The Pirates Own Book (19 page)

The labors of the robbers being now concluded, they sat down to regale
themselves, preparatory to the
chef d'oeuvre
of their diabolical
enterprise; and a more terrible group of demi-devils, the steward
declares, could not be well imagined than commanded his attention at the
cabin table. However, as he was a Frenchman, and naturally polite, he
acquitted himself of the office of cup-bearer, if not as gracefully, at
least as anxiously, as ever did Ganymede herself. Yet, notwithstanding
this readiness to serve the visitors in their gastronomic desires, the
poor steward felt ill-requited; he was twice frightened into an icicle,
and twice thawed back into conscious horror, by the rudeness of those he
entertained. In one instance, when he had filled out a sparkling glass
for a ruffian, and believed he had quite won the heart of the drinker by
the act, he found himself grasped roughly and tightly by the throat, and
the point of a knife staring him in the face. It seems the fellow who
thus seized him, had felt between his teeth a sharp bit of broken glass,
and fancying that something had been put in the wine to poison him, he
determined to prove his suspicions by making the steward swallow what
remained in the bottle from which the liquor had been drawn, and thus
unceremoniously prefaced his command; however, ready and implicit
obedience averted further bad consequences. The other instance of the
steward's jeopardy was this; when the repast was ended, one of the
gentlemen coolly requested him to waive all delicacy, and point out the
place in which the captain's money was concealed. He might as well have
asked him to produce the philosopher's stone. However, pleading the
truth was of no use; his determined requisitor seconded the demand by
snapping a pistol at his breast; having missed fire, he recocked, and
again presented; but the fatal weapon was struck aside by Barbazan, who
reproved the rashness with a threat, and thus averted the steward's
impending fate. It was then with feelings of satisfaction he heard
himself ordered to go down to the hold, and in a moment he was bolted in
among his fellow sufferers.

The ruffians indulged in the pleasures of the bottle for some time
longer, and then having ordered down the females, treated them with even
less humanity than characterized their conduct towards the others. The
screams of the helpless females were heard in the hold by those who were
unable to render them assistance, and agonizing, indeed, must those
screams have been to their incarcerated hearers! How far the brutality
of the pirates was carried in this stage of the horrid proceeding, we
can only surmise; fortunately, their lives were spared, although, as it
afterwards appeared, the orders of Soto were to butcher every being on
board; and it is thought that these orders were not put into action, in
consequence of the villains having wasted so much time in drinking, and
otherwise indulging themselves; for it was not until the loud voice of
their chief was heard to recall them, that they prepared to leave the
ship; they therefore contented themselves with fastening the women
within the cabin, heaping heavy lumber on the hatches of the hold, and
boring holes in the planks of the vessel below the surface of the water,
so that in destroying the unhappy people at one swoop, they might make
up for the lost time. They then left the ship, sinking fast to her
apparently certain fate.

It may be reasonably supposed, bad as their conduct was towards the
females, and pitiable as was the suffering it produced, that the lives
of the whole left to perish were preserved through it; for the ship must
have gone down if the women had been either taken out of her or
murdered, and those in the hold inevitably have gone with her to the
bottom. But by good fortune, the females succeeded in forcing their way
out of the cabin, and became the means of liberating the men confined in
the hold. When they came on deck, it was nearly dark, yet they could see
the pirate ship at a considerable distance, with all her sails set and
bearing away from them. They prudently waited, concealed from the
possibility of being seen by the enemy, and when the night fell, they
crept to the hatchway, and called out to the men below to endeavor to
effect their liberation, informing them that the pirate was away and out
of sight. They then united their efforts, and the lumber being removed,
the hatches gave way to the force below, so that the released captives
breathed of hope again. The delightful draught, however, was checked,
when the ship was found to contain six feet of water! A momentary
collapse took possession of all their newly excited expectations; cries
and groans of despair burst forth, but the sailors' energy quickly
returned, and was followed by that of the others; they set to work at
the pumps, and by dint of labor succeeded in keeping the vessel afloat.
Yet to direct her course was impossible; the pirates having completely
disabled her, by cutting away her rigging and sawing the masts all the
way through. The eye of Providence, however, was not averted from the
hapless people, for they fell in with a vessel next day that relieved
them from their distressing situation, and brought them to England in
safety.

