It was an hour after dark the night following
the escape of Bazilio and the arrest of
Nevil when a band of eleven persons might
have been seen standing close to the water,
near a ruined wall not far from the public
quay. They consisted of Bazilio, Anita (in
the disguise of a Spanish youth) and nine men,
who had swam with the former to the shore.
They were well-armed, and had just arrived
at that spot by different ways. They seemed
to be waiting for some one. At length a boat
approached creeping along the shore. It was
filled with men.

`El torre!' said a low voice in the boat.

`Libertad!' answered Bazilio.

The boat appoached and Isidoro sprang
ashore.

`I was fearful you had miscarried in your
efforts to get the boat, Isidoro.'

`Every thing favored me, Don Basilio. I
have twenty-eight men with me. Some have
fallen and others been taken.'

`I have nine here. There is room for all of
us. Now aboard before the patrol appears and
let us pull silently from the shore. This
cloudy sky favors us.'

The long pirogue filled with men and almost
level with the surface of the dark water
shot swiftly out from the shadow of the wall
and with Isidoro at the helm and Don Bazilio
at the bow. They steered directly for the
Three-masted-schooner, which lay where she
had done before; though it was, as Basilio
knew, the intention of the Governor to haul

[figure description] Page 045.[end figure description]

her next day into the dock as well for safety
as for refitting.

They came in sight of her and then with but
two oars moving, silently approached her
quarter. They were alongside before they
were discovered and in an instant Basilio stood
upon the deck with the sentinel disarmed
and beneath his feet. The rest of the guard
were secured, gagged and bound and all were
thrown into the pirogue, and set adrift. The
cable was slipped, the sails set and in five
minutes after being boarded the goleta was in
motion out of the harbor. Two of her sails
were only set that she might be supposed to be
only a polacca schooner, and swiftly and unchallenged
she passed guard-ship, battery and
Moro castle, and once more, tree like her master,
she spread all her canvass to the ocean
breeze.

Basilio now embraced Anita and then Isidoro
and congratulated his brave companions,
whom he thanked with grateful warmth for
all they had done for him.

At the house of the old Spaniard he had
heard from Anita's lips the history of Walter
Nevil's visit—of her love, of his own, and
of his daring efforts to effect his reseue. He
was also informed of his present condition as
a prisoner in chains about to be taken to his
native land to be tried for the death of the officer
who was killed in boarding the polacca.

Don Basilio's grateful and generous nature
was deeply moved by what he heard of the
young American and he pledged himself to
his sister that if he could recover his goleta
he would save him from an ignominious death.
All his energies were then directed to this
end. The success of his plans have been witnessed.
The goleta was once more his.

He now detailed his project in full to Isidoro.
Anita being already acquainted with it.

`Isidoro, my brave friend,' he said `to this
young stranger, `not forgetting your own
part also, I owe my present liberty and the
possession of this vessel again with you by
my side and surrounded by my brave companions.
In the attempt to restore me to liberty
this noble youth has lost his own. He lies
in chains on board the razee. He is charged
with piracy and murder. He will be taken to
his own land and there tried for his life. He
may perish ignominiously. He must be saved.
I owe him my life. Fortune has smiled on us
to-night. Let Nevil share with us our happiness,
which so long as he is in chains can never
be complete.

`I swear, senor, to devote myself with you
to effect his liberation.'

`Thanks, good Isidoro!' exclaimed Anita
fervently.

`We all swear to obey you, noble captain,'
cried his crew. `We have seen Don Waltero
and know he is a brave man and a true sea-man.
He must be rescued, for we love him
who risks his life for Don Basilio.

`Hear then my purpose!' said Basilio. `By
means of a spy I have learned that the razee
sails for Boston in New England in the ebb
to-night. Diego, a man who lives in Havana
when ashore, and to whom I have shown favors
and who also owes his life to this very
American officer who rescued him three years
ago from an assassin in the strects of the city,
this Diego has by my order, got himself shipped
on board the razee as a steward, speaking
English fluently. He has entered fully into
my plans and will prepare the way for senor
de Nevil's escape by the time the razee reaches
her port. To this port is my own destination.
I shall lay off here till the frigate comes
out and then keep ahead of her if possible.
She is a fast sailer but we can out sail her. As
she leaves to-night she will not have heard of
the capture of the goleta and its appearance in
Boston Bay will not draw suspicion upon us.
Once there and with Diego's good aid the
escape of this brave young American may be
effected. At all risks, it becomes us to make
the attempt.'

