoke, the ponderous 
 yard of la Fontange swinging heavily against the breeze, 
 and the main-topsail come flapping against her mast. 
 Swinging off from the poop, by a backstay that had been 
 shot away a moment before, he alighted on the quarter¬ 
 deck by the side of the master. 
 
 “ Touch all the braces !” he said, hastily, but still 
 speaking low and clearly; “ give a drag upon the bow¬ 
 lines— luff, sir, luff; jam the ship up hard against the 
 wind ? ” 
 
 The clear, steady answer of the quarter-master, and the 
 manner in which the Coquette, still vomiting her sheets of 
 flame, inclined towards the breeze, announced the prompt¬ 
 itude of the subordinates. In another minute the vast 
 volumes of smoke which enveloped the two ships joined, 
 forming one white and troubled cloud which was rolling 
 swiftly before the explosions over the surface of the sea, 
 but which, as it rose higher in the air, sailed gracefully to 
 leeward. 
 
 Our young commander passed swiftly through the bat¬ 
 teries, spoke encouragingly to his people, and resumed his 
 post on the poop. The stationary position of la Fontange, 
 and his own efforts to get to windward, were already 
 proving advantageous to Queen Anne’s cruiser. There 
 was some indecision on the part of the other ship, which in¬ 
 stantly caught the eye of one whose readiness in his pro¬ 
 fession so much resembled instinct. • 
 
 The Chevalier Pumont had amused his leisure by run¬ 
 ning his eyes over the records of the naval history of his 
 country, where he had found this and that commander ap¬ 
 plauded for throwing their topsails to the mast, abreast of 
 
THE WATER WITCH. o6’9 
 
 their enemies. Ignorant of the difference between a ship 
 in line, and one engaged singly, he had determined to prove 
 himself equal to a similar display of spirit. At the moment 
 when Ludlow was standing alone on his poop, watching 
 with vigilant eyes the progress of his own vessel and the 
 position of his enemy, indicating merely by a look or a 
 gesture to the attentive Trysail beneath what he wished 
 done, there was actually a wordy discussion on the quarter¬ 
 deck of the latter, between the mariner of Boulogne-sur- 
 Mer and the gay favourite of the salons. They debated 
 on the expediency of the step which the latter had just 
 taken to prove the existence of a quality that no one 
 doubted. The time lost in this difference of opinion was 
 of the last importance to the British cruiser. Standing 
 gallantly on, she was soon out of the range of her adver¬ 
 sary’s fire ; and before the Boulognois had succeeded in 
 convincing his superior of his error, their antagonist was 
 on the other tack, and luffing across the wake of la Fon- 
 tange. The topsail was then tardily filled, but before the 
 latter ship had recovered her motion, the sails of her enemy 
 overshadowed her deck. There was now every prospect 
 of the Coquette passing to windward. At that critical 
 moment, the fair-setting topsail of the British cruiser was 
 nearly rent in two by a shot. The ship fell off, the yards 
 interlocked, and the vessels were foul. 
 
 The Coquette had all the advantage of position. Per¬ 
 ceiving the important fact at a glance, Ludlow made sure 
 of its continuance by throwing his grapnels. When the 
 two ships were thus firmly lashed together, the young 
 Dumont found himself relieved from a mountain of em¬ 
 barrassment. Sufficiently justified by the fact that not a 
 single gun of his own would bear, while a murderous 
 discharge of grape had just swept along his decks, he issued 
 the order to board. But Ludlow, with his weakened crew, 
 had not decided on so hazardous an evolution as that which 
 brought him in absolute contact with his enemy, without 
 foreseeing the means of avoiding the consequences. The 
 vessels touched each other only at one point, and this spot 
 was protected by a row of muskets. No sooner, therefore, 
 did the impetuous young Frenchman appear on the taffrail 
 
 B B 
 
370 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 of his own ship supported by a band of followers, than a 
 close and deadly fire swept them away to a man. Young 
 Dumont alone remained. For a single moment, his eye 
 glared wildly, but the active frame, still obedient to the 
 governing impulse of so impetuous a spirit, leaped onward. 
 He fell without life on the deck of his enemy. 
 
 Ludlow watched every movement with a calmness that 
 neither personal responsibility, nor the uproar and rapid 
 incidents of the terrible scene, could discompose. 
 
 “ Now is our time to bring the matter hand to hand !” 
 lie cried, making a gesture to Trysail to descend from the 
 ladder, in order that he might pass. 
 
 His arm was arrested, and the grave old master pointed 
 to windward. 
 
 “ There is no mistaking the cut of those sails, or the lofty 
 rise of those spars ! The stranger is another Frenchman ! " 
 
 One glance told Ludlow that his subordinate was right; 
 another sufficed to show what was now necessary. 
 
 “ Cast loose the forward grapnel—cut it — away with 
 it, clear ! ” was shouted through his trumpet, in a voice that 
 rose commanding and clear amid the roar of the combat. 
 
 Released forward, the stern of the Coquette yielded to 
 the pressure of her enemy, whose sails were all drawing, 
 and she was soon in a position to enable her head-yards to 
 be braced sharp aback, in a direction opposite to the one in 
 which she had so lately lain. The whole broadside was 
 then delivered into the stern of la Fontange, the last grapnel 
 was released, and the ships separated. 
 
 The single spirit which presided over the evolutions and 
 exertions of the Coquette still governed her movements. 
 The sails were trimmed, the ship was got in command, and 
 before the vessels had been asunder five minutes, the duty 
 of the vessel was in its ordinary active and noiseless train. 
 
 Nimble top-men were on the yards, and broad folds of 
 fresh canvass were flapping in the breeze, as the new sails 
 were bent and set. Ropes were spliced, or supplied by new 
 rigging, the spars examined, and, in fine, all that watchful¬ 
 ness and sedulous care was observed which is so necessary 
 to the efficiency and safety of a ship. Every spar was 
 secured, the pumps were sounded and the vessel held on 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 371 
 
 her way as steadily as if she had never fired nor received a 
 shot. 
 
 On the other hand, la Fontange betrayed the indecision 
 and confusion of a worsted ship. Her torn canvass was 
 blowing about in disorder, many important ropes beat 
 against her masts unheeded, and the vessel itself drove 
 before the breeze in the helplessness of a wreck. For 
 several minutes there seemed no controlling mind in the 
 fabric; and when, after so much distance was lost as to 
 give her enemy all the advantage of the wind, a tardy 
 attempt was made to bring the ship up again, the tallest and 
 most important of her masts was seen tottering, until it 
 finally fell, with all its hamper, into the sea. 
 
 Notwithstanding the absence of so many of his people, 
 success would now have been certain, had not the presence 
 of the stranger compelled Ludlow to abandon his advantage. 
 But the consequences to his own vessel were too sure, to 
 allow of more than a natural and manly regret that so 
 favourable an occasion should escape him. The character 
 of the stranger could no longer be mistaken. The eye of 
 every seaman in the Coquette as well understood the country 
 of the high and narrow-headed sails, the tall taper masts 
 and short yards of the frigate, whose hull was now distinctly 
 visible, as a landsman recognises an individual by the 
 distinguishing marks of his features or attire. Had there 
 been any lingering doubts on the subject, they would have 
 all given place to certainty when the stranger was seen ex¬ 
 changing signals with the crippled corvette. 
 
 It was now time for Ludlow to come to a speedy 
 determination on his future course. The breeze still held 
 to the southward, but it was beginning to lessen, with every 
 appearance that it would fall before night-fall. The land 
 lay a few leagues to the northward, and the whole horizon 
 of the ocean, with the exception of the two French cruisers, 
 was clear. Descending to the quarter-deck, he approached 
 the master, who was seated in a chair, while the surgeon 
 dressed a severe hurt in one of his legs. Shaking the 
 sturdy veteran cordially by the hand, he expressed his 
 acknowledgments for his support in a moment so trying. 
 
 “ God bless you! God bless you. Captain Ludlow ! ” 
 
 i b 2 
 
372 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 returned the old sailor, dashing his hand equivocally across 
 his weather-beaten brow. “ Battle is certainly the plact 
 to try both ship and friends; and. Heaven be praised 
 Queen Anne has not failed of either this day ! No mai 
 has forgotten his duty, so far as my eyes have witnessed 
 and this is saying no trifle, with half a crew and an equa 
 enemy. As for the ship, she never behaved better ! 1 hat 
 
 my misgivings, when I saw the new main-topsail go 
 which it did, as all here know, like a bit of rent muslii 
 between the fingers of a seamstress. Run forward, Mr 
 Hopper, and tell the men in the fore-rigging to take another 
 drag on that swifter, and to be careful and bring the strain 
 equal on all the shrouds.—A lively youth. Captain Ludlow, 
 and one who only wants a little reflection, with some more 
 experience, and a small dash of modesty, together with the 
 seamanship he will naturally get in time, to make a verj 
 tolerable officer.” 
 
 ff The boy promises well. But I have come to ask 
 thy advice, my old friend, concerning our next movements. 
 There is no doubt that the fellow who is coming down 
 upon us is both a Frenchman and a frigate.” 
 
 “ A man might as well doubt the nature of a fish- 
 hawk, which is to pick up all the small fry, and let the 
 big ones go. We might show him our canvass, and try 
 the open sea, but I fear that foremast is too weak with 
 three such holes in it, to bear the sail we should need ! ” 
 
 “ What think vou of the wind ? ” said Ludlow, affect- 
 ing an indecision he did not feel, in order to soothe the 
 feelings of his wounded companion. “ Should it hold, 
 we might double Montauk, and return for the rest of our 
 people ; but should it fail, is there no danger that the 
 frigate will tow within shot ? — We have no boats to 
 escape her V* 
 
 The soundings on this coast are as regular as the roof 
 of an out-house,” said the master, after a moment of 
 thought; “ and it is my advice, if it is your pleasure to 
 ask it, Captain Ludlow, that we shoal our water as much 
 as possible, while the wind lasts. Then I think we shall 
 be safe from a very near visit from the big one; as for 
 the corvette, I am of opinion that, like a man who has 
 eaten his dinner, she has no stomach for another slice.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 373 
 
 Ludlow applauded the advice of his subordinate, for it 
 was precisely what he had determined on doing, and after 
 again complimenting him on his coolness and skill, he 
 issued the necessary orders. The helm of the Coquette 
 was now placed hard a-weather, the yards were squared, 
 and the ship was put before the wind. After running in 
 this direction for a few hours, the wind gradually lessening, 
 the lead announced that the keel was quite as near the 
 bottom as the time of the tide and the dull heaving and 
 setting of the element rendered at all prudent. The breeze 
 soon after fell, and then our young commander ordered an 
 anchor to be dropped into the sea. 
 
 His example, in the latter respect, was imitated by the 
 hostile cruisers. They had soon joined, and boats were 
 seen passing from one to the other so long as there was 
 light. When the sun fell behind the western margin of 
 the ocean, their dusky outlines, distant about a league, 
 gradually grew less and less distinct, until the darkness of 
 night enveloped sea and land in its gloom. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 — Now;—the business! Othello. 
 
 Three hours later, and every noise was hushed on board 
 the royal cruiser. They toil of repairing damages had 
 ceased, and most of the living, with the dead, lay alike 
 in common silence. The watchfulness necessary to the 
 situation of the fatigued mariners, however, was not for¬ 
 gotten ; and though so many slept, a few eyes were still 
 open and affecting to be alert. Here and there some 
 drowsy seaman paced the deck, or a solitary young officer 
 endeavoured to keep himself awake by humming a low air 
 in his narrow bounds. The mass of the crew slept 
 heavily, with pistols in their belts and cutlasses at their 
 sides, between the guns. There was one figure extended 
 upon the quarter-deck, with the head resting on a shot-box. • 
 
 b b 3 
 
374 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 The deep breathing of this person denoted the unquiet 
 slumbers of a powerful frame, in which weariness contended 
 with suffering. It was the wounded and feverish master, 
 who had placed himself in that position to catch an hour 
 of the repose that was necessary to his situation. On an 
 arm-chest, which had been emptied of its contents, lay 
 another but a motionless human form, the limbs com¬ 
 posed in decent order, and with the face turned towards 
 the melancholy stars. This was the body of the young 
 Dumont, which had been kept with the intention of con¬ 
 signing it to consecrated earth when the ship should re¬ 
 turn to port. Ludlow, with the delicacy of a generous 
 and chivalrous enemy, had with his own hands spread the 
 stainless ensign of his country over the remains of the in¬ 
 experienced but gallant young Frenchman. 
 
 There was one little group on the raised deck in the 
 stern of the vessel, in which the ordinary interests of life 
 still seemed to exercise their influence. Hither Ludlow 
 had led Alida and her companions, after the duties of the 
 day were over, in order that they might breathe an air 
 fresher than that of the interior of the vessel. The negress 
 nodded near her young mistress, the tired alderman sate 
 with his back supported against the mizen-mast, giving 
 audible evidence of his situation, and Ludlow stood erect, 
 occasionally throwing an earnest look on the surrounding 
 and unruffled waters, and then lending his attention to the 
 discourse of his companions. Alida and Seadrift were 
 seated near each other on chairs. The conversation was 
 low, while the melancholy and the tremor in the voice of 
 la Belle Barberie, denoted how much the events of the day 
 had shaken her usually firm and spirited mind. 
 
 “ There is a mingling of the terrific and the beautiful,, 
 of the grand and the seducing in this unquiet profession of 
 yours !” observed, or rather continued Alida, replying to a 
 previous remark of the young sailor. “ That tranquil sea 
 — the hollow sound of the surf on the shore—and this 
 soft canopy above us, form objects on which even a girl 
 might dwell in admiration, were not her ears still ringing 
 with the roar and cries of the combat. Did you say the 
 commander of the Frenchman was but a youth?” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 375 
 
 “ A mere boy in appearance, and one who doubtless 
 owed his rank to the advantages of birth and family. We 
 know it to be the captain by his dress, no less than by the 
 desperate effort he made to recover the false step taken in 
 the earlier part of the action.” 
 
 “ Perhaps he has a mother, Ludlow! — a sister— 
 wife—or-” 
 
 Alida paused, for, with maiden diffidence, she hesitated 
 to pronounce the tie which was uppermost in her thoughts. 
 
 “ He may have had one, or all! Such are the sailor’s 
 hazards, and-” 
 
 “ Such the hazards of those who feel an interest in 
 their safety !” uttered the low but expressive voice of 
 Seadrift. 
 
 A deep and eloquent silence succeeded. Then the voice 
 of Myndert was heard muttering, indistinctly, “ Twenty 
 of beaver, and three of marten — as per invoice.” The 
 smile, w'hich spite of the train of his thoughts, rose on 
 the lips of Ludlow, had scarcely passed away, when the 
 hoarse tones of Trysail, rendered still hoarser by bis 
 sleep, were plainly heard in a stifled cry, saying, “ Bear 
 a hand there with your stoppers!—the Frenchman is 
 coming round upon us again !” 
 
 That is prophetic ! ” said one aloud, behind the 
 listening group. Ludlow turned, quick as the flag flutter¬ 
 ing on its vane, and through the darkness he recognised, 
 in a motionless but manly form that stood near him on the 
 poop, the athletic person of the Skimmer of the Seas. 
 
 “ Call awav-” 
 
 “ Call none !”—interrupted Tiller, stopping the hurried 
 order which involuntarily broke out of the lips of Ludlow. 
 “ Let thy ship feign the silence of a wreck, but in truth 
 let there be watchfulness and preparation even to her store¬ 
 rooms ! You have done well. Captain Ludlow, to be on 
 the alert, though I have known sharper eyes than those of 
 some of your look-outs.” 
 
 “ Whence come you, audacious man, and what mad 
 errand has brought you again on the deck of my ship ? ” 
 
 “ I come from my habitation on the sea. My business 
 here is warning!” 
 
 b n 4 
 
376 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ The sea!” echoed Ludlow, gazing about him at the 
 narrow and empty view. “ The hour for mockery is past, 
 and you would do well to trifle no more with those who 
 have serious duties to discharge.” 
 
 “ The hour is indeed one for serious duties — duties 
 more serious than any you apprehend. But before I enter 
 on explanation, there must be conditions between us. You 
 have one of the sea-green lady’s servitors here; I claim 
 his liberty for my secret.” 
 