We will now return to Soto, and show how the hand of that Providence
that secured his intended victims, fell upon himself and his wicked
associates. Intoxicated with their infamous success, the night had far
advanced before Soto learned that the people in the Morning Star,
instead of being slaughtered, were only left to be drowned. The
information excited his utmost rage. He reproached Barbazan, and those
who had accompanied them in the boarding, with disobeying his orders,
and declared that now there could be no security for their lives. Late
as the hour was, and long as he had been steering away from the Morning
Star, he determined to put back, in the hope of effectually preventing
the escape of those in the devoted vessel, by seeing them destroyed
before his eyes. Soto was a follower of the principle inculcated by the
old maxim, "Dead men tell no tales;" and in pursuance of his doctrine,
lost not a moment in putting about and running back. But it was too
late; he could find no trace of the vessel, and so consoled himself with
the belief that she was at the bottom of the sea, many fathoms below the
ken and cognizance of Admiralty Courts.

Soto, thus satisfied, bent his course to Europe. On his voyage he fell
in with a small brig, boarded, plundered, sunk her, and, that he might
not again run the hazard of encountering living witnesses of his guilt,
murdered the crew, with the exception of one individual, whom he took
along with him, on account of his knowledge of the course to Corunna,
whither he intended to proceed. But, faithful to his principles of
self-protection, as soon as he had made full use of the unfortunate
sailor, and found himself in sight of the destined port, he came up to
him at the helm, which he held in his hand, "My friend," said he "is
that the harbor of Corunna?"—"Yes," was the reply. "Then," rejoined
Soto, "You have done your duty well, and I am obliged to you for your
services." On the instant he drew a pistol and shot the man; then coolly
flung his body overboard, took the helm himself, and steered into his
native harbor as little concerned as if he had returned from an honest
voyage. At this port he obtained papers in a false name, disposed of a
great part of his booty, and after a short stay set out for Cadiz, where
he expected a market for the remainder. He had a fair wind until he came
within sight of the coast near that city. It was coming on dark and he
lay to, expecting to go into his anchorage next morning, but the wind
shifted to the westward, and suddenly began to blow a heavy gale; it was
right on the land. He luffed his ship as close to the wind as possible,
in order to clear a point that stretched outward, and beat off to
windward, but his lee-way carried him towards the land, and he was
caught when he least expected the trap. The gale increased—the night
grew pitchy dark—the roaring breakers were on his lee-beam—the
drifting vessel strikes, rebounds, and strikes again—the cry of horror
rings through the flapping cordage, and despair is in the eyes of the
demon-crew. Helpless they lie amid the wrath of the storm, and the
darkened face of Heaven, for the first time, strikes terror on their
guilty hearts. Death is before them, but not with a merciful quickness
does he approach; hour after hour the frightful vision glares upon them,
and at length disappears only to come upon them again in a more dreadful
form. The tempest abates, and the sinners were spared for the time.

As the daylight broke they took to their boats, and abandoned the vessel
to preserve their lives. But there was no repentance in the pirates;
along with the night and the winds went the voice of conscience, and
they thought no more of what had passed. They stood upon the beach
gazing at the wreck, and the first thought of Soto, was to sell it, and
purchase another vessel for the renewal of his atrocious pursuits. With
the marked decision of his character, he proposed his intention to his
followers, and received their full approbation. The plan was instantly
arranged; they were to present themselves as honest, shipwrecked
mariners to the authorities at Cadiz; Soto was to take upon himself the
office of mate, or
contra maestra,
to an imaginary captain, and thus
obtain their sanction in disposing of the vessel. In their assumed
character, the whole proceeded to Cadiz, and presented themselves before
the proper officers of the marine. Their story was listened to with
sympathy, and for a few days every thing went on to their satisfaction.
Soto had succeeded so well as to conclude the sale of the wreck with a
broker, for the sum of one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars; the
contract was signed, but fortunately the money was not yet paid, when
suspicion arose, from some inconsistencies in the pirates' account of
themselves, and six of them were arrested by the authorities. Soto and
one of his crew instantly disappeared from Cadiz, and succeeded in
arriving at the neutral ground before Gibraltar, and six more made their
escape to the Carraccas.

