Trial and execution of two of the principal personages in our history.
We left Sir Robert Barclay on the deck of the cutter, the ladies and
women sent down below, and Mr Vanslyperken on the point of being dragged
aft by two of Sir Robert's men. The crew of the _Yungfrau_, at the time,
were on the lower deck, some assisting the wounded men, others talking
with Jemmy Salisbury and his wife, whom they were astonished to find
among the assailants.
"Why, Jemmy, how did you get a berth among those chaps?"
"I'll tell you," said Moggy, interrupting: "when he was last at
Portsmouth, they heard him playing his fiddle and singing, and they took
such a fancy to him, that they were determined to have him to amuse them
in the cave. So one evening, they _kidnapped_ him, took him away by main
force, and kept him a prisoner ever since."
"That's carrying the joke rather too far," observed one of the men.
"Mein Gott! yes," replied the corporal.
"But I am at liberty again now at all events," replied Jemmy, taking the
cue from his wife; "and if that chap, Vanslyperken, don't command the
cutter any more, which I've a notion he will not, I shall enter as
boatswain--heh, Dick."
"Yes," replied Short, who was swinging in his hammock.
"Well--when I found that Jemmy couldn't be found, that my dear darling
duck of a husband--my jewel, a box of diamonds (arn't you my Jemmy),
didn't I tear my hair, and run about the streets, like a mad woman,"
continued Moggy. "At last I met with Nancy Corbett, whose husband is one
of the gang, and she told me where he was, fiddle and all, and I
persuaded her to let me go to him, and that's why we both are here."
This was a good invention of Moggy's, and as there was nobody who took
the trouble to disprove it, it was received as not the least apocryphal.
But now Mr Vanslyperken was dragged past them by two of the
conspirators, and all the men of the _Yungfrau_ followed on deck, to see
what was to take place.
When Mr Vanslyperken had been brought aft, his legs tottered, and he
could hardly stand. His face was livid, and his lips white with fear,
and he knew too well that he had little mercy to expect.
"Now, sir," said Sir Robert, with a stern air, "hear the accusation
against you, for although we may be lawless, we will still be just. You
voluntarily entered into our service, and received our pay. You were one
of us, with only this difference, that we have taken up the cause from
principle and loyalty, and you joined us from mercenary motives. Still
we kept our faith with you; for every service performed, you were well
and honourably paid. But you received our money and turned against us;
revealed our secrets, and gave information to your government, by which
that gentleman" (pointing to Ramsay) "and many others, had not they
fortunately received timely notice, would have perished by the gibbet.
Now, sir, I wish to know, what you can bring forward in your defence,
what have you to urge that you should not die the death which you so
traitorously prepared for others."
"Die!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, "no--no--mercy, sir--mercy. I am not fit
to die."
"Few are--but this is certain--that a villain like you is not fit to
live."
"On my knees, I ask mercy," cried the frightened wretch, dropping down.
"Mr Ramsay, speak for me."
"I will speak," replied Ramsay, "but not for you, I will show you, that
even if you were to escape us, you would still be hung; for all your
extracts of the despatches, I have, with full explanation, put into the
hands of the English government. Do you expect mercy from them--they
have not showed much as yet."
"O God--O God!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, throwing himself down on the
deck in despair.
"Now, my lads, you have heard the charges against this man, and also
that he has no defence to offer, what is your sentence?"
"Death!" exclaimed the conspirators.
"You men, belonging to the cutter, you have heard that this man has
betrayed the present government of England, in whose pay and service he
was at the time--what is your opinion?"
Hereupon, Obadiah Coble hitched up his trousers, and said, "Why, as a
matter of opinion, I agrees with you, sir, whomsoever you may be."
"Mein Gott! yes, sir," exclaimed the corporal.
And all the crew cried out together, "Death--death!" which, by-the-bye,
was very mutinous.
"You perceive that you are doubly condemned as a double traitor," said
Sir Robert. "So prepare to die; the religion you profess I know not, but
the time you will be allowed to make your peace with your God is
fifteen minutes."
"Oh!" groaned Vanslyperken, with his face to the deck.
"Up there, my lads, and get a whip on the yard-arm," said Ramsay.
Some of his party went to obey the order, and they were assisted by the
seamen of the _Yungfrau_. But while they were getting the whip ready on
the starboard, Jemmy Ducks was very quietly employed getting another on
the larboard yard-arm, which nobody took notice of.
As soon as the whip, and the cord with the hangman's noose made fast to
it, were all ready, it was reported to Sir Robert by Corporal Van
Spitter, who stepped up to him with his usual military salute. Sir
Robert took off his hat in return. His watch had been held in his hand,
from the time that he had passed sentence upon Vanslyperken, who still
remained prostrate on the deck.