 The error into which I had fallen exists no longer,” 
 returned Ludlow, looking for an instant towards the 
 shrinking form of Seadrift. <f My conquest is worthless, 
 unless you come to supply his place.” 
 
 “ I come for other purposes—here is one who knows 
 I do not trifle when urgent affairs are on hand. Let thy 
 companions retire, that I may speak openly.” 
 
 Ludlow hesitated, for he had not yet recovered from the 
 surprise of finding the redoubtable free-trader so unex¬ 
 pectedly on the deck of his ship. But Alida and her com¬ 
 panion arose, like those who had more confidence in their 
 visiter, and arousing the negress from her sleep, they 
 descended the ladder and entered the cabin. When Lud¬ 
 low found himself alone with Tiller, he demanded an 
 explanation. 
 
 “ It shall not be withheld, for time presses, and that 
 which is to be done, must be done with a seaman’s care 
 and coolness,” returned the other. — “ You have had a close 
 brush with one of Louis’s rovers. Captain Ludlow, and 
 prettily was the ship of Queen Anne handled ! Have your 
 people suffered, and are you. still strong enough to make 
 good a defence worthy of your conduct this morning ? ” 
 
 f< These are facts you would have me utter to the ear of 
 one who may be false— even a spy !” 
 
 “ Captain Ludlow — but circumstances warrant thy 
 suspicions! ” 
 
 “ One whose vessel and life I have threatened — an 
 outlaw! ” 
 
 “ This is too true,” returned the Skimmer of the Seas 
 suppressing a sudden impulse of pride and resentment. 
 “ 1 am threatened and pursued — I am a smuggler and an 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 377 
 
 outlaw: still am I human ! You see that dusky object 
 which borders the sea to the northward?” 
 
 “ It is too plainly land, to be mistaken.” 
 
 “ Land, and the land of my birth ! — the earliest, per¬ 
 haps I may say the happiest of my days, were passed on 
 that long and narrow island.” 
 
 “ Had I known it earlier, there would have been a closer 
 look among its bays and inlets.” 
 
 “ The search might have been rewarded. A cannon 
 would easily throw its shot from this deck, to the spot 
 where my brigantine now lies snug at a single anchor.” 
 
 “ Unless you have swept her near since the setting of 
 the sun, that is impossible ! When the night drew on, 
 nothing was in view but the frigate and corvette of the 
 enemy.” 
 
 (< We have not stirred a fathom, and yet, true as the 
 word of a fearless man, there lies the vessel of the sea- 
 green lady. You see the place where the beach falls, here 
 at the nearest point of the land ? — the island is nearly 
 severed by the water at that spot, and the Water Witch is 
 safe in the depths of the bay which enters from the north¬ 
 ward. There is not a mile between us. From the eastern 
 hill I witnessed your spirit this day. Captain Ludlow, and 
 though condemned in person, I felt that the heart could 
 never be outlawed. There is a fealty here, that can sur¬ 
 vive even the persecutions of the custom-houses ! ” 
 
 “ You are happy in your terms, sir. I will not conceal 
 that I think a seaman, even as skilful as yourself, must 
 allow that the Coquette was kept prettily in command ? ” 
 
 “ No pilot-boat could have been more sure or more 
 lively. I knew your weakness, for the absence of all your 
 boats was no secret to me; and I confess I could have 
 spared some of the profits of the voyage to have been on 
 your decks this day with a dozen of my truest fellows.” 
 
 “ A man who can feel this loyalty to the flag, should 
 find a more honourable occupation for his usual life.” 
 
 “ A country that can inspire it, should be cautious not 
 to estrange the affections of its children by monopolies and 
 injustice. But these are discussions unsuited to the mo¬ 
 ment. I am doubly your countryman in this strait, and 
 
378 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 all the past is no more than the rough liberties which 
 friends take with each other. Captain Ludlow, there is 
 danger brooding in that dark void which lies to seaward.” 
 
 “ On what authority do you say this ? ” 
 
 “ Sight! I have been among your enemies, and have 
 seen their deadly preparations. I know the caution is given 
 to a brave man, and nothing shall be extenuated. You 
 have need of all your resolution and of every arm, for they 
 will be upon you in overwhelming numbers.” 
 
 “ True or false, thy warning shall not be neglected.” 
 
 “ Hold!” said the Skimmer, arresting a forward move¬ 
 ment of his companion with his hand. “ Let them sleep 
 to the last moment. You have yet an hour, and rest will 
 renew their strength. You may trust the experience of a 
 seaman who has passed half of the life of a man on the 
 ocean, and who has witnessed all its most stirring scenes, 
 from the conflict of the elements to every variety of strife 
 that man has invented to destroy his fellows. For another 
 hour you will be secure. After that hour, God protect the 
 unprepared, and God be merciful to him whose minutes 
 are numbered.” 
 
 “ Thy language and manner are those of one who deals 
 honestly,” returned Ludlow, struck by the apparent sin¬ 
 cerity of the free-trader’s communication. “ In every 
 event, we shall be ready, though the manner of your having 
 gained this knowledge, is as great a mystery as your ap¬ 
 pearance on the deck of my ship.” 
 
 “ Both can be explained,” returned the Skimmer, mo¬ 
 tioning to his companion to follow to the taffrail. Here 
 he pointed to a small and nearly imperceptible skiff 1 , which 
 floated at the bottom of a stern ladder, and continued; 
 “ One who so often pays secret visits to the land, can 
 never be in want of the means. This nutshell was easily 
 transported across the narrow slip of land that separates 
 the bay from the ocean, and though the surf moans so 
 hoarsely, it is easily passed by a steady and dexterous oars¬ 
 man. I have been under the martingale of the Frenchman, 
 and you see that I am here. If your look-outs are less 
 alert than usual, you will remember that a low gunwale, 
 a dusky side, and a muffled oar, are not readily detected. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 379 
 
 when the eye is heavy and the body wearied. I must 
 now quit you, unless you think it more prudent to send 
 those who can be of no service out of the ship before the 
 trial shall come ? ” 
 
 Ludlow hesitated. A strong desire to put Alida in a 
 place of safety, was met by his distrust of the smuggler’s 
 faith. He reflected a moment ere he answered,— 
 
 “ Your cockle-shell is not sufficiently secure for more 
 than its owner. Go ! and as you prove loyal may you 
 prosper.” 
 
 “ Abide the blow,” said the Skimmer, grasping his 
 hand. He then stepped carelessly on the dangling ropes 
 and descended into the boat beneath. Ludlow watched 
 his movements with an intense, and possibly with a dis¬ 
 trustful curiosity. When seated at the sculls the person of 
 the free-trader was nearly indistinct, and as the boat glided 
 noiselessly away, the young commander no longer felt dis¬ 
 posed to censure those who had permitted its approach 
 without a warning. In less than a minute the dusky ob¬ 
 ject was confounded with the surface of the sea. 
 
 Left to himself the young commander of the Coquette 
 seriously reflected on what had passed. The manner of 
 the Skimmer, the voluntary character of his communica¬ 
 tion, its probability, and the means by which his know¬ 
 ledge had been obtained, united to confirm his truth. 
 Instances of similar attachment to their flag, in seamen 
 w r hose ordinary pursuits were opposed to its interests, were 
 not uncommon. Their misdeeds resemble the errors of 
 passion and temptation, while the momentary return to 
 better things, is like the inextinguishable impulses of 
 nature. 
 
 The admonition of the free-trader, who had enjoined the 
 captain to allow his people to sleep, was remembered. 
 Twenty times, within as many minutes, did our young 
 sailor examine his watch to note the tardy passage of the 
 time, and as often did he return it to his pocket with a de¬ 
 termination to forbear. At length he descended to the 
 quarter-deck, and drew near the only form that was erect. 
 The watch was commanded by a youth of sixteen, whose 
 regular ueriod of probationary service had not passed, but 
 
380 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 who, in the absence of his superiors, was entrusted with 
 this delicate and important duty. He stood leaning against 
 the capstan, one hand supporting his cheek, while the elbow 
 rested against the drum, and the body was without motion. 
 Ludlow regarded him a moment, and then lifting a lighted 
 battle-lantern to his face, he saw that he slept. Without 
 disturbing the delinquent, the captain replaced the lantern 
 and passed forward. In the gangway there stood a marine 
 with his musket shouldered, in an attitude of attention. 
 As Ludlow brushed within a few inches of his eyes, it was 
 easy to be seen that they opened and shut involuntarily, 
 and without consciousness of what lay before them. On 
 the top-gallant forecastle was a short, square, and well- 
 balanced figure, that stood without support of any kind, 
 with both arms thrust into the bosom of a jacket, and a 
 head that turned slowly to the west and south, as it were 
 examining the ocean, in those directions. 
 
 Stepping lightly up the ladder, Ludlow saw that it -was 
 the veteran seaman who was rated as the captain of the 
 forecastle. 
 
 “ I am glad, at last, to find one pair of eyes open in my 
 ship/’ said the captain. “ Of the whole watch, you alone 
 are alert.” 
 
 f I have doubled cape fifty, your honour, and the sea¬ 
 man who has made that voyage, rarely wants the second 
 call of the boatswain. Young heads have young eyes, and 
 sleep is next to food, after a heavy drag at gun-tackles and 
 lanyards.” 
 
 “ And what draws your attention so steadily in that 
 quarter ? There is nothing visible but the haze of the sea.” 
 
 “ ’Tis the direction of the Frenchman, sir — does your 
 honour hear nothing ? ” 
 
 ‘ f Nothing,” said Ludlow, after intently listening for 
 half a minute. iC Nothing, unless it be the wash of the 
 surf on the beach.” 
 
 “ It may be only fancy, but there came a sound like the 
 fall of an oar-blade on a thwart, and’t is but natural, your 
 honour, to expect the mounsheer will be out in this smooth 
 water, to see what has become of us. There went the 
 flash of a light, or my name is not Bob Cleet! ” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 381 
 
 Ludlow was silent. A light was certainly visible fn the 
 quarter where the enemy was known to be anchored, 
 and it came and disappeared like a moving lantern. At 
 length it was seen to descend slowly, and vanish as if it 
 w r ere extinguished in the water. 
 
 “ That lantern went into a boat. Captain Ludlow, 
 though a lubber carried it!” said the positive old fore- 
 castle-man, shaking his head, and beginning to pace across 
 the deck w r ith the air of a man who needed no lurther con¬ 
 firmation of his suspicions.” 
 
 Ludlow returned towards the quarter-deck, thoughtful 
 but calm. He passed among his sleeping crew, without 
 awaking a man ; and even forbearing to touch the still mo¬ 
 tionless midshipman, he entered his cabin without speaking. 
 
 The commander of the Coquette was absent but a few 
 minutes. When he again appeared on deck, there was 
 more of decision and of preparation in his manner. 
 
 “ T is time to call the watch, Mr. Reef,” he whispered 
 at the elbow of the drowsy officer of the deck, without be¬ 
 traying his consciousness of the youth’s forgetfulness of 
 duty ; “ the glass is out.” 
 
 “ Ay, ay, sir. — Bear a-hand and turn the glass !” mut¬ 
 tered the young man. “ A fine night, sir, and very 
 smooth water. — I was just thinking of-” 
 
 “ Home and thy mother ! ’T is the way with us all in 
 youth. Well, we have now something else to occupy the 
 thoughts. Muster all the gentlemen here on the quarter¬ 
 deck, sir.” 
 
 When the half-sleeping midshipman quitted his captain 
 to obey this order, the latter drew near the spot where 
 Trysail still lay in an unquiet sleep. A light touch of a 
 single finger was sufficient to raise the master on his feet. 
 The first look of the veteran tar was aloft, the second at 
 the heavens, the last at his captain. 
 
 “ I fear thy wound stiffens, and that the night-air has 
 added to the pain ? ” observed the latter, speaking in a 
 kind and considerate tone. 
 
 The wounded spar cannot be trusted like a sound 
 stick. Captain Ludlow ; but as I am no foot-soldier on a 
 march, the duty of the ship may go on without my calling 
 for a horse.” 
 
382 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 c T i rejoice in thy cheerful spirit, my old friend, for here 
 is serious work likely to fall upon our hands. The French¬ 
 men are in their boats, and we shall shortly be brought to 
 cl.'ose quarters, or prognostics are false.” 
 
 ‘ “ Boats ! ” repeated the master. I had rather it were 
 
 under our canvass, with a stiff breeze ! The play of the ship 
 is a lively foot, and a touching leech ; but when it comes 
 to boats, a marine is nearly as good a man as a quarter¬ 
 master ! ” 
 
 “We must take fortune as it offers. — Here is our 
 council! It is composed of young heads, but of hearts 
 that might do credit to grey hairs.” 
 
 Ludlow joined the little group of officers that was by 
 this time assembled near the capstan. Here, in a few 
 words, he explained the reason why he had summoned 
 them from their sleep. When each of the youths under¬ 
 stood his orders, and the nature of the new danger that 
 threatened the ship, they separated, and began to enter 
 with activity but in guarded silence on the necessary pre¬ 
 parations. The sound of footsteps awoke a dozen of the 
 older seamen, who immediately joined their officers. 
 
 Half an hour passed like a moment, in such an occu¬ 
 pation. At the end of that time, Ludlow deemed his 
 ship ready. The two forward guns had been run in, and the 
 shot having been drawn, their places were supplied with 
 double charges of grape and canister. Several swivels, a 
 species of armament much used in that age, were loaded 
 to the muzzles, and placed in situations to rake the deck, 
 while the foretop was plentifully stored with arms and 
 ammunition. The matches were prepared, and then the 
 whole of the crew was mustered, by a particular call of 
 each man. Five minutes sufficed to issue the necessary 
 orders, and to see each post occupied. After this the low 
 hum ceased in the ship, and the silence again became so 
 deep and general, that the wash of the receding surf was 
 nearly as audible as the plunge of the wave on the sands. 
 
 Ludlow stood on the forecastle, accompanied by the 
 master. Here he lent all his senses to the appearance of 
 the elements, and to the signs of the moment. Wind there 
 was none, though occasionally a breath of hot air came 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 383 
 
 from the land, like the first efforts of the night-breeze. 
 The heavens were clouded, though a few thoughtful stars 
 glimmered between the masses of vapour. 
 
 “ A calmer night never shut in the Americas ! ” said 
 the veteran Trysail, shaking his head doubtingly, and 
 speaking in a suppressed and cautious tone. “ I am one 
 of those, Captain Ludlow, who think more than half the 
 virtue is out of a ship when her anchor is down ! ” 
 
 “ With a weakened crew, it. may be better for us that 
 the people have no yards to handle, or any bowlines to 
 steady. All our care can be given to defence.” 
 
 “ This is much like telling the hawk he can fight the 
 better with a clipped wing, since he has not the trouble of 
 flying ! The nature of a ship is motion, and the merit of 
 a seaman is judicious and lively handling ; — but of what 
 use is complaining, since it will neither lift an anchor, noi 
 fill a sail! What is your opinion. Captain Ludlow, con¬ 
 cerning an after life, and of all those matters one occa¬ 
 sionally hears of, if he happen to drift in the way of a 
 church ? ” 
 
 <( The question is broad as the ocean, my good friend, 
 and a fitting answer might lead us into abstrusities deeper 
 than any problem in our trigonometry. — Was that the 
 stroke of an oar ? ” 
 
 “ ’T was a land noise. Well, I am no great navigator among 
 the crooked channels of religion. Every new argument 
 is a sand-bar, or a shoal, that obliges me to tack and stand 
 off again, else I might have been a bishop, for any thing 
 the world knows to the contrary. ’T is a gloomy night. 
 Captain Ludlow, and one that is sparing of its stars. J. 
 never knew luck come of an expedition on which a natural 
 light did not fall! ” 
 
 “ So much the worse for those who seek to harm us. I 
 surely heard an oar in the rowlock ! ” 
 
 i( It came from the shore, and had the sound of the 
 land about it,” quietly returned the master, who still kept 
 his look riveted on the heavens. “ This world in which 
 we live, Captain Ludlow, is one of extraordinary uses ; 
 but that to which we are steering is still more unaccount¬ 
 able. They say that worlds are sailing above us, like ships 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 384 
 
 in a clear sea ; and there are people who believe that when 
 we take our departure from this planet, we are only bound 
 to another, in which we are to be rated according to our 
 own deeds here; which is much the same as being drafted 
 for a new ship, with a certificate of service in ones 
 pocket.” 
 
