Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-06-07

Seventy-four, lying at Cadlz, pore 1he same
name as the ship which carried Napoleon to
st. Helena, but was newer and larger yes
sell
1 believed now that Haggendorph would
try to ship in the Bellerophon, and | got
permission from the British consul to stay in
his office during all business hours.
True enough, the deserter appeared, and
had begun story of his being left ashore by
an English yacht, when I confronted and
arrested him. He was as cool a rascal as
have ever seem He declared that | was mis-
taken, and promptly showed some keepsakes
marked F. S., borrowed or stolen doubtless,
including a Bible with his name, Frederick
Swan, in it, and a locket engraved Il. S. The
perfect of police locked him up for me over
night, and brought him the next day before
the maritime judge.
| swore to his identity, and he swore as
fatty to his present story, and exhibited the
Bible and locket. He had lawyer to speak
for him also.
The dignifed old judge announced his de-
csion with much stateGness. He said he could
: not doubt the word of honor of the gallant
young officer de la marina, nor could he be-
'lieve that he was mistaken; but, according
to Spanish law, more than one witness for
Identification was necessary, and as | was
alone in my testimony, he must set the man
free.
s'He'n never get into the Bellerophon,"
said Dundonald, who was with me in court
Haggendorph went out, and, as he passed
near me, looked defiantly in my face, saying,
''I'll pay you for thisr'
"Don't speak to mel' I replied, I now
gave up the chase. AS the Bellerophon
would sail in a day or two, l accepted the
privilege granted to the Storage mess by her
captain to take me along with them as far as
Gibraltar whence l could get steamer for
an Italian port. The good fellows dined
with me at the hotel on the eve of sailing,
and agreed to send boat for me at o'clock,
giving me time to finish letter home for the
Paris mail leaving at midnight. A servant
took my luggage to their boat, and then
wrote my letter.
At about said good-by to the landlord,
and walked down through side street to-
ward the boat landing l chose route with
which was familiar but which was rather
dark and unfrequented.
Half way down 1 noticed charcoal cart
and pair of mules standing directly across
the street. A few moments afterward I
heard it drive up behind me and some men
jump out of it. Without warning | was at
tackled from behind, and in a few seconds
was bound, gagged and lifted into the cart,
which drove rapidly away. In the scuffle
thought heard Haggendorph's voice speak
ing Spanish. We soon left the pavements,
and were driven very fast over a rough
country road.
There were two men in the cart besides the
driver. The taller of them, whom they called
Don Francisco, condescended after time to
tell me the object of my capture.
"When we get to my house," he said, ''you
will write letter to your friends or draw
bill of exchange on them that will bring me
a thousand dollars. When I get the money!
will let you 60"
My gag had been removed and 1 replied:
'Senor, there is nobody to pay thousand
mother is poor. will never ask her Or any
body else to pay money for me-"
"Then you will stay with me till you feel
differently" said he
After many hours of rapid travelling we
reached Don Francisco's abode a low, plaster
house with considerable out buildings. Ithad
been part of the Enclosure of a Moorish castle.
One side of the main tower, with an open
horseshoe arch, was still standing Valleys
broken up by woods and open fields lay all
about the place, but no settlements or signs
of human life.
Near by were smoking coal pits to deceive
the custom house police, for my captors were
neither charcoal burners nor professional
brigands, but contrabandistas or smugglers.
I was confined by night in an out building,
but was permitted to be out of doors by day,
under the jailorship of Don Francisco's man
Manuel and a gigantic mastiff Manuel, an
athletic fellow, slept in my room across the
doorway and could never stir without walk
ing him. The only window in the room was
IL o1I -
much wider than the thickness of my arm.
A bright lookout was kept for custom house
spies and police, and on the occasion of one
alarm, was hurried into an opening in the
side of hill which, I found, was the entrance
to deserted mine worked probably by the
Romans many centuries ago, and now used
as Don Francisco's storehouse for contraband
goods.
Don Francisco had an honest looking wife
who was kind to me. I sometimes caught
glimpses of his daughter, Juanita, who was a
fine horse woman and often rode with her
father.
My thoughts were mostly on plans for es-
cape. Manuel could not be bribed with what
little money had, but I got on the rightside
of the dog by sharing my meals with him.
concluded that my first step must be to
get Manuel out of my room at night. COM
pldlleu DlbUeTly W DOu fFduClSCO UnaU UQ6
room was too close and sickening, as was In
deed true.
The door opened inward, and, as Manuel
lay across it, in the narrow space between it
and the bed, it was impossible to move the
door without waking him. At last Don Fran
cisco consented to place him on the outside
with dog chain around his arm fastened to
ring in the door. could not open the door
without arousingrhim,
Now I began to have some hope. The ring
in the door was only staple driven through
the oak plank and clinched on the inside If
l were to cut off the clinches with file, it
would still hold by its rust. I concluded to
cut out a block of the wood around it.
did this by working with my penknife a
part of every night for three weeks, cutting
out trough around the ring. I filed the
excavation with earth and little beeswax
SO that it was imperceptible in the daytime.
When ready, there remained scarcely an
eighth of an inch in thickness not cut through.
On the night meant to escape, asked the
sonora for bottle of wine and let Manuel
drink most of it. Before midnight he was
sleeping heavily. I then cut carefully through
the remaining thickness of the wood and
pushed the block little way out I opened
the door far enough to slip my right arm
through and then pushed out the block, re-
ceiving it in my right hand. I opened the
door, laid down the block carefully, and
stepped over Manuel.
The dog got up and growled. I handed
him piece of meat had prepared, but he
refused it and gave dismal howl. He did
not stop me, however, and I hurried to the
woods and ran as far as could, steering west
by the stars. By dawn was wholly knocked
up and had to lie down to rest.
must have lain some hours when was
walked by the barking Of dogs, and, as tried
to get on my feet was knocked down by an
enormous hound which jumped on me. For
tunately he was muzzled and in minute
more Don Francisco and his brother, Don
Enrico, appeared and was again a prisoner.
The instinct of the dogs had been too much
for me.
"You had better write that letter." said
Don Francisco, grimly.
''That will never do" replied, with
gulp of passion and regret.
After this Manuel slept in my room and
Of linn,