"It is my duty to inform you, sir, that but five minutes are left of
the time awarded to you," said Sir Robert to Vanslyperken.
"Five minutes!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, jumping up from the deck, "but
five minutes--to die in five minutes," continued he, looking up with
horror at the rope at the yard-arm, and the fatal noose at the end of
it, held in the hand of Corporal Van Spitter. "Stop, I have gold--plenty
of gold--I can purchase my life."
"Kingdoms would not purchase it," said Sir Robert, scornfully.
"Oh!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, wringing his hands, "must I leave all my
gold?"
"You have but two minutes, sir," observed Sir Robert. "Let the rope be
put round his neck."
This office was performed by Corporal Van Spitter. The corporal was
quite an amateur.
"Mercy, mercy," cried Vanslyperken, again falling on his knees, and
holding up his hands.
"Call upon Heaven for mercy, you have but one minute left."
But here an interruption took place.
A female made her appearance on the other side of the deck, dragging, by
a cord, the hero of our novel, Snarleyyow, who held back with all his
power, jerking his head to the right and to the left, but it was of no
use, he was dragged opposite to where Vanslyperken knelt. As the reader
may guess, this person was Smallbones, who had tied on a bonnet, and
muffled up his face, so as not to be observed when he first went on
board. Jemmy Ducks now assisted, and the whip on the larboard yard-arm
was made fast to a cord with a running noose, for the hanging of
the cur.
The sight roused Vanslyperken. "My dog!" exclaimed he, "woman, leave
that dog alone--who are you that dare touch my dog?"
The female turned round, threw off her bonnet and handkerchief and
exhibited to the terrified lieutenant, the face of the supposed departed
Smallbones.
"Smallbones!" exclaimed the crew of the _Yungfrau_ in a breath.
"God of mercy--help me, God of mercy!" cried Vanslyperken, aghast.
"I suppose that you do come for to go to know me now, anyhow," said
Smallbones.
"Hath the sea given up its dead?" replied Vanslyperken, in a hollow
voice.
"No, it arn't, 'cause why? I never was a drowned," replied Smallbones;
"no thanks to you, though; but if so be as I supposes, you be a going to
be hung--as I'm a good Christian, I'll forgive you--that is, if you be
hung, you know."
Vanslyperken, who now perceived that Smallbones had been by some miracle
preserved, recovered himself.
"If you forgive me," replied Vanslyperken, "then pray do not ill-treat
my dog."
"I'se not forgiven him, anyhow--I owes him enough, and now I'll have his
account settled, by gum. When you goes up there, he goes up here, as
sure as I'm Peter Smallbones."
"Be merciful!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, who, strange to say, forgot his
own miseries in pleading for his darling cur.
"He be a convicted traitor, and he shall die, by gum!" cried Smallbones,
smacking his fist into the palm of his hand.
During the conversation, the time allotted to Vanslyperken had long
expired, but the interest occasioned by it had inclined Sir Robert to
wait till it was over.
"Enough," cried Sir Robert, "your time is too long expired. Commend your
soul to God--let the rope be manned."
"Now Jemmy, stand by to toddle forward," cried Smallbones.
"One moment--I ask but one moment," cried Vanslyperken, much agitated,
"only one moment, sir."
"For what?"
"To kiss my poor dog," replied Vanslyperken, bursting into tears;
strange and almost ridiculous as was the appeal, there was a seriousness
and a pathos in Vanslyperken's words and manner, which affected those
who were present like a gleam of sunshine, this one feeling which was
unalloyed with baser metal shone upon the close of a worthless and
wicked life, Sir Robert nodded his head, and Vanslyperken walked with
his rope round his neck over to where the dog was held by Smallbones,
bent over the cur and kissed it again and again.
"Enough," cried Sir Robert, "bring him back."
Corporal Van Spitter took hold of Vanslyperken by the arm, and dragged
him to the other side of the deck. The unfortunate wretch was wholly
absorbed in the fate of his cur, who had endeavoured to follow his
master. His eyes were fixed upon Snarleyyow, and Snarleyyow's were fixed
upon his master, thus they were permitted to remain for a few seconds,
when Sir Robert gave the signal. Away went the line of men who had
manned the starboard whip, and away went Jemmy Ducks on the larboard
side, and, at the yard-arms' of the cutter were suspended the bodies of
Vanslyperken and Snarleyyow.
Thus perished one of the greatest scoundrels, and one of the vilest
curs, which ever existed. They were damnable in their lives, and in
their deaths they were not divided.
By the manuscript records, found in the Jacobite papers, it appears that
the double execution took place on the 3rd of August in the year of our
Lord, 1700.