 “ The resemblance is perfect,” returned the other, lean¬ 
 ing far over a timber-head to catch the smallest sound that 
 might come from the ocean. <c That was no more than 
 the blowing of a porpoise ! ” 
 
 “ It "was strong enough for the puff of a whale. There 
 is no scarcity of big fish on the coast of this island, and 
 bold harpooneers are the men who are scattered about on 
 the sandy downs here-away to the northward. I once 
 sailed with an officer who knew the name of every star in 
 the heavens, and often have I passed hours in listening to 
 his history of their magnitude and character during the 
 middle watches. It was his opinion that there is but one 
 navigator for all the rovers of the air, whether meteors, 
 comets, or planets.” 
 
 “ No doubt he must be right, having been there.” 
 
 No, that is more than I can say for him, though few 
 men have gone deeper into the high latitudes on both sides 
 of our own equator, than he. One surely spoke ! here, in 
 a line with yonder low star !” 
 
 “ Was it not a water-fowl ?” 
 
 No gull — ha ! here we have the object just within 
 the starboard jib-boom-guy. There comes the Frenchman 
 in his pride, and ’t will be lucky for him who lives to count 
 the slain or to boast of his deeds.” 
 
 The master descended from the forecastle, and passed 
 among the crew, with every thought recalled from its 
 excursive flight in the heavens to the duty of the moment. 
 Ludlow continued on the forecastle alone. There was a low r 
 whispering sound in the ship, like that which is made by 
 the murmuring of a rising breeze, and then all was still as 
 death. 
 
 The Coquette lay with her head to seaward, the stern 
 necessarily pointing towards the land. The distance from 
 the latter was less than a mile, and the direction of the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 385 
 
 ship’s hull was caused by the course of the heavy ground- 
 swell, which incessantly rolled the waters on the wide beach 
 of the island. The head-gear lay in the way of the dim 
 view, and Ludlow walked out on the bowsprit, in order 
 that nothing should lie between him and the part of the 
 ocean he wished to study. Here he had not stood a minute, 
 when he caught, first a confused, and then a more distinct 
 glimpse of a line of dark objects advancing slowly towards 
 the ship. Assured*of the position of his enemy, he returned 
 in-board, and descended among his people. In another 
 moment he was again on the forecastle, across which he 
 paced leisurely, and, to all appearance, with the calmness 
 of one who enjoyed the refreshing coolness of the night. 
 
 At the distance of a hundred fathoms the dusky line of 
 boats paused, and began to change its order. At that 
 instant the first puffs of the land breeze were felt, and the 
 stern of the ship made a gentle inclination seaward. 
 
 “ Help her with the mizen ! Let fall the topsail!” 
 whispered the young captain to those beneath him. Ere 
 another moment the flap of the loosened sail was heard. The 
 ship swung still further, and Ludlow stamped on the deck. 
 
 A round fiery light shot beyond the martingale, and the 
 smoke rolled along the sea, outstripped by a crowd of 
 missiles that were hissing across the water. A shout, in 
 which command was mingled with shrieks followed, and 
 then oar-blades were heard dashing the water aside re¬ 
 gardless of concealment. The ocean lighted, and three or 
 four boat-guns returned the fatal discharge from the ship. 
 Ludlow had not spoken. Still alone, on his elevated and 
 exposed post, he watched the effects of both fires with a 
 commander’s coolness. The smile that struggled about his 
 mouth, when the momentary confusion among the boats 
 betrayed the success of his own attack, had been wild and 
 exulting, but when he heard the rending of the plank 
 beneath him, the heavy groans that succeeded, and the 
 rattling of lighter objects that were scattered by the shot, as 
 it passed with lessened force along the deck of his ship, it 
 became fierce and resentful. 
 
 “ Let them have it!” he shouted, in a clear animating 
 voice, that assured the people of his presence and his care. 
 
886 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Show them the humour of an Englishman’s sleep, my 
 lads ! Speak to them, tops and decks.” 
 
 The order was obeyed. The remaining how-gun was 
 fired, and the discharge of all the Coquette’s musketry 
 and blunderbusses followed. A crowd of boats came 
 sweeping under the bowsprit of the ship at the same 
 moment, and then arose the clamour and shouts of the 
 boarders. 
 
 The succeeding minutes were full of confusion and of 
 devoted exertion. Twice were the head and bowsprit of 
 the ship filled with dark groups of men, whose grim 
 visages were only visible by the pistol’s flash, and as often 
 were they cleared by the pike and bayonet. A third effort 
 was more successful, and the tread of the assailants was 
 heard on the deck of the forecastle. The struggle was but 
 momentary, though many fell, and the narrow arena was 
 soon slippery with blood. The Boulognese mariner was 
 foremost among his countrymen, and at that desperate 
 emergency, Ludlow and Trysail fought in the common 
 herd. Numbers prevailed, and it was fortunate for the 
 commander of the Coquette that the suddenrecoil of a human 
 body, that fell upon him, drove him from his footing to 
 the deck beneath. 
 
 Recovering from the fall, the young captain cheered his 
 men by his voice, and was answered by the deep-mouthed 
 shouts which an excited seaman is ever ready to deliver 
 even to the death. 
 
 <e Rally in the gangways and defy them !” was the 
 animated cry. “ Rally in the gangways, hearts of oak ! ” 
 was returned by Trysail, in a ready but weakened voice. 
 The men obeyed, and Ludlow saw that he could still 
 muster a force capable of resistance. 
 
 Roth parties for a moment paused. The fire of the tops 
 annoyed the hoarders, and the defendants hesitated to 
 advance. But the rush from both was common, and a 
 fierce encounter occurred at the foot of the foremast. The 
 crowd thickened in the rear of the French, one of their 
 numbers no sooner falling than another filled his place. 
 The English receded, and Ludlow, extricating himself from 
 the mass, retired to the quarter-deck. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 387 
 
 “ Give way, men! ” he again shouted, so clear and steady 
 as to be heard above the cries and execrations of the fight. 
 “ Into the wings — down — between the guns — down — 
 to your covers! ” 
 
 The English disappeared as if by magic. Some leaped 
 upon the ridge-ropes, others sought the protection of the 
 guns, and many went through the hatches. At that 
 moment Ludlow made his most desperate effort. Aided by 
 the gunner, he applied matches to the two swivels which 
 had been placed in readiness for a last resort. The deck 
 was enveloped in smoke, and when the vapour lifted, the 
 forward part of the ship was as clear as if man had never 
 trod it. All who had not fallen had vanished. 
 
 A shout and a loud hurrah brought back the defendants, 
 and Ludlow headed a charge upon the top-gallant-forecastle 
 again in person. A few of the assailants showed them¬ 
 selves from behind covers on the deck, and the struggle 
 was renewed. Glaring balls of fire sailed over the heads 
 of the combatants, and fell among the throng in the rear. 
 Ludlow saw the danger, and he endeavoured to urge his 
 people on to regain the bow-guns, one of which was 
 known to be loaded. But the explosion of a grenade on 
 deck and in his rear, was followed by a shock in the hold 
 that threatened to force the bottom out of the vessel. The 
 alarmed and weakened crew began to waver, and as a 
 fresh attack of grenades was followed by a fierce rally, in 
 which the assailants brought up fifty men in a body from 
 their boats, Ludlow found himself compelled to retire, 
 amid the retreating mass of his own crew. 
 
 The defence now assumed the character of hopeless but 
 desperate resistance. The cries of the enemy were more 
 and more clamorous, and they succeeded in nearly silencing 
 the top by a heavy fire of musketry established on the bow¬ 
 sprit and sprit-sail-yard. 
 
 Events passed much faster than they can be related. 
 The enemy were in possession of all the forward part of 
 the ship to her fore hatches, but into these young Hopper 
 had thrown himself with half a dozdn men, and, aided 
 by a brother midshipman in the launch, backed by a few 
 followers, they still held the assailants at bay. Ludlow 
 
 c c 2 
 
3SS 
 
 THU WATER WITCH. 
 
 cast an eye behind him, and began to think of selling his 
 life as dearly as possible in the cabins. That glance was 
 arrested by the sight of the malign smile of the sea-green 
 lady, as the gleaming face rose above the taffrail. A 
 dozen dark forms leaped upon the poop, and then arose a 
 voice that sent every tone it uttered to his heart. 
 
 <( Abide the shock ! ” was the shout of those who came 
 to the succour, and “ Abide the shock ! ” was echoed by 
 the crew. The mysterious image glided along the deck, 
 and Ludlow knew the athletic frame that brushed through 
 the throng at its side. 
 
 There was little noise in the onset, save the groans of 
 the sufferers. It endured but a moment, but it was a 
 moment that resembled the passage of a whirlwind. The 
 defendants knew that they were succoured, and the as¬ 
 sailants recoiled before so unexpected a foe. The few 
 that were caught beneath the forecastle were mercilessly 
 slain, and those above were swept from their post like 
 chaff drifting in a gale. The living and the dead were 
 heard falling alike into the sea ; and in an inconceivably 
 short space of time the decks of the Coquette were free. 
 A solitary enemy still hesitated on the bowsprit. A power¬ 
 ful and active frame leaped along the spar, and though the 
 blow was not seen, its effects were visible, as the victim 
 tumbled helplessly into the ocean. 
 
 The hurried dash of oars followed ; and, before the 
 defendants had time to assure themselves of the complete¬ 
 ness of their success, the gloomy void of the surrounding 
 ocean had swallowed up the boats. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 That face of his I do remember well; 
 
 Yet when I saw it last it was besmear’d 
 
 As black as Vulcan, in the smoke of war. What you will. 
 
 From the moment when the Coquette fired her first gun, 
 to the moment when the retiring boats became invisible. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 3S9 
 
 was just twenty minutes. Of this time less than half had 
 been occupied by the incidents related in the ship. Short 
 as it was, in truth, it seemed to all engaged but an instant. 
 The alarm was over, the sound of the oars had ceased, 
 and still the survivors stood at their posts, as if expecting 
 the attack to be renewed. Then came those personal 
 thoughts, which had been suspended in the fearful exi¬ 
 gency of such a struggle. The wounded began to feel 
 their pain, and to be sensible of the danger of their in¬ 
 juries, while the few who had escaped unhurt turned a 
 friendly care on their shipmates. Ludlow, as often hap¬ 
 pens with the bravest and most exposed, had escaped 
 without a scratch; but he saw by the drooping forms 
 around him, which were no longer sustained by the ex¬ 
 citement of battle, that his triumph was dearly purchased. 
 
 “ Send Mr. Trysail to me,” he said, in a tone that had 
 little of a victor’s exultation. “ The land breeze has 
 made, and we will endeavour to improve it, and get 
 inside the cape, lest the morning light give us more of 
 these Frenchmen.” 
 
 The order for “ Mr. Trysail! ” “ the captain calls the 
 master! ” passed in a low call from mouth to mouth, but 
 it was unanswered. A seaman told the expecting young 
 commander that the surgeon desired his presence forward. 
 A gleaming of lights, and a little group at the foot of the 
 foremast, was a beacon not to be mistaken. The weather¬ 
 beaten master was in the agony, and his medical attendant 
 had just risen from a fruitless examination of his wounds 
 as Ludlow approached. 
 
 “ I hope the hurt is not serious ? ” hurriedly whispered 
 the alarmed young sailor to the surgeon, who was coolly 
 collecting his implements, in order to administer to some 
 more promising subject. “ Neglect nothing that your art 
 can suggest.” 
 
 “ The case is desperate. Captain Ludlow,” returned 
 the phlegmatic surgeon; but if you have a taste for such 
 things, there is as beautiful a case for amputation promised 
 in the fore-topman whom I have had sent below as offers 
 once in a whole life of active practice! ” 
 
 “ Go, go,” interrupted Ludlow, half pushing the un- 
 
 c c 3 
 
390 
 
 THE WATER WJTCH. 
 
 moved man of blood away, as he spoke; “ go, then, 
 where your services are needed.” 
 
 The other cast a glance around him, reproved his at¬ 
 tendant in a sharp tone for unnecessarily exposing the 
 blade of some ferocious looking instrument to the dew, and 
 departed. 
 
 (S Would to God that some portion of these injuries 
 had befallen those who are younger and stronger ! ” mur¬ 
 mured the captain, as he leaned over the dying master. 
 “ Can I do aught to relieve thy mind, my old and worthy 
 shipmate ? ” 
 
 I have had my misgivings since we have dealt with 
 witchcraft !” returned Trysail, whose voice the rattling of 
 the throat had already nearly silenced. “ I had misgivings 
 —hut no matter. Take care of the ship — I have been 
 thinking of our people—you’ll have to cut—they can 
 never lift the anchor—the wind is here at north.” 
 
 “ All this is ordered. Trouble thyself no further about 
 the vessel; she shall be taken care of, I promise you. 
 Speak of thy wife, and of thy wishes in England.” 
 
 “ God bless Mrs. Trysail! She ’ll get a pension, and 
 I hope contentment! You must give the reef a good 
 berth in rounding Montauk—and you’ll naturally wish to 
 find the anchors again, when the coast is clear—if you 
 can find it in your conscience, say a good word of poor old 
 Ben Trysail in the despatches——” 
 
 The voice of the master sunk to a whisper, and became 
 inaudible. Ludlow thought he strove to speak again, and 
 he bent his ear to his mouth. 
 
 “ I say — the weather-main-swifter and both back-stays 
 are—gone;—look to the spars, for—for—there are— 
 sometimes—heavy puffs at night—in the Americas !” 
 
 The last heavy respiration succeeded, after which came 
 the long silence of death. The body was removed to the 
 poop, and Ludlow, with a saddened heart, turned to duties 
 that this accident rendered still more imperative. 
 
 Notwithstanding the heavy loss and the originally 
 weakened state of her crew, the sails of the Coquette were 
 soon spread, and the ship moved away in silence, as if 
 sorrowing for those who had fallen at her anchorage. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 391 
 
 When the vessel was fairly in motion, her captain as. 
 cended to the poop, in order to command a clearer view of 
 all around him, as well as to profit by the situation to 
 arrange his plans for the future. He found he had been 
 anticipated by the free-trader. 
 
 “ 1 ow r e my ship — I may say my life, since in such a 
 conflict they would have gone together — to thy succour ! ” 
 said the young commander, as he approached the motion¬ 
 less form of the smuggler. “ Without it. Queen Anne 
 would have lost a cruiser, and the flag of England a por¬ 
 tion of its well-earned glory.” 
 
 “ May thy royal mistress prove as ready to remember 
 her friends in emergencies, as mine. In good truth, there 
 was little time to lose, and trust me, we well understood 
 the extremity. If we were tardy, it was because whale¬ 
 boats were to be brought from a distance, for the land lies 
 between my brigantine and the sea.” 
 
 He who came so opportunely, and acted so well, needs 
 no apology.” 
 
 “ Captain Ludlow, are we friends ? ” 
 
 “ It cannot be otherwise. All minor considerations 
 must be lost in such a service. If it is your intention to 
 push this illegal trade further on the coast, I must seek 
 another station.” 
 
 “ Not so. Remain and do credit to your flag and the 
 land of your birth. I have long thought that this is the 
 last time the keel of the Water Witch will ever plough 
 the American seas. Before I quit you, I would have an 
 interview with the merchant. A worse man might have 
 fallen, and just now, even a better man might be spared. 
 I hope no harm has come to him ? ” 
 
 “ He has shown the steadiness of his Holland lineage 
 to-day. During the hoarding he was useful and cool.” 
 
 <e It is well. Let the alderman be summoned to the 
 deck, for my time is limited, and I have much to say.” 
 