The goleta lay off about a league from the
Moro, until after midnight ebb, when Basilio
beheld a large ship standing out. With his
glass, as she came nigher, he made her out to
be a frigate of the largest class and no doubt
the razee that he was expecting. To make
sure, he lay by until she came within half a
mile, when he could no longer be deceived.
It was the sixty gun frigate. Having satisfied
himself of the fact, he gave orders to make all
sail and stand Northward. At sunrise the
frigate was nearly hull down astern. Convinced
of his superior sailing, Basilio kept his
own distance from her, sometimes ahead,
sometimes hovering on the horizon to windward,
and the next day as far off to leeward.
In this way he watched her, scarcely
losing
sight of her until the day before they came in
sight of Cape Cod lights, when the goleta
shot freely ahead and the next day entered
Beston Bay before her. The passage of the
two vessels up the harbor, the anchorage of
the razee and the subsequent mysterious
movements of the goleta in her neighborhood
have already been noticed. The reader has
also visited Nevil in his confinement and
witnessed an interview between him and
Diego, which had been interrupted by the entrance
of the sentry, just as the faithful Spaniard
was about to inform of the presence of the
goleta in the harbor.

After the sentry had returned, Diego reentered
the port and proceeded to explain to
Nevil the reason of his visit.

`You must know senor, that you have
friends stronger than I am who are at hand to
serve you. For this I bade you hope. You
see after you were taken, and Don Basilio escaped
to the shore!'

`Did he escape?' asked Nevil earnestly.

`Yes safely. Hear me senor and you shall
learn all. He got to land and nine good men
men with him, besides those that leaped from
the polacca after she struck when you run her
upon the rocks. He took to the bosque and
there hid 'till night; and favored by the

[figure description] Page 046.[end figure description]

darkness made his way to the city to the house of
a friend, where he met Dona Anita?'

`Dona Anita! What news of her? How
heard you this! Speak! What know you of
this lady?'

`That she is safe, senor.'

`Safe! I have not dared to think of her
lest I should go mad! For her sake I have
done all this and yet she is lost to me forever!
If I could behold her once more, Diego, I
would not care for these chains! Her presence
would make a dungeon a palace! Tell me
more! You are a messenger from Heaven!
What more of Dona Anita. Till this moment
I have been left in darkness and doubt as to
her fate and that of Don Basilio her brother!'

`Soon, senor, all will be made clear. While
I am talking with you let me be engaged in
filing this band of iron round your ancle. After
I leave you you can complete it!'

`What means this Diego?'

`That friends are near and ready to aid your
escape!'

`Shall I escape, and thus give an air of
truth to the charge of piracy? Do I fear to
meet my destiny? No, Diego, I will not escape.
I will encounter my fate like a man
it I must die I will die like one! no; I am no
crimnal that I should escape!'

`Senor, you have not heard me out. I will
file here while I speak It will do no harm!'
and Die go began to work away with his file at
the iron shackle upon his leg. `I told you
Don Basilio had met Dona Anita. She told
him of all you had done and had suffered, and
a good deal more about her attachment to you
and yours to her, begging your pardon, Don
Waltero! Well he swore like a brave man and
true friend to try and get you free. But he
must first have his goleta in his possession,
for he could do nothing without her, not he!
So he got together his men, met Isidoro and
got his party together and the night after you
were taken they got a boat and seized the
three masted schooner at her anchors?'

`Recovered the goleta!'

`Si, senor! They set the soldiers adrift in a
boat and made sail, and before a fair wind run
out of the harbor! I knew what they intended
and was in the fore shrouds of the frigate
watching for her; and saw her pass with only
her fore and mizzen set, looking like a polacca;
but I know her in that disguise; and I
saw her more than once at sea after that!'

`Seen her at sea?'

`Si, senor!'

`But Dona Anita? Did Basilia leave his
sister in the Havana with his friends,' demanded
Nevil eagerly.

`No, senor, he took her on board with him!
This iron is as hard as if it had been steeled
to make razors of!'

`And where did they go from Havana?'

`They steered North and kept us company;
for you know we sailed just after midnight
the same night!'