None are permitted to enter the fortress of Gibraltar, without
permission from the governor, or a passport. Soto and his companion,
therefore, took up their quarters at a Posade on the neutral ground, and
resided there in security for several days. The busy and daring mind of
the former could not long remain inactive; he proposed to his companion
to attempt to enter the garrison in disguise and by stealth, but could
not prevail upon him to consent. He therefore resolved to go in alone;
and his object in doing so was to procure a supply of money by a letter
of credit which he brought with him from Cadiz. His companion, more wise
than he, chose the safer course; he knew that the neutral ground was not
much controllable by the laws either of the Spanish or the English, and
although there was not much probability of being discovered, he resolved
not to trust to chance in so great a stake as his life; and he proved to
have been right in his judgment, for had he gone to Gibraltar, he would
have shared the same fate of his chief. This man is the only one of the
whole gang, who has not met with the punishment of his crimes, for he
succeeded in effecting his escape on board some vessel. It is not even
suspected to what country he is gone; but his description, no doubt, is
registered. The steward of the Morning Star informed me, that he is a
tall, stout man, with fair hair, and fresh complexion, of a mild and
gentle countenance, but that he was one of the worst villains of the
whole piratical crew. I believe he is stated to be a Frenchman.

Soto secured his admission into the garrison by a false pass, and took
up his residence at an inferior tavern in a narrow lane, which runs off
the main street of Gibraltar, and is kept by a man of the name of Basso.
The appearance of this house suits well with the associations of the
worthy Benito's life. I have occasion to pass the door frequently at
night, for our barrack, (the Casement,) is but a few yards from it. I
never look at the place without feeling an involuntary sensation of
horror—the smoky and dirty nooks—the distant groups of dark Spaniards,
Moors, and Jews, their sallow countenances made yellow by the fight of
dim oil lamps—the unceiled rafters of the rooms above, seen through
unshuttered windows and the consciousness of their having covered the
atrocious Soto, combine this effect upon me.

In this den the villain remained for a few weeks, and during this time
seemed to enjoy himself as if he had never committed a murder. The story
he told Basso of his circumstances was, that he had come to Gibraltar on
his way to Cadiz from Malaga, and was merely awaiting the arrival of a
friend. He dressed expensively—generally wore a white hat of the best
English quality, silk stockings, white trowsers, and blue frock coat.
His whiskers were large and bushy, and his hair, which was very black,
profuse, long and naturally curled, was much in the style of a London
preacher of prophetic and anti-poetic notoriety. He was deeply browned
with the sun, and had an air and gait expressive of his bold,
enterprising, and desperate mind. Indeed, when I saw him in his cell and
at his trial, although his frame was attenuated almost to a skeleton,
the color of his face a pale yellow, his eyes sunken, and hair closely
shorn; he still exhibited strong traces of what he had been, still
retained his erect and fearless carriage, his quick, fiery, and
malevolent eye, his hurried and concise speech, and his close and
pertinent style of remark. He appeared to me such a man as would have
made a hero in the ranks of his country, had circumstances placed him in
the proper road to fame; but ignorance and poverty turned into the most
ferocious robber, one who might have rendered service and been an honor
to his sunken country. I should like to hear what the phrenologists say
of his head; it appeared to me to be the most peculiar I had ever seen,
and certainly, as far as the bump of
destructiveness
went, bore the
theory fully out. It is rumored here that the skull has been sent to the
savans
of Edinburg; if this be the case, we shall no doubt be made
acquainted with their sage opinions upon the subject, and great
conquerors will receive a farther assurance of how much they resemble in
their physical natures the greatest murderers.