 The Skimmer paused, for at that moment a fierce light 
 glared upon the ocean, the ship, and all in it. The two 
 seamen gazed at each other in silence, and both recoiled, as 
 men recede before an unexpected and fearful attack. But 
 a bright and wavering light, which rose out of the forward 
 
 c c 4 
 
39 2 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 ha ch of the vessel, explained all. At the same moment, 
 the deep stillness which, since the bustle of making sail 
 had ceased, pervaded the ship, was broken by the appalling 
 cry of C( Fire ! ” 
 
 The alarm which brings the blood in the swiftest cur¬ 
 rent to a seaman’s heart was now heard in the depths of 
 the vessel. The smothered sounds below, the advancing 
 uproar, and the rush on deck with the awful summons in the 
 open air, succeeded each other with the rapidity of lightning. 
 A dozen voices repeated the word “ the grenade! ” pro¬ 
 claiming, in a breath, both the danger and the cause. But 
 an instant before, the swelling canvass, the dusky spars, 
 and the faint lines of the cordage, were only to be traced 
 by the glimmering light of the stars, and now the whole 
 hamper of the ship was the more conspicuous from the ob¬ 
 scure back-ground against which it was drawn in distinct 
 lines. The sight was fearfully beautiful: beautiful, for it 
 showed the symmetry and fine outlines of the vessel’s rig, 
 resembling the effect of a group of statuary seen by torch¬ 
 light; and fearful, since the dark void beyond seemed to 
 declare their isolated and helpless state. 
 
 There w T as one breathless, eloquent moment, in which 
 all were seen gazing at the grand spectacle in mute awe, 
 and then a voice rose, clear, distinct, and commanding, 
 above the sullen sound of the torrent of fire which was 
 roaring among the avenues of the ship. 
 
 “ Call all hands to extinguish fire ! Gentlemen, to your 
 stations. Be cool, men ; and be silent!” 
 
 There was a calmness and an authority in the tones of 
 the young commander, that curbed the impetuous feelings 
 of the startled crew. Accustomed to obedience, and trained 
 to order, each man broke out of his trance, and eagerly 
 commenced the discharge of his allotted duty. At that 
 instant an erect and unmoved form stood on the combings 
 of the main hatch. A hand was raised in the air, and the 
 call which came from the deep chest was like that of one 
 used to speak in the tempest. 
 
 “ Where are my brigantines ?” it said. “ Come away 
 there, my sea-dogs ! wet the light sails, and follow ! ’* 
 
 A group of grave and submissive mariners gathered 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 Qfl ft 
 
 o'J.y 
 
 about the Skimmer of the Seas, at the sound of his voice. 
 Glancing an eye over them, as if to scan their quality and 
 number, he smiled with a look in which high daring and 
 practised self-command were blended with a constitutional 
 gaite de cceur. 
 
 (< One deck or two,” he added, what avails a plank 
 more or less in an explosion ! — Follow ! ” 
 
 The free-trader and his people disappeared in the interior 
 of the ship. An interval of great and resolute exertion 
 succeeded. Blankets, sails, and every thing which offered, 
 and which, promised to be of use, were wetted and cast 
 upon the flames. The engine was brought to bear, and 
 the ship was deluged with water. But the confined space, 
 with the heat and smoke, rendered it impossible to pene¬ 
 trate to those parts of the vessel where the conflagration 
 raged. The ardour of the men abated, as hope lessened, 
 and after half an hour of fruitless exertion, Ludlow saw 
 with pain that his assistants began to yield to the inextin¬ 
 guishable principle of nature. The appearance of the 
 Skimmer on deck, followed by all his people, destroyed hope, 
 and every effort ceased as suddenly as it had commenced. 
 
 u Think of your wounded/' whispered the free-trader, 
 with a steadiness no danger could disturb. K We stand 
 on a raging volcano ! ” 
 
 “ I have ordered the gunner to drown the magazine.” 
 
 “ He was too late. The hold of the ship is a fiery fur¬ 
 nace. I heard him fall among the store-rooms, and it 
 surpassed the power of man to give the wretch succour. 
 The grenade has fallen near some combustibles, and pain¬ 
 ful as it is to part with a ship so loved, Ludlow, thou will 
 meet the loss like a man! — Think of thy wounded; my 
 boats are still hanging at the stern.” 
 
 Ludlow reluctantly, but firmly, gave the order to bear 
 the wounded to the boats. This was an arduous and de¬ 
 licate duty. The smallest boy in the ship knew the whole 
 extent of the danger, and that a moment, by the explosion 
 of the powder, might precipitate them all into eternity. 
 The deck forward was getting too hot to be endured, and 
 there were places even in which the beams had given 
 symptoms of yielding. 
 
394 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 But the poop, elevated still above the fire, offered a mo¬ 
 mentary refuge. Thither all retired, while the weak and 
 wounded were lowered with the caution circumstances 
 would permit into the whale-boats of the smugglers. 
 
 Ludlow stood at one ladder and the free-trader at the 
 other, in order to be certain that none proved recreant in 
 so trying a moment. Near them were Alida, Seadrift, and 
 the alderman, with the attendants of the former. 
 
 It seemed an age before this humane and tender duty 
 was performed. At length the cry of “ All in ! ” was ut¬ 
 tered in a manner to betray the extent of the self-command 
 that had been necessary to effect it. 
 
 “ Now, Alida, we may think of thee!” said Ludlow, 
 turning to the spot occupied by the silent heiress. 
 
 “ And you ? ” she said, hesitating to move. 
 
 “ Duty demands that I should be the last.” 
 
 A sharp explosion beneath, and fragments of fire flying 
 upwards through a hatch, interrupted his words. Plunges 
 into the sea, and a rush of the people to the boats, followed. 
 All order and authority were completely lost in the instinct 
 of life. In vain did Ludlow call on his men to be cool, 
 and to await for those who were still above. His words 
 were lost in the uproar of clamorous voices. For a mo¬ 
 ment it seemed, however, as if the Skimmer of the Seas 
 would overcome the confusion. Throwing himself on a 
 ladder, he glided into the bows of one of the boats, and 
 holding by the ropes with a vigorous arm, he resisted the 
 efforts of all the oars and boat-hooks, while he denounced 
 destruction on him who dared to quit the ship. Had not 
 the two crews been mingled, the high authority and deter¬ 
 mined mien of the free-booter would have prevailed, but 
 while some were disposed to obey, others raised the cry of 
 C( Throw the dealer in witchcraft into the sea!” Boat¬ 
 hooks were already pointed at his breast, and the horrors of 
 the fearful moment were about to be increased by the vio¬ 
 lence of a mutinous contention, when a second explosion 
 nerved the arms of the rowers to madness. With a com¬ 
 mon and desperate effort they overcame all resistance. 
 Swinging off upon the ladder, the furious seaman saw the 
 boat glide from his grasp and depart. The execration that 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 395 
 
 was uttered beneath the stern of the Coquette was deep 
 and powerful; but, in another moment, the Skimmer stood 
 on the poop, calm and undejected, in the centre of the 
 deserted group. 
 
 “ The explosion of a few of the officers’ pistols has 
 frightened the miscreants,” he said, cheerfully; “ but 
 hope is not yet lost: they linger in the distance, and may 
 return ! ” 
 
 The sight of the helpless party on the poop, and the 
 consciousness of being less exposed themselves, had indeed 
 arrested the progress of the fugitives. Still selfishness 
 predominated, and while most regretted their danger, none 
 but the young and unheeded midshipmen, who were nei¬ 
 ther of an age nor of a rank to wield sufficient authority, 
 proposed to return. There was little argument necessary 
 to show that the perils increased at each moment, and find¬ 
 ing that no other expedient remained, the gallant youths 
 encouraged the men to pull towards the land; intending 
 themselves to return instantly to the assistance of their 
 commander and his friends. The oars dashed into the 
 water again, and the retiring boats were soon lost to view 
 in the body of darkness. 
 
 While the fire had been raging within, another element 
 without had aided to lessen hope for those who were aban¬ 
 doned. The wind from the land had continued to rise, 
 and, during the time lost in useless exertion, the ship had 
 been permitted to run nearly before it. When hope was 
 gone the helm had been deserted, and as all the lower sails 
 had been hauled up to avoid the flames, the vessel had 
 drifted many minutes nearly dead to leeward. The mis¬ 
 taken youths, who had not attended to these circumstances, 
 were already miles from that beach they hoped to reach so 
 soon; and ere the boats had separated from the ship five 
 minutes, they were hopelessly asunder. Ludlow had early 
 thought of the expedient of stranding the vessel, as the 
 means of saving her people; but his better knowledge of 
 their position soon showed him the utter futility of the 
 attempt. 
 
 Of the progress of the flames beneath, the mariners 
 could only judge by circumstances. The Skimmer glanced 
 
THE WATER, WITCH. 
 
 396 
 
 his eye about him, on regaining the poop, and appeared to 
 scan the amount and quality of the physical force that was 
 still at their disposal. He saw that the alderman, the 
 faithful Francois, and two of his own seamen, with four of 
 the petty officers of the ship, remained. The six latter, 
 even in that moment of desperation, had calmly refused to 
 desert their officers. 
 
 " The flames are in the state-rooms ! ” he whispered to 
 Ludlow. 
 
 “ Not further aft, I think, than the berths of the mid¬ 
 shipmen, else we should hear more pistols.” 
 
 { True — they are fearful signals to let us know the 
 progress of the fire ! Our only resource is a raft.” 
 
 Ludlow looked as if he despaired of the means, but 
 concealing the discouraging fear, he answered cheerfully in 
 the affirmative. The orders were instantly given, and all 
 011 board gave themselves to the task, heart and hand. 
 The danger was one that admitted of no ordinary or half- 
 conceived expedients; but, in such an emergency, it re¬ 
 quired all the readiness of their art, and even the greatness 
 of that conception which is the property of genius. All 
 distinctions of rank and authority had ceased, except as 
 deference was paid to natural qualities, and the intelli¬ 
 gence of experience. Under such circumstances the Skim¬ 
 mer of the Seas took the lead ; and though Ludlow caught 
 his ideas with professional quickness, it was the mind of 
 the free-trader that controlled, throughout the succeeding 
 exertions of that fearful night. 
 
 The cheek of Alida was blanched to a deadly paleness, 
 but there rested about the bright and wild eyes of Sea- 
 drift an expression of supernatural resolution. 
 
 When the crew abandoned the hope of extinguishing 
 the flames, they had closed all the hatches, to retard the 
 crisis as much as possible. Here and there, however, little 
 torchlike lights were beginning to show themselves through 
 the planks, and the whole deck forward of the main¬ 
 mast was already in a critical and sinking state. One or 
 two of the beams had failed, but as yet the form of the 
 construction was preserved. Still the seamen distrusted the 
 treacherous footing, and had the heat permitted the expe- 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 S97 
 
 riment, they would have shrunk from a risk which, at any 
 unexpected moment, might commit them to the fiery fur¬ 
 nace beneath. 
 
 The smoke ceased, and a clear powerful light illumin¬ 
 ated the ship to her trucks. In consequence of the care 
 and exertions of her people, the sails and masts were yet 
 untouched, and as the graceful canvass swelled with the 
 breeze, it still urged the blazing hull through the water. 
 
 The forms of the Skimmer and his assistants were visi¬ 
 ble in the midst of the gallant gear, perched on the giddy 
 yards. Seen by that light, with its peculiar attire, his 
 firm and certain step, and his resolute air, the free-trader 
 resembled some fancied sea-god, who, secure in his im¬ 
 mortal immunities, had come to act his part in that awful 
 but exciting trial of hardihood and skill. Seconded by the 
 common men, he was employed in cutting the canvass 
 from the yards. Sail after sail fell upon the deck, and in 
 an incredibly short space of time the whole of the foremast 
 was naked to its spars and rigging. 
 
 In the mean time Ludlow, assisted by the alderman 
 and Francois, had not been idle below. Passing forward, 
 between the empty ridge-ropes, lanyard after lanyard 
 parted under the blows of their little boarding-axes. The 
 mast now depended on the strength of the wood and the 
 support of a single back-stay. 
 
 “ Lay down ! ” shouted Ludlow. “ All is gone aft, but 
 this stay !” 
 
 The Skimmer leaped upon the firm rope, followed by 
 all aloft, and gliding downwards, he was instantly in the 
 hammock-cloths. A crash followed their descent, and an 
 explosion, which caused the whole of the burning fabric 
 to tremble to its centre, seemed to announce the end. 
 Even the free-trader recoiled before the horrible din, but 
 when he stood near Seadrift and the heiress again, there 
 was cheerfulness in his tones, and a look of high, and even 
 of gay resolution in his countenance. 
 
 “ The deck has failed forwards,” he said, iC and our ar¬ 
 tillery is beginning to utter fearful signal guns! Be of 
 cheer;—the magazine of a ship lies deep, and many 
 sheathed bulkheads still proteet us.” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 S£8 
 
 Another discharge from a heated gun, however, pro¬ 
 claimed the rapid progress of the flames. The fire broke 
 out of the interior anew, and the foremast kindled. 
 
 “ There must be an end of this! ” said Alida, clasping 
 her hands in a terror that could not be controlled. “ Save 
 yourselves, if possible, you who have strength and courage, 
 and leave us to the mercy of Him whose eye is over all! ” 
 
 “ Go,” added Seadrift, whose sex could no longer be 
 concealed. “ Human courage can do no more ; leave us 
 to cue! 
 
 The looks that were returned to these sad requests were 
 melancholy, but unmoved. The Skimmer caught a rope, 
 and still holding it in his hand, he descended to the quarter¬ 
 deck, on which he at first trusted his weight with jealous 
 caution. Then looking up, he smiled encouragingly, and 
 said,—“ Where a gun still stands, there is no danger for 
 the weight of a man!” 
 
 “ It is our only resource,” cried Ludlow, imitating his 
 example. “ On, my men, while the beams will still hold 
 us.” 
 
 In a moment all were on the quarter-deck, though the 
 excessive heat rendered it impossible to remain stationary 
 an instant. A gun on each side was run in, its tackles 
 were loosened, and its muzzle was pointed towards the tot¬ 
 tering, unsupported, but still upright foremast. 
 
 “ Aim at the cleets,” said Ludlow to the Skimmer, who 
 pointed one gun, while he did the same office at the other. 
 
 “Hold!” cried the latter. “Throw in shot—it is 
 but the chance between a bursting gun and a lighted ma¬ 
 gazine ! ” 
 
 Additional balls were introduced into each piece, and 
 then, with steady hands, the gallant mariners applied burn¬ 
 ing brands to the priming. The discharges were simul¬ 
 taneous, and for an instant volumes of smoke rolled along 
 the deck, and seemed to triumph over the conflagration. 
 The rending of wood was audible. It was followed by a 
 sweeping noise in the air, and the fall of the foremast, with 
 all its burden of spars, into the sea. The motion of the 
 ship was instantly arrested, and, as the heavy timbers were 
 still attached to the bowsprit by the forward stays, her 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 3$9 
 
 head came to the wind; when the remaining topsails flapped, 
 shivered, and took aback. 
 
 The vessel was now, for the first time during the fire, 
 stationary. The common mariners profited by the cir¬ 
 cumstance, and darting past the mounting flame along the 
 bulwarks, they gained the top-gallant-forecastle, which 
 though heated was yet untouched. The Skimmer glanced 
 an eye about him, and seizing Seadrift by the waist, as if 
 the mimic seaman had been a child, he pushed forward 
 between the ridge-ropes. Ludlow followed with Alida, 
 and the others imitated their example in the best manner 
 they could. All reached the head of the ship in safety ; 
 though Ludlow had been driven by the flames into the 
 fore-channels, and thence nearly into the sea. 
 
 The petty officers were already on the floating spars, 
 separating them from each other, cutting away the un¬ 
 necessary weight of rigging, bringing the several parts of 
 the wood in parallel lines, and lashing them anew. Ever 
 and anon, these rapid movements were quickened by one 
 of those fearful signals from the officer’s berths, which, by 
 announcing the progress of the flames beneath, betrayed 
 their increasing proximity to the still slumbering volcano. 
 The boats had been gone an hour, and yet it seemed to all 
 in the ship but a minute. The conflagration had, for the 
 last ten minutes, advanced with renewed fury, and the 
 whole of the confined flame, which had been so long pent 
 in the depths of the vessel, now glared in the open air. 
 
 c< This heat can no longer he borne,” said Ludlow ; “ we 
 must to our raft for breath.” 
 
 “ To the raft then,” returned the cheerful voice of the 
 free-trader. “ Haul in upon your fasts, men, and stand 
 by to receive the precious freight.” 
 
