Harris, the jailer of Miss Lyford, we have before remarked, was
extremely superstitious. The other persons on guard were nearly as
much so as their superior. The characters of these men had been
thoroughly studied by Strale and his friends, and they were satisfied
an experiment might be made on their credulity and superstition, with
reasonable hope of success. The idea very generally prevailed, that
all who were active in the witch prosecutions were exposed to fiery
assaults from Satan. On this account, it was deemed a religious duty
to guard the prisoners with the greatest possible care, and the most
resolute men were selected for this purpose.
The jailer was often apprehensive that Satan might appear in defence of
his prisoners. He thought it very possible that a part of the compact
might be that they should be delivered in the moment of their greatest
peril. He often spoke of some probable encounter with the devil,
for it was hardly possible that so faithful a servant of God should
remain unmolested, while subverting the kingdom of Satan on earth.
In conversation with Bolton and his associates, he often warned them
to prepare for such an encounter, and told them of the best methods
to beat off the Serpent, should he be so bold as to attack them.
Harris thought his spiritual armor was impregnable, and his prowess
irresistible, and though as yet he had no opportunity of signalizing
his courage by a pitched battle with any of the demons around him, yet
he boasted of one or two skirmishes in which the Adversary, though he
shook his dragon head and gnashed his teeth, was finally glad to make
his retreat. The courageous jailer did not use his worldly weapons, but
he always confronted his enemy with passages of scripture, and, in the
last resort, employed the most powerful spiritual weapon which he said
never failed, and that was prayer. Harris was not much given to this
exercise, for its potency, he insisted, was weakened by too frequent
repetition; consequently, he kept this weapon for the last extremity,
and never employed it, when other expedients would answer.
This view of Harris' character applied to Bolton and the other guards
of Miss Lyford, so far as superstition was concerned, but Harris was
quite their superior in other respects. He was powerful and bold, and
in grappling with flesh and blood, few men could stand before him; but
he was quite deceived in supposing himself a match for the imaginary
demons around him. No man was more likely to make good his retreat, if
he had occular demonstration of the presence of these mysterious beings.
About ten o'clock in the evening, Lyford requested the privilege of
visiting his sister for the last time. He was rudely repulsed by Harris
and the guard, who said they were forbidden to admit any person on any
pretence whatever.
'Hitherto,' said Lyford, 'you have permitted me to visit my afflicted
sister, and if she be guilty, and as much so as you allege, she is
still my sister, and nature pleads in her behalf. I trust you will
permit me to go in.'
'It is vain to ask,' said Harris; 'the permission you had from the
Governor has been revoked, and you cannot go in.'
'Will you take no responsibility in the matter?' said Lyford, 'and let
me pass for the last time?'
'None whatever,' was the reply. 'Our orders are positive, and we cannot
permit you to go in.'
'Mr. Harris,' returned Lyford, 'you say my sister has made a compact
with Satan; if so, I trust he will appear in her behalf; for, bad as he
is, I would trust him for humanity sooner than such wretches as you. If
he possesses any power, I believe he will now exert it. I was informed
he was seen in the chamber of the sheriff last night, in a threatening
attitude, so that he was hardly able to proceed in his dreadful work
to-day. Moreover, I am told by others, that he is excited to uncommon
rage, and will not any longer tolerate the murder of his friends.'
Harris seemed startled by these remarks, and as the night was
excessively dark, and the train of reflection which Lyford had awakened
was not the most agreeable, the jailer began to fortify his courage
by repeating passages from the Bible, and calling upon the guard to
unite with him in this holy employment, assuring them that Satan would
not dare to appear in the face of such rebukes as the holy scriptures
contained.
'Look,' said Bolton, 'see, Mr. Harris, what terrible shape is that
coming towards us?' The startled jailer cast his eyes in the direction
pointed out by Bolton, and he saw, gleaming through the shade, a
figure, which his terrified imagination instantly formed into that of a
dragon. From his horns, streams of fire were spouting, and a sound like
the hissing of a hundred serpents, rushed on the ear. A moment more,
and volumes of fire poured from his mouth, discovering by their light,
the hideous and distorted features of a demon, while with slow and
solemn pace he advanced towards the house.
'Get thee behind me, Satan!' said the agitated Harris. He then looked
round for a moment, with a bewildered and uncertain gaze. Lyford had
disappeared; Bolton and his companions had fled like the wind. Harris
then closed his eyes, and fell on his knees, uttering a hurried and
tremulous prayer. Looking up again, the fearful apparition still
advanced, and when in the light that was blazing all around, Harris
caught sight of his cloven foot, the unhappy jailer no longer doubted
that Satan in person was at hand, in behalf of Miss Lyford. The Bible
dropped from his hands, the voice of prayer died on his lips. Steel
and pistol were of no avail. No other weapon remained, and taking
to his heels, the unlucky Harris deserted his post, and fled like
a racer for his life, into the depths of the forest. Looking for a
moment from behind a tree, he saw the fiery dragon enter the house.
Then, redoubling his speed, he pushed on over bushes, fences and
brooks, until he plunged into a ditch, from which, after floundering
about for an hour, he made shift to get, weary and exhausted, upon
its neighboring bank. Even here he dared not open his eyes, lest the
terrible image, in its lurid flames, should once more haunt his vision;
but falling on his knees, he devoutly returned thanks, for the strength
he had received to flee from the destroyer.
Meanwhile, the faithful Somers rushed into the house, and with a single
stroke of his axe, broke in the door of Miss Lyford's chamber, and then
bearing her down stairs, he placed her in a wagon, which had been
provided at a little distance, for the occasion. Walter having divested
himself of his dragon's dress, left the horns, the cloven foot and
the black robe in the jailer's room, and with Lyford, hastened to the
beach, where Somers and Mary had already arrived, and in a few moments,
they were all safely on board the Water Witch. The wife and child of
Somers had been sent on board, early in the evening, and when the next
morning dawned, they were ten leagues from Salem harbor, on their way
to Virginia.
The scheme which had been so completely successful was entirely
the invention of Strale; its details were arranged with the utmost
precision and care, and it was executed with an admirable degree of
coolness and skill. Gunpowder in its various adaptations produced the
fire. The burning of tobacco caused the smoke, which seemed to proceed
from his breath. His face blackened and disfigured, a black gown thrown
over his shoulders, and leather sandals in the form of cloven feet,
completed the disguise.
It was not surprising that a device, which in ordinary circumstances
would have been equally foolish and hopeless, should be, in the
present state of public feeling, perfectly adapted to its end. It was
then supposed that visible appearances from the world of spirits were
not uncommon, and the disordered fancies of men created innumerable
apparitions and shapes of evil, which the senses gifted with
supernatural acuteness, were enabled to discern among the grosser forms
of the material world.
The chronicle we have consulted does not reveal the process by which
the mode of Miss Lyford's escape was concealed from the public eye. Yet
it contains some hints on this point which are reserved for our next
chapter, and it also intimates that many secrets were kept by the men
in power, which, had they been disclosed, would have covered the actors
in these tragedies with confusion and shame, and finished at once the
work of persecution and death.