`Tell me, Diego! Is my sudden suspicion
right? Has the goleta followed the frigate
from Havana?' he cried taking him by the
arm and earnestly grasping it as he spoke.

`You have guessed it, senor. She has hovered
round us like a hawk the whole passage,
now ahead now abeam, but always just under
the horizon so that no body could make her
out or suspect her to be always the same vessel.
But I knew her as far as I could see her.

`And when did you see her last?'

`This afternoon, when coming into the
harbor she was only a mile ahead of us!'

`Can this be possible?'

`It is, senor!'

`And Donna Anita on board?'

`She is, Don Waltero.'

`And they have come thus far to endeavor
to effect my escape!'

`They have, senor. And it would be ungrateful
for you to disappoint them. I shipped
on board her, by Don Basilio's orders, to
serve you. I have nearly filed off the ring.'

`And where is the goleta now?' demanded
Nevil, agitated with joy and hope, and hardly
able to realise that he had heard truly; that
it was not a dream.

`She is not half a cable's length from the
Razee, lying about two and a half points off
under her quarter, waiting for my signal!'

`Can this be real?'

`As real as that you are free from your
irons, senor,' said Diego, as he softly removed
the shackles from his limb, and noiselessly
laid them down by the side of the gun carriage.

`Diego, I am in your hands! Anita's presence
is an argument for my attempting to regain
my liberty that I am incapable of resisting.
I will abide by your directions!'

`Love always makes a man reasonable, senor,
' answered Diego, smiling. `I knew on
would not object after you had learned who
was near you!'

`This is wonderful. The goleta's arrival
here the same night and now is miraculous!
'

`She outsails the Razee; and having the
same winds was able to measure her time and
distance. She has, moreover, been a lucky
vessel, senor.'

`Noble Basilio! devoted Anita! What is
your signal, Diego?

`It was agreed upon in Havana, that if the
goleta reached here when the Razae did, that
she should anchor near her, and that I should
free you from your irons, whethe by day or
night. If in the day that you should disguise
your head in a cap, and jump from the port,
when I was to sing out—`a man overboard,'
and jump over, as if to rescue you. That you
should swim for a boat, in which would be
Basilio and two of his men, who would take
you in and pull for the goleta, which would be
already under sail. Basilio trusted to his
good fortune to get out of reach with you before
your absence would be discovered.'

`This would have been rash and dangerous.
Yet it might have succeeded.'

`I am positive it would. Don Basilio

[figure description] Page 047.[end figure description]

always succeeds, except there is treachery in
the way, as at Havana, when he was taken
prisoner. But we have nothing to do now
with that. It is night now; and our plan for
the night was ior you to let yourself down
from the port into the water, and swim for the
goleta with the tide; to get the advantage of
which the goleta was to take up a particular
position. If you were seen I was to cry out a
man overboard, and throw over half a dozen
tarpaulin hats, which I was to collect for the
purpose, and at the same time take to the water
myself. The hats would look like men in
the water, and under cover of the confusion
we could reach the schooner! This now my
plan, senor! You are freed from your irons
The tide will soon serve. Here is a rope to
lower you without noise into the water! Look
out of the port, and you will see the goleta
not a pistol shot distance off! Hearts true
and devoted are on board waiting for you!'

`What was your signal?'

`When you were safe down in the water, I
was to discharge one of the carronades with
my cigar, as if by accident!

`This would be dangerous and needless,
even if you could do it undiscovered. I will
drop into the water and swim to the goleta.—
You can follow me. The night is too dark to
apprehend discovery!'

`This will be the safest, to be sure, senor.
But I thought the discharge of the piece at
night would create a confusion in the midst of
which your escape would be sure!'

`There is no need, good Diego. Go down
into the water. I will follow you!'

`Go first, senor. I must see you in safety
out of the ship before I leave her.'

With a light hoart and spirits buoyant with
hope the young officer threw his weight upon
the rope and lowered himself into the water.
He was instantly followed by Diego. Together
they struck out, swimming below the
surface and only rising to take air, until they

[figure description] Page 048.[end figure description]

had got half way to the goleta, when they
were discovered by Basilio, who had kept his
eyes steadily fixed in the direction of the frigate.
He instantly called to the young Spanish
youth who was sleeping upon the mat on
the deck, who was none other than Donna
Anita herself.