 The sfeamen obeyed. Alida and her companions were 
 lowered safely to the place prepared for their reception. 
 The foremast had gone over the side, with all its spars 
 aloft; for preparation had been made, before the fire com 
 menced, to carry sail to the utmost, in order to escape the 
 enemy. The skilful and active seamen, directed and aided 
 by Ludlow and the Skimmer, had made a simple but happy 
 disposition of those buoyant materials on which all now 
 
400 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 depended. In settling in the water, the yards still crossed 
 had happily fallen uppermost. The booms and all the 
 light spars had been floated near the top, and laid across, 
 reaching from the lower to the topsail-yard. A few light 
 spars, stowed outboard, had been cut away and added to 
 the number, and the whole were secured with the readiness 
 and ingenuity of seamen. On the first alarm of fire, some 
 of the crew had seized a few articles that would float, and 
 rushed to the head, as the place most remote from the 
 magazine, in the blind hope of saving life by swimming. 
 Most of these articles had been deserted, when the people 
 were rallied to exertion by their officers. A couple of 
 empty shot-boxes and a mess-chest were among them, and 
 on the latter were seated the females, while the former 
 served to keep their feet from the water. As the arrange¬ 
 ment of the spars forced the principal mast entirely beneath 
 the element, and the ship was so small as to need little 
 iron-work in her masting, the part around the top which 
 contained the staging was scarcely submerged. Although 
 a ton in weight was added to the inherent gravity of the 
 wood, still, as the latter was of the lightest description, and 
 freed as much as possible of every thing that was unneces¬ 
 sary to the safety of those it supported, the spars floated 
 sufficiently buoyant for the temporary security of the 
 fugitives. 
 
 ‘ c Cut the fast,” said Ludlow, involuntarily starting at 
 several explosions in the interior, which followed each 
 other in quick succession, and which were succeeded by 
 one which sent fragments of burning wood into the air. 
 “ Cut, and bear the raft off the ship ! God knows, we 
 have need to be farther asunder ! ” 
 
 Cut not ! ” cried the half frantic Seadrift — “ my 
 brave — my devoted-” 
 
 “ Is safe,” calmly said the Skimmer, appearing in the 
 rattlings of the main rigging, which was still untouched by 
 the fire. “ Cut off all; I stay to brace the mizen-topsail 
 more firmly aback.” 
 
 The duty was done, and for a moment the fine figure of 
 the free-trader was seen standing on the edge of the burn¬ 
 ing ship, looking with regret at the glowing mass. 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 401 
 
 “ ’Tis the end of a lovely craft/’ he said, loud enough 
 to be heard by those beneath. Then he appeared in the 
 air and sunk into the sea. “ The last signal was from the 
 ward-room,” added the dauntless and dexterous mariner, 
 as he rose from the water, and shaking the brine from his 
 head, he took his place on the stage. “ Would to God 
 the wind would blow, for we have great need to be at a 
 greater distance ! ” 
 
 The precaution the free-trader had taken in adjusting 
 the sails was not without its use. Motion the raft had 
 none; but as the topsails of the Coquette were still aback, 
 the flaming mass, no longer arrested by the clogs in the 
 water, began slowly to separate from the floating spars, 
 though the tottering and half-burnt masts threatened at 
 each moment to fall. 
 
 Never did moments seem so long as those which suc¬ 
 ceeded. The Skimmer and Ludlow watched, in speechless 
 interest, the tardy movements of the ship. By little and 
 little she receded; and after ten minutes of intense expect¬ 
 ation, the seamen, whose anxiety had increased as their 
 exertions ended, began to breathe more freely. They were 
 still fearfully near the dangerous fabric, but destruction 
 from the explosion was no longer inevitable. The flames 
 began to glide upwards, and then the heavens appeared on 
 fire, as one heated sail after another kindled and flared 
 wildly in the breeze. 
 
 Still the stern of the vessel was entire. The body of 
 the master was seated against the mizen-mast, and even the 
 stern visage of the old seaman was distinctly visible under 
 the broad light of the conflagration. Ludlow gazed at it in 
 melancholy, and for a time he ceased to think of his ship ; 
 while memory dwelt in sadness on those scenes of boyish 
 happiness, and of professional pleasures, in which his an¬ 
 cient shipmate had so largely participated. The roar of a 
 gun, whose stream of fire flashed nearly to their faces, and 
 the sullen whistling of its shot, which crossed the raft, 
 failed to awaken him from his trance. 
 
 (e Stand firm to the mess-chest,” half whispered the 
 Skimmer, motioning to his companions to place themselves 
 in attitudes to support the weaker of their party., while 
 
 D D 
 
402 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 with sedulous care he braced his own athletic person, in a 
 manner to throw all of its weight and strength against the 
 seat. “ Stand firm, and be ready.” 
 
 Ludlow complied, though his eye scarce changed its 
 direction. , He saw the bright flame that was rising above 
 the arm-chest, and he fancied that it came from the funeral 
 pile of the young Dumont, whose fate at that moment he 
 was almost disposed to envy. Then his look returned to 
 the grim countenance of Trysail. At moments it seemed 
 as if the dead master spoke, and so strong did the illusion 
 become, that our young sailor more than once bent forward 
 to listen. While under this delusion the body rose, with 
 the arms stretched upwards. The air was filled with a 
 sheet of streaming fire, while the ocean and the heavens 
 glowed with one glare of intense and fiery red. Notwith¬ 
 standing the precaution of the Skimmer of the Seas, the 
 chest was driven from its place, and those by whom it was 
 held were nearly precipitated into the water. A deep, 
 heavy detonation proceeded as it were from the bosom of 
 the sea, which, while it wounded the ear less than the 
 sharp explosion that had just before issued from the gun, 
 was audible at the distant capes of the Delaware. The 
 body of Trysail sailed upward for fifty fathoms in the centre 
 of a flood of flame, and describing a short curve, it came 
 towards the raft and cut the water within reach of the 
 captain’s arm. A sullen plunge of a gun followed, and 
 proclaimed the tremendous power of the explosion, while a 
 ponderous yard fell athwart a part of the raft, sweeping 
 away the four petty officers of Ludlow as if they had been 
 dust driving before a gale. To increase the wild and fearful 
 grandeur of the dissolution of the royal cruiser, one of the 
 cannon emitted its fiery contents while sailing in the void. 
 
 The burning spars, the falling fragments, the blazing 
 and scattered canvass and cordage, the glowing shot, and 
 all the torn particles of the ship, were seen descending. 
 Then followed the gurgling of water, as the ocean swallowed 
 all that remained of the cruiser which had so long been 
 the pride of the American seas. The fiery glow disap¬ 
 peared, and a gloom like that which succeeds the glare of 
 lightning fell on the sea. 
 
TIIE WATER WITCH. 
 
 403 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Please you, read. 
 
 Cymbeline. 
 
 “ It is past!” said the Skimmer of the Seas, raising 
 himself from the attitude of great muscular exertion, 
 which he had assumed in order to support the mess-chest; 
 and walking out along the single mast, towards the spot 
 whence the four seamen of Ludlow had just been swept. 
 “ It is past! and those who are called to the last account, 
 have met their fates in such a scene as none but a seaman 
 may witness, while those who are spared have need of all 
 a seaman’s skill and resolution for that which remains! 
 Captain Ludlow, I do not despair ; for see, the lady of the 
 brigantine has still a smile for her servitors !” 
 
 Ludlow, who had followed the steady and daring free¬ 
 trader to the place where the spar had fallen, turned and 
 cast a look in the direction that the other stretched his 
 arm. Within a hundred feet of him, he saw the image of 
 the sea-green lady, rocking in the agitated water, and 
 turned towards the raft with its usual expression of wild 
 and malicious intelligence. This emblem of their fancied 
 mistress had been borne in front of the smugglers when 
 they mounted the poop of the Coquette, and the steeled 
 staff on which the lantern was perched, had been struck 
 into a horse-bucket by the standard-bearer of the moment, 
 ere he entered the melee of the combat. During the con¬ 
 flagration this object had more than once met the eye of 
 Ludlow, and now it appeared floating quietly by him, in a 
 manner almost to shake even his contempt for the ordinary 
 superstitions of seamen. While he hesitated in what 
 manner he should reply to his companion’s remark, the 
 latter plunged into the sea and swam towards the light. 
 He was soon by the side of the raft again, hearing aloft 
 the symbol of his brigantine. There are none so firm in 
 the dominion of reason, as to be entirely superior to the 
 
 n n 2 
 
404 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 secret impulses which teach us to believe in the hidden 
 agency of a good or an evil fortune. The voice of the free¬ 
 trader was more cheerful, and his step more sure and 
 elastic, as he crossed the stage and struck the armed end 
 of the staff into that part of the top-rim of the Coquette 
 which floated uppermost. 
 
 " Courage !” he gaily cried. “ While this light burns 
 my star is not set! Courage, lady of the land ; for here is 
 one of the deep waters who still looks kindly on her 
 followers ! We are at sea on a frail craft it is certain, but 
 a dull sailor may make a sure passage. — Speak, gallant 
 Master Seadrift ; thy gaiety and spirit should revive under 
 so goodly an omen !” 
 
 But the agent of so many pleasant masquerades, and 
 the instrument of so much of his artifice, had not a forti¬ 
 tude equal to the buoyant temper of the smuggler. The 
 counterfeit bowed his head by the side of the silent Alida 
 without reply. The Skimmer of the Seas regarded the 
 group a moment with manly interest ; and then touching 
 the arm of Ludlow, he walked with a balancing step 
 along the spars until they had reached a spot where they 
 might confer without causing unnecessary alarm to their 
 companions. 
 
 Although so imminent and so pressing a danger as that 
 of the explosion had passed, the situation of those who 
 had escaped was scarcely better than that of those who had 
 been lost. The heavens showed a few glimmering stars 
 in the openings of the clouds ; and now that the first con¬ 
 trast of the change had lessened, there was just enough 
 light to render all the features of their actual state gloomily 
 imposing. 
 
 It has been said that the foremast of the Coquette went 
 by the board, with most of its hamper aloft. The sails, 
 with such portion of the rigging as might help to sustain 
 it, had been hastily cut away as related; and after its fall, 
 until the moment of the explosion, the common men had 
 been engaged either in securing the staging, or in clearing 
 the wreck of those heavy ropes which, useless as fastenings, 
 only added to the weight of the mass. The whole wreck 
 lay upon the sea, with the yards crossed and in their 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 405 
 
 places, much as the spars had stood. The large booms 
 had been unshipped and laid in such a manner around the 
 top, with the ends resting on the lower and topsail yards, 
 as to form the foundation of the staging. The smaller 
 booms, with the mess-chest and shot-boxes, were all that 
 lay between the group in the centre and the depths of the 
 ocean. The upper part of the top-rim rose a few feet 
 above the water, and formed an important protection 
 against the night-breeze and the constant washing of the 
 waves. In this manner were the females seated, cautioned 
 not to trust their feet on the frail security of the booms, 
 and supported by the unremitting care of the alderman. 
 Francois had submitted to be lashed to the top by one of 
 the brigantine’s seamen, while the latter, all of the common 
 herd who remained, encouraged by the presence of their 
 standard light, began to occupy themselves in looking to 
 the fastenings and the other securities of the raft. 
 
 . “ We are in no condition for a long or an active cruise, 
 Captain Ludlow,” said the Skimmer, when he and his 
 companion were out of hearing. “ I have been at sea in 
 all weathers, and in every description of craft; but this is 
 the boldest of my experiments on the water. — I hope it 
 may not be the last.” 
 
 “ We cannot conceal from ourselves the frightful haz¬ 
 ards w r e run,” returned Ludlow, “ however much we may 
 wish them to be a secret to some among us.” 
 
 ec This is truly a deserted sea to be abroad in on a raft ! 
 Were we in the narrow passages between the British islands 
 and the Main, or even in the Biscay waters, there would 
 be hope that some trader or roving cruiser might cross our 
 track ; but our chance here lies much between the French¬ 
 man and the brigantine.” 
 
 “ The enemy has doubtless seen and heard the explosion; 
 and as the land is so near, they will infer that the people 
 are saved in the boats. Our chance of seeing more of 
 them is much diminished by the accident of the fire, since 
 there will no longer be a motive for remaining on the 
 coast.” 
 
 “ And will your young officers abandon their captain 
 without a search ?” 
 
 d d 3 
 
406 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Hope of aid from that quarter is faint. The ship 
 ran miles while in flame ; and before the light returns, 
 these spars will have drifted leagues with the ebbing tide 
 to seaward.” 
 
 “ Truly I have sailed with better auguries ! ” observed 
 the Skimmer.— “ What are the bearings and distance of 
 the land ? ” 
 
 “It still lies to the north, but we are fast setting east 
 and southerly. Ere morning we shall be abeam of Mon- 
 tauk, or even beyond it; we must already be some leagues 
 in the offing.” 
 
 “ That is worse than I had imagined ! — but there is 
 hope on the flood ? ” 
 
 “ The flood will bear us northward again — but what 
 think you of the heavens ? ” 
 
 “ Unfavourable, though not desperate. The sea-breeze 
 will return with the sun.” 
 
 “And with it will return the swell! How long will 
 these ill-secured spars hold together, when agitated by the 
 heave of the water ? Or how long will those with us 
 bear up against the wash of the sea, unsupported by 
 nourishment ?” 
 
 “ You paint in gloomy colours, Captain Ludlow,” said 
 the free-trader, drawing a heavy breath in spite of all his 
 resolution. “ My experience tells me you are right, 
 though my wishes would fain contradict you. Still I 
 think we have the promise of a tranquil night.” 
 
 “ Tranquil for a ship, or even for a boat ; but hazardous 
 to a raft like this. You see that this topmast already 
 works in the cap, at each heave of the water ; and as the 
 wood loosens, our security lessens.” 
 
 “ Thy council is not flattering !—Captain Ludlow, you 
 are a seaman and a man, and I shall not attempt to trifle 
 with your knowledge. With you I think the danger 
 imminent, and almost our only hope dependent on the 
 good fortune of my brigantine.’ 
 
 “Will those in her think it their duty to quit their 
 anchorage to come in quest of a raft whose existence is 
 unknown to them?” 
 
 “ There is hope in the vigilance of her of the sea-green 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 407 
 
 mantle! You may deem this fanciful or even worse at 
 such a moment; but I, who have run so many gauntlets 
 under her favour, have faith in her fortunes. Surely you 
 are not a seaman, Captain Ludlow, without a secret de¬ 
 pendence on some unseen and potent agency ?” 
 
 “ My dependence is placed in the agency of Him who 
 is all potent, but ever visible. If He forget us, we may 
 indeed despair !” 
 
 (l This is well, but it is not the fortune I would express. 
 Believe me, in spite of an education which teaches all you 
 have said, and of a reason that is often too clear for folly, 
 there is a secret reliance on hidden chances, that has been 
 created by a life of activity and hazard, and which, if it 
 should do nothing better, does not abandon me to despair. 
 The omen of the light and the smile of my mistress 
 would cheer me in defiance of a thousand philosophers !” 
 
 “ You are fortunate in purchasing consolation so cheaply,” 
 returned Ludlow, who derived a latent hope from his com¬ 
 panion’s confidence he would have hesitated to acknowledge. 
 
 I see but little that we can do to aid our chances, except 
 it be to clear away all unnecessary weight, and to secure the 
 raft as much as possible by additional lashings.” 
 
 The Skimmer of the Seas assented to the proposal. 
 Consulting a moment longer on the details of their ex¬ 
 pedients, they rejoined the group near the top in order to 
 see them executed. As the seamen on the raft were re¬ 
 duced to the two people of the brigantine, Ludlow and his 
 companion were obliged to assist in the performance of the 
 duty. 
 
 Much useless rigging, that added to the pressure without 
 aiding the buoyancy of the raft, was cut away, and all the 
 boom-irons were knocked off 1 the yards and suffered to de¬ 
 scend to the bottom of the ocean. By these means a great 
 weight was taken from the raft, which in consequence 
 floated.with so much additional power to sustain those who 
 depended on it for life. The Skimmer, accompanied by his 
 two silent but obedient seamen, ventured along the attenu¬ 
 ated and submerged spars to the extremity of the tapering 
 masts ; and after toiling with the dexterity of men accus¬ 
 tomed to deal with the complicated machinery of a ship in 
 
 D D 4 
 
408 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 the darkest nights, they succeeded in releasing the two smaller 
 masts, with their respective yards, and in floating them 
 down to the body of the wreck, or the part around the top. 
 Here the sticks were crossed in a manner to give great ad¬ 
 ditional strength and footing to the stage. 
 
