CHAPTER XIV
AMERICAN WITNESSES IN A SPANISH COURT
The party found the forms of justice in Spain, those who knew anything about them, quite different from what they were in New York and New Jersey. The court-room was an oddity to Uncle Moses, and he had the idea that theprovinciamust be building a new court-house, and that the apartment was a temporary one, not adapted to the use for which it was required.
The five smugglers were brought in, each of them with his wrists handcuffed behind him by the officers. Gray's looks plainly indicated that he was a foreigner; but he could speak the language as fluently as any other person in the room, though perhaps not as correctly. He glanced at the four Sir Knights who had overcome him in the conflict on the deck of the Salihé, and especially at Scott, who had lassoed him.
Captain Velazquez appeared to be entirely subdued by his misfortunes, as doubtless he regarded the loss of the Golondrina and his arrest. He was not as savage as he had appeared to be the evening before. The other three men had obeyed orders in the affairs on the steamer, and had submitted quietly when they were overcome, and were of little account.
It was not a very intricate case, for the capture of the schooner with her contraband cargo made everything very plain sailing. The officers of the customs and the police, to whom the vessel and the prisoners had been delivered the night before by Captain Ringgold's agents, stated what they knew about the affair, which was very little. Then Gray was called upon to explain. He gave his evidence in Spanish; but Mr. Gaskette, who had been brought over as an interpreter, and Louis could understand him.
The Scotchman, who seemed to be more troubled about the capture of the little steamer than about the smuggling, without committing himself in regard to the latter, stated squarely that he had engaged the Salihé of Captain Chickworth, and he thought he had the right to use her when he found her in the bay, near the Palmones River. He concluded that she had been sent there for him.
He found on board of her a party of young men, who appeared to be Dutchmen, and who had been drinking too much wine. Mr. Gaskette and Louis laughed when they heard this statement, and even the commander understood enough of it to be amused. To the surprise of Gray the party had refused to allow him the use of the little steamer. He had tried to compromise the matter, and he had offered to pay them money, and not to interfere with their excursion.
The Dutchmen were obstinate, and would not listen to him. He had been compelled to take possession of the steamer, but had made her passengers comfortable in the cabin. Then they had risen against his party, only three of them being then on board the Salihé, and, resorting to the most barbarous methods, using their revolvers, with which all of them seemed to be supplied, had recovered possession of the boat, making them prisoners, and treating them like criminals, when everybody knew that they were honest and law-abiding men.
Those from the Guardian-Mother who understood the testimony could not refrain from laughing heartily at the number of lies Gray had crowded into his evidence. Captain Velazquez and the seamen backed up the statement of Gray, and it was plain enough that the Scotchman had dictated the story they were to tell. Louis asked an officer of the court if the prisoners had been confined in the same cell, and learned that such was the case. Of course they had talked over the situation, and had agreed upon what they were to say.
The question was then asked if the Dutch witnesses spoke Spanish. Only one of those who had been on board of the little steamer could do so, and Louis was called upon to give his testimony. He had some doubts in regard to the sufficiency of his linguistic ability for such an occasion; but he promptly took his place in front of the judge. The dignitary of the bench was an old man, who looked as though he might have seen eighty Spanish winters, judging by the innumerable wrinkles on his face and the paucity of the white hairs on his head.
"What is your name?" asked the venerable dispenser of justice.
"'What's your name?' asked the venerable dispenser of justice."
"'What's your name?' asked the venerable dispenser of justice."
"'What's your name?' asked the venerable dispenser of justice."
"Louis Belgrave,su merced" (your honor), replied the owner of the Guardian-Mother.
"You are a Dutchman; from what part of Holland do you come?"
"From no part of Holland; I am an American, your honor," replied Louis, who had entirely recovered the self-possession he had lost for the moment.
He proceeded to explain that he resided in Von Blonk Park, which was a town in the State of New Jersey, and quite near the city of New York. The name of the town had led Señor Gray to suppose he was a Dutchman, though he had fully explained to him that he was an American, and that neither he nor any of his companions were Dutch.
"What is your business?"
"I have no business," replied the witness with a smile.
"Why do you come to Gibraltar?" asked the judge, evidently puzzled by the answer and the manner of the young gentleman.
"I am going all over the world in my steam-yacht, the Guardian-Mother, which lies at the New Mole in Gibraltar; and we put in there to see the place," replied Louis, blushing in spite of himself, for he felt compelled to speak the exact truth.
"Muy ricos!" (Very rich!) exclaimed the judge.
"Si, su merced."
"You are only a boy!"
"No,su merced. My mother is with me;" whereupon Captain Ringgold and Mr. Gaskette laughed, and there was a smile on the face of the judge.
Louis did not like to "blow his own horn," even so far as to state the facts in regard to himself as the owner of the steam-yacht, and he took the liberty to explain that his mother was his guardian, and that the trustee of his property was present, and would inform him fully as to his affairs.