`There two dark objects on the water!—
They approach us!' said Basilio.

`It may be Diego with Don Waltero,' said
Isidoro.

`But we have had no signal!' answered Basilio.

`It is painly two men swimming towards
us,' said Anita, breathless. `I can hear them
pant!'

`Yes! they are men!' cried Don Basilio,
with intense emotion. `Let us throw them
ropes. If they are enemies, we need not fear
two!'

The two swimmers came nigher still, and
Diego raising his arm from the water said,
distinctly,

`Don Basilio, he is safe.'

`It is Diego,' exclaimed Basilio with joy.

`And Walter?' gasped Anita.

`He is with him!'

The next moment they had caught the
ropes thrown to them, and Nevil was just
drawn on board Anita with a glad cry flung
herself into his arms, dripping as he was.

`The sea gave you to me just, and the sea
has now restored you to me, dear Walter!'
she said with joy. `This is Basilio my brother?
'

`Don Waltero, let me embrace you also!
I owe you my life. Friend and brother with
happiness indiscribible I clasp you in my arms
and to my heart!'

Nevil returned his embrace, while Diego
received scarcely a less ardent welcome than
himself. Isidoro without waiting to welcome
them had first thought of duty; and scarcely
had they touched their feet to the deck before
the line which secured the goleta to the cable
of the Kennebec sloop was severed, and
the Steel Belt moving on her way through
the water, each moment with increasing speed.
Soon the Razee was lost to sight hid by the
intervening vessels, past which one after another
the goleta glided running at the rate of
five and a half knots on a bowline. The
towers of the city grew dim in the distance,
castle Independence with its white walls glistening
in the moon beams was swiftly passed;
island after island was left behind; the light
houses in the bay were approached and thrown
astern; and broad and blue before them spread
the ocean.

The ensuing morning when Captain Eben
Pinkham of the Polly Ann on weighing anchor
discovered fifty fathoms of line fastened
to his cable with a double turn and two half-hitches,
he was not a little puzzled to guess
how it came there. But in an hour or two afterwards
he heard of the escape of the prisoner
from the razee and that the three masted
schooner had been seen hovering about her
in the night, and was supposed to have carried
him off on board of her, he was no longer at
a loss to account for the line being fastened
to his cable.

`It's jest as I know'd and suspicioned,' he
said to his friend Captain Pettingell; `the
darn'd chap wanted to take the Polly Ann in
tow as prize, and the rop bruk! wall, I got a
good piece o' runnin rigging, and I hope it 'll
make a halter yet for him and all his tarnal
crew o' pirates! That ar' officer as boarded me
this morning to see if I'd seen or heard any
thing on his prisoner told me how he was supposed
to have been taken off in that three-masted
outlandish craft! He said her motions
in the first watch had been mity queer and suspicious
like, and she'd oughter had an eye kep'
on her. But who'd look for mischief in Bosting
harbor! Wall it's a fact the prisoner,
who they say was a sort of a pirate and the
three-master have both gone together. Somebody,
they tell, helped him to a file and so he
lowered himself down and swam off to her.
I am quite sure it was `Bunker Hill' as saved
both on us last night, Capting Pettingell! I
mean to keep her reglar charged, and when I
get back to Agusty I mene to mount in the
Polly Ann the old Hallowell gun we captured
in the Hook war jist a purpose to navigate
these seas in; for its getting dangerous I tell
ye! Thar was a pirate schooner called the
jumpin' feather—

`Dancing Feather you mean, Capting.'

`Wall dancing or jumpin' either, it makes
little odds. I've hearn tell how she robbed a
brig between this and York with a hundred
sail right in sight! There's a brig o' war gettin
under weigh and they are hailing her from
the frigate! I reckon she is going in pursuit

`It looks very like it,' answered the Penobscot
skipper. Both now watched the brig,
which, after being boarded from the frigate
squared her yards and made all sail before a
fair wind down the harbor. She passed the
castle about seven hours after the Steel Belt,
and evidently was crowding on all sail in pursuit
of her.

Shall we, in one brief sentence, here ends
our story with the marriage of Nevil and Donna
Anita, like a true story-writer, or shall we
in the pages of another romance follow their
flight over the sea and gradually unfold the
events which subsequently occurred, intimately
affecting the destinies and fortunes of
our characters?