 There was an air of hope, and a feeling of increased se¬ 
 curity in this employment. Even the alderman and 
 Francois aided in the task to the extent of their knowledge 
 and force. But when these alterations were made, and ad¬ 
 ditional lashings had been applied to keep the topmast and 
 the larger yards in their places, Ludlow, by joining those 
 who were around the mast-head, tacitly admitted that little 
 more could he done to avert the chances of the elements. 
 
 During the few hours occupied in this important duty, 
 Alida and her companion addressed themselves to God in 
 long and fervent petitions. With woman’s faith in that 
 Divine Being who alone could avail them, and with woman’s 
 high mental fortitude in moments of protracted trial, they 
 had both known how to control the exhibition of their 
 terrors, and had sought their support in the same appeal to a 
 power superior to any of earth. Ludlow was therefore 
 more than rewarded by the sound of Alida’s voice speaking 
 to him cheerfully, as she thanked him for what he had done, 
 when he admitted that he could do no more. 
 
 “ The rest is with Providence, ” added Alida. “ All 
 that bold and skilful seamen can do have ye done ; and all 
 that woman in such a situation can do, have we done In 
 your behalf! ” 
 
 “ Thou hast thought of me in thy prayers, Alida ! It is 
 an intercession that the stoutest needs, and which none but 
 the fool derides.” 
 
 “ And thou, Eudora — thou hast remembered Him who 
 quiets the waters ? ” said a voice, near the bending form of 
 the counterfeit Seadrift. 
 
 “ I have.” 
 
 “ ’Tis well — There are points to which manhood and 
 experience may pass, and there are those where all is left to 
 One mightier than the elements !” 
 
 Words like these coming from the lips of one of the 
 known character of the Skimmer of the Seas, were not 
 given to the winds. Even Ludlow cast an uneasy look at 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 409 
 
 the heavens when they came upon his ear, as if they con¬ 
 veyed a secret notice of the whole extremity of the danger 
 by which they were environed. None answered, and a long 
 silence succeeded, during which some of the more fatigued 
 slumbered uneasily, in spite of their fearful situation. 
 
 In this manner did the night pass in weariness and 
 anxiety. Little was said, and for hours scarce a limb was 
 moved in the group that clustered around the mess-chest. 
 As the signs of day appeared, however, every faculty was 
 keenly awake to catch the first signs of what they had to 
 hope, or the first certainty of what they had to fear. 
 
 The surface of the ocean was still smooth, though the 
 long swells in which the element was heaving and setting, 
 sufficiently indicated that the raft had floated far from the 
 land. This fact was rendered sure when the light, which 
 soon appeared along the eastern margin of the narrow view, 
 was shed gradually over the whole horizon. Nothing was 
 at first visible but a gloomy and vacant waste of water. 
 But a cry of joy from Seadrift, whose senses had long been 
 practised in ocean sights, soon drew all eyes in the direc¬ 
 tion opposite to that of the rising sun, and it was not long 
 before all on the low raft had a view of the snowy surfaces of 
 a ship’s sails, as the glow of morning touched the canvass. 
 
 “ It is the Frenchman,” said the free-trader. “ He is 
 charitably looking for the wreck of his late enemy ! ” 
 
 “ It may be so, for our fate can be no secret to him,” 
 w r as the answer of Ludlow. “ Unhappily, we had run 
 some distance from the anchorage before the flames broke 
 out. Truly those with whom we so lately struggled for 
 life are bent on a duty of humanity.” 
 
 “ Ah, yonder is his crippled consort! to leeward 
 many a league. The gay bird has been too sadly stripped 
 of its plumage to fly so near the wind! This is man’s 
 fortune ! He uses his power at one moment to destroy 
 the very means that become necessary to his safety the 
 next.” 
 
 cc And what think you of our hopes ? ” asked Alida, 
 searching in the countenance of Ludlow a clue to their fate. 
 “ Does the stranger move in a direction favourable to our 
 wishes ? ” 
 
 Neither 'Ludlow nor the Skimmer replied. Both re- 
 
410 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 garded the frigate intently, and then, as objects became 
 more distinct, both answered by a common impulse that 
 the ship was seen steering directly towards them. The 
 declaration excited general hope, and even the negress was 
 no longer restrained by her situation from expressing her 
 joy in vociferous exclamations of delight. 
 
 A few minutes of active and eager exertion succeeded. 
 A light boom was unlashed from the raft, and raised on its 
 end, supporting a little signal made of the handkerchiefs of 
 the party, which fluttered in the light breeze at the eleva¬ 
 tion of some twenty feet above the surface of the water. 
 After this precaution was observed, they were obliged to 
 await the result in such patience as they could assume. 
 Minute passed after minute, and at each moment the form 
 and proportions of the ship became more distinct, until all 
 the mariners of the party declared they could distinguish 
 men on her yards. A cannon would have readily sent its 
 shot from the ship to the raft, and yet no sign betrayed 
 the consciousness of those in the former of the proximity of 
 the latter. 
 
 “ I do not like his manner of steering! ” observed the 
 Skimmer to the silent and attentive Ludlow. “ He yaws 
 broadly, as if disposed to give up the search. God grant 
 him the heart to continue on his course ten minutes 
 longer! ” 
 
 Have we no means of making ourselves heard ? ” de¬ 
 manded the alderman. “ Methinks the voice of a strong 
 man might be sent thus far across the water, when life is 
 the stake.” 
 
 The more experienced shook their heads, hut not dis¬ 
 couraged, the burgher raised his voice with a power that 
 was sustained by the imminency of the peril. He was 
 joined by the seamen, and even Ludlow lent his aid, until 
 all were hoarse with the fruitless efforts. Men were evi¬ 
 dently aloft, and in some numbers, searching the ocean with 
 their eyes, but still no answering signal came from the 
 vessel. 
 
 The ship continued to approach, and the raft was less 
 than half a mile from her hows, when the vast fabric sud¬ 
 denly receded from the breeze, showed the whole of its 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 411 
 
 glittering broadside, and swinging its yards, betrayed by its 
 new position that the search in that direction was aban¬ 
 doned. The instant Ludlow saw the falling off of the fri¬ 
 gate’s bows, he cried — 
 
 Now raise your voices together; this is the final 
 chance !” 
 
 They united in a common shout, with the exception of 
 the Skimmer of the Seas. The latter leaned against the 
 top, with folded arms, listening to their impotent efforts 
 with a melancholy smile. 
 
 “ It is well attempted,” said the calm and extraordinary 
 seaman, when the clamour had ceased, advancing along the 
 raft, and motioning for all to be silent; “ but it has failed. 
 The swinging of the yardsj and the orders given in waring 
 ship, would prevent a stronger sound from being audible 
 to men so actively employed. I flatter none with hope, 
 but this is truly the moment for a final effort.” 
 
 He placed his hands to his mouth; and disregarding 
 words, he raised a cry so clear, so powerful, and yet so 
 full, that it seemed impossible those in the vessel should 
 not hear. Thrice did he repeat the experiment, though 
 it was evident that each successive exertion was feebler 
 than the last. 
 
 “ They hear!” cried Alida. “ There is a movement 
 in the sails ! ” 
 
 “ ’ Tis the breeze freshening,” answered Ludlow, in 
 sadness at her side. “ Each moment takes them away ! ” 
 
 The melancholy truth was too apparent for denial, and 
 for half an hour the retiring ship was watched in the bit¬ 
 terness of disappointment. At the end of that time, she 
 fired a gun, spread additional canvass on her wide booms, 
 and stood away before the wind to join her consort, whose 
 upper sails were already dipping to the surface of the sea, 
 in the southern board. With this change in her move¬ 
 ments, vanished all expectation of succour from the cruiser 
 of the enemy. 
 
 Perhaps in every situation of life it is necessary that 
 hope should be first lessened by disappointment, before the 
 buoyancy of the human mind will permit it to descend to 
 the level of an evil fortune. Until a frustrated effort 
 
412 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 teaches him the difficulty of the attempt, he who has fallen 
 may hope to rise again, and it is only when an exertion 
 has been made with lessened means, that we learn the 
 value of advantages which have perhaps been long enjoyed 
 with a very undue estimate of their importance. Until the 
 stern of the French frigate was seen retiring from the raft, 
 those who were on it had not been fully sensible of the 
 extreme danger of their situation. Hope had been strongly- 
 excited by the return of dawn; for while the shadows of 
 night lay on the ocean, their situation resembled that of 
 one who strove to pierce the obscurity of the future, in 
 order to obtain a presage of better fortunes. With the light 
 had come the distant sail. As the day advanced, the ship 
 had approached, relinquished her search, and disappeared, 
 without a prospect of her return. 
 
 The stoutest heart among the group on the raft began 
 to sink at the gloomy fate which now seemed inevitable. 
 
 “ Here is an evil omen ! ” whispered Ludlow, directing 
 his companion’s eyes to the dark and pointed fins of three 
 or four sharks, that were gliding above the surface of the 
 water, and in so fearful a proximity to their persons, as to 
 render their situation on the low spars, over which the 
 water was washing and retiring at each rise and fall of the 
 waves, doubly dangerous. “ The creatures’ instinct speaks 
 ill for our hopes !” 
 
 “ There is a belief among seamen that these animals 
 feel a secret impulse which directs them to their prey,” 
 returned the Skimmer ; “ but fortune may yet balk them. 
 — Rogerson!” calling to one of his followers — e ‘ Thy 
 pockets are rarely wanting in a fisherman’s tackle: hast 
 thou haply line and hook for these hungry miscreants ? 
 The question is getting narrowed to one in which the 
 simplest philosophy is the wisest. When eat or to be 
 eaten is the mooted point, most men will decide for the 
 former.” 
 
 A hook of sufficient size was soon produced, and a line 
 was quickly provided from some of the small cordage that 
 still remained about the masts. A piece of leather, torn 
 from a spar, answered for the bait, and the lure was thrown. 
 Extreme hunger seemed to engross the voracious animals, 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 413 
 
 who darted at the imaginary prey with the rapidity of 
 lightning. The shock was so sudden and violent, that the 
 hapless mariner was drawn from his slippery and precarious 
 footing into the sea. The whole passed with a frightful 
 and alarming rapidity. A common cry of horror was heard, 
 and the despairing glance of the fallen man was witnessed. 
 The mutilated body floated for an instant in its blood, with 
 the look of agony and terror still imprinted on the conscious 
 countenance. At the next moment it had become food for 
 the monsters of the sea. 
 
 All had passed away but the deep dye on the surface of 
 the ocean. The gorged fish disappeared, but the dark 
 spot remained near the immovable raft, as if placed there 
 to warn the survivors of their fate. 
 
 “ This is horrible ! ” said Ludlow. 
 
 <c A sail ! ” shouted the Skimmer, whose voice and tone 
 breaking in on that moment of intense horror and appre¬ 
 hension, sounded like a cry from the heavens. “ My 
 gallant brigantine !” 
 
 “ God grant she come with better fortune than those 
 who have so lately left us !” 
 
 “ God grant it, truly ! If this hope fail, there is none 
 left. Few pass here, and we have had sufficient proof that 
 our top-gallants are not so lofty as to catch every eye.” 
 
 All attention was now bestowed on the white speck 
 which was visible on the margin of the ocean, and which 
 the Skimmer of the Seas confidently pronounced to be the 
 Water Witch. None but a seaman could have felt this 
 certainty; for, seen from the low raft, there was little else 
 to be distinguished but the heads of the upper sails. The 
 direction too was unfavourable, it being to leeward; but 
 both Ludlow and the free-trader assured their companions 
 that the vessel was endeavouring to beat in with the land. 
 
 The two hours that succeeded lingered like days of 
 misery. So much depended on a variety of events, that 
 every circumstance was noted by the seamen of the party 
 with an interest bordering on agony. A failure of the 
 wind might compel the vessel to remain stationary, and 
 then both brigantine and raft would be at the mercy of the 
 uncertain currents of the ocean; a change of wind might 
 
414 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 cause a change of course, and render a meeting impossible; 
 an increase of the breeze might cause destruction, even 
 before the succour could come. In addition to these 
 obvious hazards, there were all the chances which were 
 dependent on the fact that the people of the brigantine 
 had every reason to believe the fate of the party was already 
 sealed. 
 
 Still fortune seemed propitious; for the breeze, though 
 steady, was light, the intention of the vessel evidently to 
 pass somewhere near them, and the hope that their object 
 was search, so strong and plausible as to exhilarate everv 
 bosom. 
 
 At the expiration of the time named, the brigantine 
 passed the raft to leeward, and so near as to render the 
 smaller objects in her rigging distinctly visible. 
 
 fi The faithful fellows are looking for us!” exclaimed 
 the free-trader, with strong emotion. “ They are men to 
 scour the coast, ere they abandon us !” 
 
 “ They pass us—wave the signal — it may still catch 
 their eyes !” 
 
 The little flag was unheeded; and, after so long and so 
 intense expectation, the party on the raft had the pain to 
 see the swift-moving vessel glide past them, and drawing 
 so far ahead as to leave little hope of her return. The 
 heart of even the Skimmer of the Seas appeared to sink 
 within him at the disappointment. 
 
 “ For myself I care not,” said the stout mariner, mourn¬ 
 fully. “ Of little consequence is it in what sea or on what 
 voyage a seaman goes into his watery tomb ! but for thee, 
 my hapless and playful Eudora, I could wish another fate. 
 Ha!—she tacks! the sea-green lady has an instinct for 
 her children, after all!” 
 
 The brigantine was in stays. — In ten or fifteen minutes 
 more, j ,he vessel was again abeam of the raft, and to wind¬ 
 ward. 
 
 “ If she pass us now, our chance is gone, without a 
 shadow of hope,” said the Skimmer, motioning solemnly 
 for silence. Then applying his hands to his mouth, he 
 shouted as if despair lent a giant’s volume to his lungs, 
 
 <( Ho ! the Water Witch — ahoy !” 
 
TIIE WATER WITCH. 
 
 415 
 
 The last word isued from his lips with the clear au¬ 
 dible cry, that the peculiar sound is intended to produce. 
 It appeared as if the conscious little bark knew its com¬ 
 mander’s voice; for its course changed slightly, as if the 
 fabric were possessed of* the consciousness and faculties of 
 life. 
 
 “ Ho ! the Water Witch — ahoy! ” shouted the Skimmer, 
 with a still mightier effort. 
 
 ** Hilloo! ” came down faintly on the breeze, and the 
 direction of the brigantine again altered. 
 
 “ The Water Witch ! — the Water Witch ! — ahoy !” 
 broke out of the lips of the mariner of the shawl with a 
 supernatural force, the last cry being drawn out, till he 
 who uttered it sunk back exhausted with the effort. 
 
 The words were still ringing in the ears of the breath¬ 
 less party on the raft, when a heavy shout swept across 
 the water. At the next moment the boom of the brigantine 
 swung off, and her narrow bows were seen pointing to¬ 
 wards the little beacon of white that played above the sea. 
 It was but a moment, but it was a moment pregnant with 
 a thousand hopes and fears, before the beautiful craft was 
 gliding within fifty feet of the top. In less than five 
 minutes the spars of the Coquette were floating on the 
 wide ocean, unpeopled and abandoned. 
 
 The first sensation of the Skimmer of the Seas, when 
 his foot touched the deck of his brigantine, might have 
 been one of deep and intense gratitude. He was silent, 
 and seemingly oppressed at the throat. Stepping along 
 the planks he cast an eye aloft, and struck his hand pow¬ 
 erfully on the capstan, in a manner that was divided be¬ 
 tween convulsion and affection. Then he smiled grimly 
 on his attentive and obedient crew, speaking with his wonted 
 cheerfulness and authority. 
 
 “ Fill away the topsail—brace up and haul aft! Trim 
 every thing flat as boards, boys ; jam the precious hussy 
 in with the coast.” 
 
416 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Beseech you. Sir, were you present at this relation ? Winter's Tale. 
 