He was then called upon to give his evidence in respect of the capture of the Salihé by the smugglers. He gave the details of the excursion as well as he could in Spanish, and he talked with considerable fluency, though doubtless he made some mistakes. He appeared to be perfectly understood by all in the court-room, and only twice did the judge ask him to repeat anything he had said. Everybody seemed to be deeply interested in him and in his narrative, perhaps because he was "muy ricos."
"You were intoxicated, were you not?" asked his honor.
"I was not intoxicated: I never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer in my life," replied Louis very gently.
This reply made a decided sensation among the Spaniards in the court-room, and probably none of them ever saw or heard of a rich young man who had never tasted any intoxicating fluid, for in France and Spain even the boys drink wine.
"Were your companions intoxicated?" inquired the judge.
"Not one of them had tasted a drop of anything for months, if ever in their lives."
The judge glanced at Gray, who had asserted that the party on board of the Salihé had been drinking too freely, and there was a frown on his honor's wrinkled face, which indicated that he believed the present rather than the former witness. Louis proceeded to give his narrative of the proceedings on board of the little steam-yacht, including the capture and the recapture of the craft. The lassoing of the Scotchman greatly amused the Spanish portion of the audience, and all eyes were fixed about half the time on the burly victim of the operation.
The judge requested him to call up the one who had handled the lasso, and Louis asked Scott to stand where he was. The hero of the occasion complied with the request. He saw that the audience were amused and excited; but he could not understand a word that had been said, and did not know what it was all about. He was regarded with astonishment, for the listeners could not comprehend how a mere boy, though a rather stout one, had been able to overcome a man of Gray's size and weight.
The Scotchman seemed to be very much surprised to hear Louis talk Spanish, for the latter had concealed his knowledge of the language from him; and doubtless he could understand now how the "Dutchman" had made some of his points against him in the affair. But Louis was permitted to "stand down," as he had told all he knew of the case. The judge called for Scott next, and evidently felt some interest in him. A sworn interpreter was called, and Scott told his story through him, though Louis and Mr. Gaskette watched him very closely; but there was no important variation in his translation of the witnesses' statements.
Two or three times the judge tripped him up, and it appeared that his honor was quite proficient in his English. The narrative of the "hero" agreed very closely with that of Louis. Morris and Felix fully confirmed them, and then Captain Ringgold was called to the stand. After he had given his name and residence, he was asked a question in regard to his business in Gibraltar.
"I am a shipmaster, in command of the steamship Guardian-Mother, which is the yacht of Mr. Louis Belgrave," he replied, putting his hand on the head of his owner, who sat next to him.
"Does your owner drink too much wine?" asked his honor.
"He drinks none at all; never a drop under any circumstances."
While the interpreter was rendering this answer, the judge gazed at Louis, and evidently regarded him as a very wonderful young man, besides being "muy ricos." The temperance question seemed to be mixed in with the issue, for Gray had evidently intended to convey the impression that the party on board of the little steamer were "young bloods," so tipsy that they hardly knew what they were about, and that it was a kindness for him to take charge of them, even if he did use the yacht to tow out the Golondrina and the "honest men" in charge of her.
Captain Ringgold stated that the Salihé had come alongside his ship with the schooner in tow, and he decided to deliver her to the Spanish authorities, for it was plain to him that she was engaged in an illegal voyage, intending to rob the government of Spain of its just revenues. The judge bowed as though he approved this decision.
His honor then wished to hear from Mrs. Belgrave, who was quite startled when the commander asked her to take the stand. Dr. Hawkes conducted her to the box on which she was to stand. The judge looked at her; and his ancient eyes seemed to twinkle as he observed that she was still a very pretty woman, though the mother of a boy of seventeen, "muy ricos" besides.
"I congratulate you, señora, on being the mother of such a young man as Mr. Belgrave, and one so very rich," said the judge in good English.
"I thank your honor," replied Mrs. Belgrave, whose blushes made her look all the more interesting; and Captain Ringgold shared the admiration of his honor.
"Does Mr. Belgrave, your son, ever drink too much wine, or other intoxicating fluids?" asked the judge in Spanish, which was duly translated to the lady.
"Never! He never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer in his life!" exclaimed the witness indignantly.
"Bastante!" (Enough!) added his honor; and la señora was permitted to retire.
Uncle Moses gave some information in regard to the wealth of the young gentleman and to his temperate habits. The judge was evidently satisfied so far as the capture and recapture of the Salihé were concerned, and then proceeded to consider the custom-house question. The officers testified in regard to the merchandise found on board of the Golondrina. No bill of lading, consular certificate, or other document was found on board or in possession of the captain.
It was proved that the goods were smuggled into Spain from Gibraltar. The principals were Gray and Captain Velazquez, and they were heavily fined, and sentenced to imprisonment for one year for smuggling, and one for the assault upon the party on board the little steamer. The others received a much milder sentence. The court adjourned, and his honor hastened to pay his respects to Mrs. Belgrave, and insisted upon sending her and the other ladies to the landing in his carriage. Then he had quite a talk about the Guardian-Mother with the captain, and was invited to visit her with his family.