yed their
juggling tricks, falling down, crying out, and staring in people's
faces."

The worthy Captain's account is however, as I have said, very brief--and
has the tone of one who had been a participant, however unwillingly, in
a grossly shameful affair, alike disgraceful to the colony and to
everybody concerned in it. For some additional details, I am indebted to
the manuscript volume.

Captain Alden had not been arrested in Boston. He says himself in his
statement, that "he was sent to Salem by Mr. Stoughton"--the Deputy
Governor, and Chief-Justice of the Special Court that had condemned and
executed Bridget Bishop, and which was now about to meet again.

Before the meeting of the magistrates, Master Raymond had managed to
have a few words with him in private, and found that no arrangements
with any skipper had yet been made. The first negotiations had fallen
through, and there was no other foreign vessel at that time in port
whose master possessed what Captain Alden considered the requisite
trustworthiness and daring. For he wanted a skipper that would show
fight if he was pursued and overtaken; not that any actual fighting
would probably be necessary, for a simple show of resistance would
doubtless be all that was needed.

"When I get back to Boston, I think I shall be able to arrange matters
in the course of a week or two."

"What--in Boston jail?" queried Master Raymond.

"You do not suppose the magistrates will commit me on such a trumped-up
nonsensical charge as this?" said the stout old captain indignantly.

"Indeed I do," was the reply.

"Why, there is not a particle of truth in it. I never saw these girls. I
never even heard of their being in existence."

"Oh, that makes no difference."

"The devil it doesn't!" said the old man, hotly. My readers must
remember that he was a seaman.

Here the sheriff came up and told the Captain he was wanted.

CHAPTER XXV.

Captain Alden before the Magistrates.

There was an additional magistrate sitting on this occasion, Master
Bartholomew Gedney--making three in all.

Mistress Ann Putnam, the she-wolf, as her young brother-in-law had
called her, was not present among the accusers--leaving the part of the
"afflicted" to be played by the other and younger members of the circle.

There was another Captain present, also a stranger, a Captain Hill; and
he being also a tall man, perplexed some of the girls at first. One even
pointed at him, until s