 On the following morning the windows of the Lust-in- 
 llust denoted the presence of its owner. There was an 
 air of melancholy, and yet of happiness, in the faces of 
 many who were seen about the buildings and the grounds, 
 as if a great good had been accompanied by some grave 
 and qualifying circumstances of sorrow. The negroes 
 wore an air of that love of the extraordinary which is the 
 concomitant of ignorance, while those of the more fortunate 
 class resembled men who retained a recollection of serious 
 evils that were past. 
 
 In the private apartment of the burgher, however, an 
 interview took place, which was characterised by an air of 
 deep concern. The parties were only the free-trader and 
 the alderman; but it was apparent in the look of each, 
 that they met like men who had interesting and serious 
 matters to discuss. Still, one accustomed to the expres¬ 
 sions of the human countenance, might have seen that, 
 while the former was about to introduce topics in which 
 his feelings were powerfully enlisted, the other looked only 
 to the grosser interests of his commerce. 
 
 “ My minutes are counted,” said the mariner, stepping 
 into the centre of the room and facing his companion ; 
 “ that which is to be said must be said briefly. The inlet 
 can only be passed on the rising water; and it will ill con¬ 
 sult your opinions of prudence, were I to tarry till the hue- 
 and-cry that will follow the intelligence of that which 
 has lately happened in the offing, shall be heard in the 
 province." 
 
 “ Spoken with a rover’s discretion. This reserve will 
 perpetuate friendship, which is naught weakened by your 
 activity in our late uncomfortable voyage on the yards and 
 masts of Queen Anne’s late cruiser. Well, I wish no ill 
 luck to any loyal gentleman in her majesty’s service, but it 
 is a thousand pities that thou wert not ready, now the 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 '117 
 
 coast is clear, with a good heavy inward cargo. The last 
 w r as altogether an affair of secret drawers and rich laces, 
 valuable in itself and profitable in the exchange ; but the 
 colony is sadly in want of certain articles that can only be 
 landed at leisure.” 
 
 “ I come on other matters. There have been transac¬ 
 tions between us, Alderman Van Beverout, that you little 
 understand.” 
 
 ee You speak of a small mistake in the last invoice ? — 
 T is all explained, Master Skimmer, on a second examina¬ 
 tion, and thy accuracy is as well established as that of the 
 Bank of England.” 
 
 “ Established or not, let him who doubts cease to deal. 
 I have no other motto than f confidence,’ nor any other rule 
 than ‘ justice.’ ” 
 
 “ You overrun my meaning, friend of mine; I intimate no 
 suspicions ; but accuracy is the soul of commerce, as profit 
 is its object. Clear accounts, with reasonable balances, 
 are the surest cements of business intimacies. A little 
 frankness operates in a secret trade, like equity in the 
 courts, which re-establishes the justice that the law has 
 destroyed. What is thy purpose ? ” 
 
 “ It is now many years, Alderman Van Beverout, since 
 this secret trade was commenced between you and my pre¬ 
 decessor ; he whom you have thought my father, but who 
 only claimed that revered appellation, by protecting the 
 helplessness and infancy of the orphan child of a friend.” 
 
 “ The latter circumstance is new to me,” returned the 
 burgher, slowly bowing his head. “ It may explain cer¬ 
 tain levities which have not been without their embarrass¬ 
 ment. ’T is five-and-twenty years, come August, Master 
 Skimmer, and twelve of them have been under thy auspices. 
 I will not say that the adventures might not have been 
 better managed; as it is, they are tolerable. I am getting 
 old, and think of closing the risks and hazards of life; two 
 or three, or at the most, four or five lucky voyages must, 
 I think, bring a final settlement between us.” 
 
 “ ’T will be made sooner. I believe the history of my 
 predecessor was no secret to you. The manner in which 
 he was driven from the marine of the Stuarts, on account 
 
 E E 
 
418 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 of his opposition to tyranny, his refuge with an only 
 daughter in the colonies, and his final resource to the 
 free-trade for a livelihood, have often been alluded to be¬ 
 tween us.” 
 
 “ Hum — I have a good memory for business. Master 
 Skimmer, but I am as forgetful as a new-made lord of his 
 pedigree, on all matters that should be overlooked. I dare 
 say, however, it was as you have stated.” 
 
 “ You know that when my protector and predecessor 
 abandoned the land, he took his all with him upon the 
 water ? ” 
 
 “ He took a wholesome and good-going schooner. Master 
 Skimmer, with an assorted freight of chosen tobacco, well 
 ballasted with stones from off the sea-shore. fie was no 
 foolish admirer of sea-green women and flaunting brigan¬ 
 tines. Often did the royal cruisers mistake the worthy 
 dealer for an industrious fisherman.” 
 
 “ He had his humours, and I have mine. But you 
 forget a part of the freight he carried; a part that was not 
 the least valuable ? ” 
 
 “ There might have been a bale of marten’s furs, for 
 the trade was just getting brisk in that article.” 
 
 “ There was a beautiful, an innocent, and an affectionate 
 girl!” 
 
 The alderman made an involuntary movement, which 
 nearly hid his countenance from his companion. 
 
 “ There w r as, indeed, a beautiful, and, as you say, a 
 most warm-hearted girl in the concern ! ” he uttered, in a 
 voice that was subdued and hoarse. “ She died, as I have 
 heard from thyself. Master Skimmer, in the Italian seas. 
 I never saw the father after the last visit of his child to 
 this coast.” 
 
 (C She did die among the islands of the Mediterranean. 
 But the void she left in the hearts of all who knew her, 
 was filled in time by her child.” 
 
 The alderman started from his chair, and looking the 
 free-trader intently and anxiously in the face, he slowly 
 repeated the word — 
 
 “ Child!” 
 
 “ I have said it. Eudora is the daughter of that in¬ 
 jured woman— need I say who is the father ? ” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 419 
 
 The burgher groaned, and covering his face with his 
 hands, he sunk back into his chair, shivering convulsively. 
 
 “ What evidence have I of this ? ” he at length mut¬ 
 tered. “ Eudora is thy sister ? ” 
 
 The answer of the free-trader was accompanied by a 
 melancholy smile. 
 
 “ You have been deceived. Save the brigantine, my 
 being is attached to nothing. When my own brave father 
 fell by the side of him who protected my youth, none of 
 my blood were left. I loved the latter as a father, and he 
 called me son ; while Eudora was passed upon you as the 
 child of a second marriage. But here is sufficient evidence 
 of her birth.” 
 
 The alderman took a paper which his companion put 
 gravely into his hand, and his eyes ran eagerly over its 
 contents. It was a letter to himself from the mother of 
 Eudora, written after the birth of the latter, and with 
 the enduring affection of a woman. The love between 
 the young merchant and the fair daughter of his secret 
 correspondent, had been less criminal on his part than 
 most similar connections. Nothing but the peculiarity of 
 their situation, and the real embarrassment of introducing 
 to the world one whose existence was unknown to his 
 friends, and their mutual awe of the unfortunate but still 
 proud parent, had prevented a legal marriage. The simple 
 forms of the colon were easily satisfied, and there was 
 even some reason to raise a question whether they had not 
 been sufficiently consulted to render the offspring legitimate. 
 As Myndert Van Beverout therefore read the epistle of her 
 whom he had once so truly loved, and whose loss had, in 
 more senses than one, been to him an irreparable mis¬ 
 fortune, since his character might have yielded to her 
 gentle and healthful influence, his limbs trembled, and 
 his whole frame betrayed extreme agitation. The language 
 of the dying woman was kind, and free from reproach, 
 but it was solemn and admonitory. She communicates 
 the birth of their child; but she left it to the disposition 
 of her own father, while she apprised the author of its 
 being of its existence ; in the event of its ever being con¬ 
 signed to his care, she earnestly recommended it to his 
 
 e e 2 
 
420 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 love. The close was a leave-taking, in which the lingering 
 affections of this life were placed in mournful contrast 
 with the hopes of the future. 
 
 “ Why has this so long been hidden from me?” de¬ 
 manded the agitated merchant. — “ Why, oh ! reckless 
 and fearless man ! have I been permitted to expose the 
 frailties of nature to my own child ? ” 
 
 The smile of the free-trader was bitter and proud. 
 
 “ Mr. Van Beverout, we are no dealers of the short 
 voyage. Our trade is the concern of life; our world the 
 Water Witch. As we have so little of the interests of the 
 land, our philosophy is above its weaknesses. The birth 
 of Eudora was concealed from you at the will of her 
 grandfather. It might have been resentment;—it might 
 have been pride. Had it been affection, the girl has that 
 to justify the fraud.” 
 
 “And Eudora herself! — Does she, or has she long 
 known the truth ? ” 
 
 “ But lately. Since the death of our common friend, 
 the girl has been solely dependent on me for counsel and 
 protection. It is now a year since she first learned she 
 was not my sister. Until then, like you, she supposed us 
 equally derived from one who was the parent of neither. 
 Necessity has compelled me of late to keep her much in 
 the brigantine.” 
 
 “ The retribution is righteous !” groaned the alderman. 
 “ I am punished for my pusillanimity in the degradation 
 of my own child !” • 
 
 The step of the free-trader, as he advanced nearer to 
 his companion, was full of dignity, and his keen eye 
 glowed with the resentment of an offended man. 
 
 “ Alderman Van Beverout,” he said, with stern rebuke 
 in his voice, “ you receive your daughter stainless as was 
 her unfortunate mother, when necessity compelled him 
 whose being was wrapped up in hers to trust her beneath 
 your roof. We of the contraband have our own opinions 
 of right and wrong, and my gratitude, no less than my 
 principles, teaches me that the descendant of my benefactor 
 is to be protected, not injured. Had I in truth been the 
 brother of Eudora, language and conduct more innocent 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 421 
 
 could not have been shown her than that she has both 
 heard and witnessed while guarded by my care.” 
 
 “ From my soul, I thank thee ! ” burst from the lips 
 of the alderman. “ The girl shall be acknowledged, and 
 with such a dowry as I can give, she may yet hope for a 
 suitable and honourable marriage.” 
 
 “ Thou mayest bestow her on thy favourite Patroon,” 
 returned the Skimmer, with a calm but sad eye. “ She is 
 more than worthy of all he can return. The man is 
 willing to take her, for he is not ignorant of her sex and 
 history. That much I thought due to Eudora herself, 
 when fortune placed the young man in my power.” 
 
 “ Thou art only too honest for this wicked world. 
 Master Skimmer ! Let me see the loving pair, and bestow 
 my blessing on them this instant! ” 
 
 The free-trader turned slowly away, and opening a door, 
 he motioned for those within to enter. Alida instantly 
 appeared, leading the counterfeit Seadrift, clad in the 
 attire of her proper sex. Although the burgher had often 
 seen the supposed sister of the Skimmer in her female 
 habiliments, she never before had struck him as a being 
 of so rare beauty as at that moment. The silken whiskers 
 had been removed, and in their places were burning 
 cheeks that was rather enriched than discoloured by the 
 warm touches of the sun. The dark, glossy ringlets, that 
 were no longer artfully converted to the purposes of the 
 masquerade, fell naturally in curls about the temples and 
 brows, shading a countenance which, in general, was 
 playfully arch, though at that moment it was shadowed 
 by reflection and feeling. It is seldom that two such 
 beings are seen together, as those who now knelt at the 
 feet of the merchant. In the breast of the latter, the 
 accustomed and lasting love of the uncle and protector 
 appeared to struggle with the new-born affection of a 
 parent. But nature was too strong for even his blunted 
 and perverted sentiments, and calling his child aloud by 
 name, the selfish and calculating alderman sunk upon the 
 neck of Eudora and wept. It would have been difficult 
 to trace the emotions of the stern but observant free-trader, 
 as he watched the progress of this scene. Distrust, un- 
 
 e e 3 
 
422 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 easiness, and finally melancholy was in his eye. With 
 the latter expression predominant, he quitted the room like 
 one who felt that a stranger had no right to witness 
 emotions so sacred. 
 
 Two hours later and the principal personages of the 
 narrative were assembled on the margin of the cove, 
 beneath the shade of an oak that seemed coeval with the 
 continent. The brigantine’s anchor was a-weigh, and 
 under a light show of canvass, she was making easy 
 stretches in the little basin, resembling, by the ease and 
 grace of her movements, some beautiful swan sailing up 
 and down in the enjoyment of its instinct. A boat had 
 just touched the shore, and the Skimmer of the Seas 
 stood near, stretching out a hand to aid the boy Zephyr to 
 land. 
 
 “ We subjects of the elements are slaves to superstition,” 
 he said, when the light foot of the child touched the 
 ground. “ It is the consequence of lives which ceaselessly 
 present dangers superior to our powers. For many years 
 have I believed that some great good, or some greater evil, 
 would accompany the first visit of this boy to the land. 
 For the first time his foot now stands on solid earth. I 
 await the fulfilment of the augury !” 
 
 Ci It will be happy,” returned Ludlow. “ Alida and 
 Eudora will instruct him in the opinions of this simple 
 and fortunate country, and he seemeth one likely to do 
 early credit to his schooling.” 
 
 “ I fear the boy will regret the lessons of the sea-green 
 lady ! Captain Ludlow, there is yet a duty to perform, 
 which, as a man of more feeling than you may be dis¬ 
 posed to acknowledge, I cannot neglect. I have under¬ 
 stood that you are accepted by la Belle Barberie ? ” 
 
 “ Such is my happiness.” 
 
 “ Sir, in dispensing with explanation of the past, you 
 have shown a noble confidence that merits a return. When 
 I came upon this coast, it was with a determination of 
 establishing the claims of Eudora to the protection and 
 fortune of her father. If I distrusted the influence and 
 hostility of one so placed and so gifted to persuade as this 
 lady, you will remember it was before acquaintance had 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 423 
 
 enabled me to estimate more than her beauty. She was 
 seized in her pavilion by my agency, and transported as a 
 captive to the brigantine.” 
 
 “ I had believed her acquainted with the history of her 
 cousin, and willing to aid in some fantasy which was to 
 lead to the present happy restoration of the latter to her 
 natural friends.” 
 
 “ You did her disinterestedness no more than justice. 
 As some atonement for the personal wrong, and as the 
 speediest and surest means of appeasing her alarm, I made 
 my captive acquainted with the facts; Eudora then heard, 
 also for the first time, the history of her origin. The 
 evidence was irresistible, and we found a generous and de¬ 
 voted friend where we had expected a rival.” 
 
 “ I knew that Alida could not prove less generous!” 
 cried the admiring Ludlow, raising the hand of the blush¬ 
 ing girl to his lips. “ The loss of fortune is a gain, by 
 showing her true character.” 
 
 “Hist! hist!” interrupted the alderman; “there is 
 little need to proclaim a loss of any kind. What must be 
 done in the way of natural justice will doubtless be sub¬ 
 mitted to ; but why let all in the colony know how much 
 or how little is given with a bride ? ” 
 
 “ The loss of fortune will be amply met! ” returned 
 the free-trader. “ These bags contain gold. The dowry 
 of my charge is ready at a moment’s warning, whenever 
 she shall make known her choice.” 
 
 “ Success and prudence ! ” exclaimed the burgher. 
 “ There is no less than a most commendable forethought 
 in thy provision. Master Skimmer, and whatever may be 
 the opinion of the exchequer judges of thy punctuality and 
 credit, it is mine that there are less responsible men about 
 the Bank of England itself! This money is, no doubt, 
 that which the girl can lawfully claim in right of her late 
 grandfather ? ” 
 
 “ It is.” 
 
 “ I take this to be a favourable moment to speak plainly 
 on a subject which is very near my heart, and which may 
 as well be broached under such favourable auspices as 
 under any other. I understand, Mr. Van Staats, that on 
 
 E E 4 
 
424 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 a further examination of your sentiments towards an old 
 friend, you are of opinion that a closer alliance than the 
 one we had contemplated, will most conduce to your hap¬ 
 piness ? ” 
 
 £< I will acknowledge that the coldness of la Belle Bar- 
 berie has damped my own warmth,” returned the Patroon 
 of Kinderhook, who rarely delivered himself of more at a 
 time than the occasion required. 
 
 “ And furthermore, I have been told, sir, that an in¬ 
 timacy of a fortnight has given you reason to fix your 
 affections on my daughter, whose beauty is hereditary, 
 and whose fortune is not likely to he diminished by this 
 act of justice on the part of that upright and gallant 
 mariner.’* 
 
 “ To he received into the favour of your family, Mr. 
 Van Beverout, would leave me little to desire in this life.” 
 
 {C And as for the other world, I never heard of a Pa¬ 
 troon of Kinderhook who did not leave us with comfort¬ 
 able hopes for the future ; as in reason they should, since 
 few families in the colony have done more for the support 
 of religion than they. They gave largely to the two Dutch 
 churches in Manhattan; have actually built, with then' 
 own means, three very pretty brick edifices on the Manor, 
 each having its Flemish steeple and suitable weathercocks, 
 besides having done something handsome towards thf 
 venerable structure in Albany. Eudora, my child, thf 
 gentleman is a particular friend, and as such I can pre* 
 sume to recommend him to thy favour. You are not ab-» 
 solutely strangers, but in order that you may have every 
 occasion to decide impartially, you will remain here toge¬ 
 ther for a month longer, which will enable you to choose 
 without distraction and confusion. More than this for the 
 present it is unnecessary to say, for it is my practice to 
 leave all matters of this magnitude entirely to Providence.” 
 
 The daughter, on whose speaking face the colour went 
 and came like lights changing in an Italian sky, continued 
 silent. 
 
 “ You have happily put aside the curtain which con¬ 
 cealed a mystery that no longer gave me uneasiness,” in¬ 
 terrupted Ludlow, addressing the free-trader; “ can you 
 do more, and say whence came this letter?” 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 4 L 2o 
 
 The dark eye of Eudora instantly lighted again. She 
 looked at the Skimmer of the Seas, and laughed. 
 
 “ *T was another of those womanly artifices which have 
 been practised in my brigantine. It was thought that a 
 young commander of a royal cruiser would be less apt to 
 watch our movements were his mind bent on the discovery 
 of such a correspondent.” 
 
 “ And the trick has been practised before ? ” 
 
 “ I confess it. But I can linger no longer. In a few 
 minutes the tide will turn, and the inlet become impassable. 
 Eudora, we must decide on the fortunes of this child. 
 Shall he to the ocean again ? — or shall he remain to vary 
 his life with a landsman’s chances ? ” 
 
 “ Who, and what is the boy ? ” gravely demanded the 
 alderman. 
 
 “ One dear to both. His father was my nearest friend, 
 and his mother long watched over the youth of Eudora. 
 Until this moment he has been our mutual care;—he 
 must now choose between us.” 
 
 He will not quit me ? ” hastily interrupted the alarmed 
 Eudora —“ Thou art my adopted son, and none can guide 
 thy young mind like me. Thou hast need of woman’s 
 tenderness. Zephyr, and will not quit me?” 
 
 “ Let the child be the arbiter of his own fate. I am 
 credulous on the point of fortune, which is at least a happy 
 belief for the contraband.” 
 
 “ Then let him speak. Wilt remain here, amid these 
 smiling fields, to ramble among yonder gay and sweetly- 
 scented flowers, or wilt thou back to the water, where all is 
 vacant, and without change ? ” 
 
 The boy looked wistfully into her anxious eye, and then 
 he bent his own hesitating glance on the calm features of 
 the free-trader. 
 
 “ We can put to sea,” he said, “ and when we make 
 the homeward passage again, there will be many curious 
 things for thee, Eudora ! ” 
 
 “ But this may be the last opportunity to know the 
 land of thy ancestors. Remember how terrible is the ocean 
 in its anger, and how often the brigantine has been in 
 danger of shipwreck ! ” 
 
426 ' 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ Nay, that is womanish ! ” — I have been on the royal 
 yard in the squalls, and it never seemed to me that there 
 was danger.” 
 
 “ Thou hast the unconsciousness and reliance of a ship- 
 boy ! But those who are older know that the life of a 
 sailor is one of constant and imminent hazard. — Thou hast 
 been among the islands in the hurricane, and hast seen the 
 power of the elements ? ” 
 
 “ I was in the hurricane, and so was the brigantine ; 
 and there you see how taut and neat she is aloft, as if 
 nothing had happened ! ” 
 
 And you saw us yesterday floating on the open sea, 
 while a few ill-fastened spars kept us from going into its 
 depths! ” 
 
 “ The spars floated, and you were not drowned, else I 
 should have wept bitterly, Eudora.” 
 
 “ But thou wilt go deeper into the country, and see 
 more of its beauties, its rivers and its mountains, its caverns 
 and its woods. Here all is change, while the water is ever 
 the same.” 
 
 “ Surely, Eudora, you forget strangely ! Here it is all 
 America. This mountain is America; yonder land, across 
 the bay, is America, and the anchorage of yesterday was 
 America. When we shall run off the coast, the next land¬ 
 fall will be England, or Holland, or Africa ; and with a 
 good wind, we may run down the shores of two or three 
 countries in a day.” 
 
 “ And on them, too, thoughtless boy ! If thou losest 
 this occasion, thy life will he wedded to hazard ! ” 
 
 “ Farewell, Eudora,” said the urchin, raising his mouth 
 to give and receive the parting kiss. 
 
 “ Eudora, adieu ! ” added a deep and melancholy voice 
 at her elbow. “ I can delay no longer, for my people 
 show symptoms of impatience. Should this be the last of 
 my voyages to the coast, thou wilt not forget those with 
 whom thou hast so long shared good and evil! ” 
 
 “ Not yet—not yet—thou wilt not quit us yet! Leave 
 me the boy — leave me some other memorial of the past 
 besides this pain.” 
 
 (( My hour has come. The wind is freshening, and I 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 427 
 
 trifle with its favour. ’T will be better for thy happiness 
 that none know the history of the brigantine, and a few 
 hours will draw a hundred curious eyes from the town 
 upon us.” 
 
 “ What care I for their opinions ! — thou wilt not, can¬ 
 not leave me yet! ” 
 
 “ Gladly would I stay, Eudora, but a seaman’s home is 
 his ship. Too much precious time is already wasted. 
 Once more, adieu ! ” 
 
 The dark eye of the girl glanced wildly about her. It 
 seemed as if in that one quick and hurried look it drank in 
 all that belonged to the land and its enjoyments. 
 
 “ Whither go you f ” she asked, scarce suffering her 
 voice to rise above a whisper. “ Whither do you sail, 
 and when do you return ? ” 
 
 I follow fortune. My return may be distant'—never ! 
 Adieu then, Eudora—be happy with the friends that Pro¬ 
 vidence hath given thee ! ” 
 
 The wandering eyes of the girl of the sea became still 
 more unsettled. She grasped the offered hand of the free¬ 
 trader in both her own, and wrung it in an impassioned 
 and unconscious manner. Then releasing her hold, she 
 opened wide her arms, and cast them convulsively about 
 his unmoved and unyielding form. 
 
 “ We will go together! — I am thine, and thine only !” 
 
 ee Thou knowest not what thou sayest, Eudora ! ” 
 gasped the Skimmer. — Thou hast a father — friend — 
 husband -” 
 
 ee Away, away !” cried the frantic girl, waving her hand 
 wildly towards Alida and the Patroon, who advanced as if 
 hurrying to rescue her from a precipice — “ Thine and 
 thine only !” 
 
 The smuggler released himself from her frenzied grasp, 
 and with the strength of a giant he held the struggling 
 girl at the length of his arm, while he endeavoured to 
 control the tempest of passion that struggled within him. 
 
 Think, for one moment, think ! ” he said. “ Thou 
 wouldst follow an outcast — an outlaw — one hunted and 
 condemned of men ! ” 
 
 “ Thine and thine only !” 
 
428 
 
 THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 “ With a ship for a dwelling — the tempestuous ocean 
 for a world ! ” 
 
 “ Thy world is my world — thy home my home — thy 
 danger mine ! ” 
 
 The shout which burst out of the chest of the Skimmer 
 of the Seas was one of uncontrollable exultation. 
 
 <{ Thou art mine ! ” he cried. “ Before a tie like this, 
 the claim of such a father is forgotten ! Burgher, adieu 
 — I will deal by thy daughter more honestly than thou 
 didst deal by my benefactor’s child ! ” 
 
 Eudora was lifted from the ground as if her weight had 
 been that of a feather, and, in spite of a sudden and im¬ 
 petuous movement of Ludlow and the Patroon, she was 
 borne to the boat. In a moment the bark was afloat, with 
 the gallant boy tossing his sea-cap upwards in triumph. 
 The brigantine, as if conscious of what had passed, wore 
 round like a whirling chariot, and ere the spectators had 
 recovered from their confusion and wonder, the boat was 
 hanging at the tackles. The free-trader was seen on the 
 poop, with an arm cast about the form of Eudora, waving 
 a hand to the motionless group on the shore, while the still 
 half-unconscious girl of the ocean signed her faint adieus to 
 Alida and her father. The vessel glided through the inlet, 
 and was immediately rocking on the billows of the surf. 
 Then, taking the full weight of the southern breeze, the 
 fine and attenuated spars bent to its force, and the progress 
 of the swift-moving craft was apparent by the bubbling 
 line of its wake. 
 
 The day had begun to decline before Alida and Ludlow 
 quitted the lawn of the Lust-in-Rust. For the first hour 
 the dark hull of the brigantine was seen supporting the 
 moving cloud of canvass. Then the low structure vanished, 
 and sail after sail settled into the water, until nothing was 
 visible but a speck of glittering white. It lingered for a 
 minute, and was swallowed in the void. 
 
 The nuptials of Ludlow and Alida were touched with a 
 shade of melancholy. Natural affection in one, and pro¬ 
 fessional sympathy in the other, had given them a deep 
 and lasting interest in the fate of the adventurers. 
 
 Years passed away, and months were spent at the villa 
 
THE WATER WITCH. 
 
 429 
 
 in which a thousand anxious looks were cast upon the 
 ocean. Each morning during the early months of summer, 
 did Alida hasten to the windows of her pavilion, in the 
 hope of seeing the vessel of the contraband anchored in the 
 cove. But always without success. It never returned ; 
 and though the rebuked and disappointed alderman caused 
 many secret enquiries to be made along the whole extent 
 of the American coast, he never again heard of the re¬ 
 nowned Skimmer of the Seas, or of his matchless Water 
 Witch. 
 
 TAB END. 
 
London : 
 
 Spottiswoodes ana Shaw, 
 N ew-street- Square. 
 
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STANDARD NOVELS AND ROMANCES, 
 
 Price Three Shillings and Sixpence each. 
 
 VOL. . AUTHOR. 
 
 55 
 
 HEIDENMAUER 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 CoorER. 
 
 56 
 
 DE L’ORME .... 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 James. 
 
 
 - HEADLONG HALL, NIGHTMARE i 
 
 
 57 
 
 ABBEY, MAID MARIAN, 
 
 AND 
 
 > Peacock. 
 
 
 . CROTCHET CASTLE 
 
 • 
 
 • . 
 
 
 58 
 
 TREVELYAN . The Author of 
 
 £ A Mai 
 
 •I'iage in High Life.” 
 
 59 
 
 PHILIP AUGUSTUS 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 James. 
 
 60 
 
 ROOKWOOD .... 
 
 • 
 
 , 
 
 Ainsworth. 
 
 61 
 
 HENRY MASTERTON . 
 
 • 
 
 # 
 
 James. 
 
 62 
 
 PETER SIMPLE.... 
 
 . 
 
 • 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 63 
 
 JACOB FAITHFUL 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 64 
 
 JAPIIET IN SEARCH OF A FATHER 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 65 
 
 KINGS OWN .... 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 66 
 
 MR. MIDSHIPMAN EASY . 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 67 
 
 NEWTON FORSTER . 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 68 
 
 THE PACHA OF MANY TALES 
 
 # 
 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 69 
 
 RATTLIN THE REEFER. 
 
 
 
 
 70 
 
 CAPTAIN BLAKE, OR MY LIFE 
 
 # 
 
 # 
 
 Maxwell. 
 
 71 
 
 HELEN . 
 
 • 
 
 
 Miss Edgeworth. 
 
 72 
 
 THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII. 
 
 5-s. 
 
 • 
 
 Bttlwee. 
 
 73 
 
 THE BIVOUAC 
 
 . 
 
 
 Maxwell. 
 
 74 
 
 PRECAUTION .... 
 
 • 
 
 a 
 
 Cooper. 
 
 75 
 
 JACK BRAG .... 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Theodore Hook. 
 
 76 
 
 RORY O’MORE .... 
 
 . 
 
 • 
 
 Lover. 
 
 77 
 
 BEN BRACE .... 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Captain Chamier. 
 
 78 
 
 THE VICAR OF WREXHILL . 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Mrs. Trollope. 
 
 79 
 
 THE BUCCANEER. 
 
 . 
 
 • 
 
 Mrs. S. C. Hall. 
 
 80 
 
 TYLNEY HALL. 
 
 
 • 
 
 Thomas Hood. 
 
 81 
 
 THE WIDOW BARNABY . 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Mrs. Trollope. 
 
 82 
 
 THE SOLDIER OF LYONS 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 Mrs. Gore. 
 
 83 
 
 MARRIAGE . The Author of “ 
 
 The Inheritance.” 
 
 84 
 
 THE INHERITANCE 
 
 
 
 
 85 
 
 DESTINY. 
 
 
 
 
 86 
 
 GILBERT GURNEY 
 
 
 " # 
 
 Theodore Hook. 
 
 87 
 
 THE WIDOW AND THE MARQUESS 
 
 Theodore Hock. 
 
 88 
 
 f ALL IN THE WRONG ; OR BIRTHS, i 
 l DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES . . > Theodore Hook. 
 
 89 
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND 
 
 • 
 
 
 Cooper. 
 
 90 
 
 THE PATHFINDER 
 
 • 
 
 
 Cooper. 
 
STANDARD NOVELS AND ROMANCES, 
 
 Price Hires Shillings and Sixpence each. 
 
 VOL. 
 
 91 THE DEERSLAYER.... 
 
 92 JACQUELINE OF HOLLAND . . 
 
 93 THE MAN-AT-ARMS 
 
 94 TWO OLD MEN’S TALES. 
 
 95 THE TWO ADMIRALS . . . 
 
 96 RICHARD SAVAGE .... 
 
 97 CECIL. 
 
 98 THE PRAIRIE BIRD 
 
 99 JACK O’LANTERN . . 
 
 100 AYESHA . . . i . 
 
 101 MARCHIONESS OF BRINVILLIERS 
 
 102 BELFORD REGIS ..... 
 
 103 MY COUSIN NICHOLAS . 
 
 104 THE POACHER. 
 
 105 THE OUTLAW. 
 
 106 THE PHANTOM SHIP . . . 
 
 107 THE DOG FIEND .... 
 
 108 ADVENTURES OF MR. LEDBURY 
 
 109 HECTOR O’HALLORAN . . . 
 
 110 THE IMPROVISATORS . 
 
 111 ROMANCE AND REALITY . . 
 
 112 CATHERINE DE MEDICIS . 
 
 113 PERCIVAL KEENE .... 
 
 114 RECOLLECTIONS OF A CHAPERON 
 
 OF A 
 
 AUTHOR. 
 
 116 
 
 Cooper. 
 
 Grattan. 
 
 James. 
 
 Cooper. 
 
 Whitehead. 
 
 Mrs. Gore. 
 
 Hon. C. A. Murray, 
 Cooper. 
 
 Morier. 
 
 Albert Smith. 
 
 Miss Mitforp. 
 Ixgoldsby. 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 Mrs. S. C. Hall. 
 Marryat. 
 
 Marryat. 
 
 Albert Smith. 
 Maxwell. 
 Andersen. 
 
 L. E. L. 
 
 Miss Costello. 
 Marryat. 
 
 Lady Dacre. 
 
 GAOL \ The Author of “ The 
 . J Coroner’s Clerk.” 
 LEGENDS OP THE RHINE . . Grattan. • 
 r TALES OF THE PEERAGE AND 1 
 
 1]5 J RECOLLECTIONS 
 l CHAPLAIN . 
 
 1174 
 
 ' l PEASANTRY . 
 
 118 SIR RALPH ESHER 
 
 119 THE HAMILTONS 
 
 120 LIFE OF A SAILOR 
 
 
 ■Lady Dacre. 
 
 Leigh Hunt. 
 
 Mrs. Gore. 
 
 Capt. Ckamier, R.N. 
 
 TO BE FOLLOWED BY OTHER POPULAR WORKS. 
 Any of the above may be had separately. 
 
 Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street.