Captain Canot Part 26

wardroom was a model of social propriety.

THE PRISON OF BREST.

I was not very curious in studying the architecture of the strong stone lock-up, to which they conducted me in the stern and ugly old rendezvous of Brest. I was sick as soon as I beheld it from our deck.

The entrance to the harbor, through the long, narrow, rocky strait, defended towards the sea by a frowning castle, and strongly fortified towards the land, looked to me like pa.s.sing through the throat of a monster, who was to swallow me for ever. But I had little time for observation or reflection on external objects,--my business was with _interiors_: and when the polite mids.h.i.+pman with whom I landed bade farewell, it was only to transfer me to the _concierge_ of a prison within the royal a.r.s.enal. Here I was soon joined by the crew and officers. For a while, I rejected their penitence; but a man who is suddenly swept from the wild liberty of Africa, and doomed for ten years to penitential seclusion, becomes wonderfully forgiving when loneliness eats into his heart, and eternal silence makes the sound of his own voice almost insupportable. One by one, therefore, was restored at least to sociability; so that, when I embraced the permission of our keeper to quit my cell, and move about the prison bounds, I found myself surrounded by seventy or eighty marines and seamen, who were undergoing the penalties of various crimes. The whole establishment was under the _surveillance_ of a naval commissary, subject to strict regulations. In due time, two s.p.a.cious rooms were a.s.signed for my gang, while the jailer, who turned out to be an amphibious scamp,--half sailor, half soldier,--a.s.sured us, "on the honor of a _vieux militaire_," that his entire jurisdiction should be our limits so long as we behaved with propriety.

Next day I descended to take exercise in a broad court-yard, over whose lofty walls the fresh blue sky looked temptingly; and was diligently chewing the cud of bitter fancies, when a stout elderly man, in shabby uniform, came to a military halt before me, and, abruptly saluting in regulation style, desired the favor of a word.

"_Pardon, mon brave!_" said the intruder, "but I should be charmed if _Monsieur le capitaine_ will honor me by the information whether it has been his lot to enjoy the accommodations of a French prison, prior to the unlucky mischance which gives us the delight of his society!"

"No," said I, sulkily.

"_Encore_," continued the questioner, "will it be disagreeable, if I improve this opportunity, by apprising Monsieur _le capitaine_, on the part of our companions and comrades, of the regulations of this royal inst.i.tution?"

"By no means," returned I, somewhat softer.

"Then, _mon cher_, the sooner you are initiated into the mysteries of the craft the better, and no one will go through the ceremony more explicitly, briefly and satisfactorily, than myself--_le Caporal Blon_. First of all, _mon brave_, and most indispensable, as your good sense will teach you, it is necessary that every new comer is bound to pay his footing among the '_government boarders_;' and as you, Monsieur le capitaine, seem to be the honored _chef_ of this charming little squadron, I will make bold to thank you for a _Louis d'or_, or a _Napoleon_, to insure your welcome."

The request was no sooner out than complied with.

"_Bien!_" continued the corporal, "_c'est un bon enfant, parbleu!_ Now, I have but one more _mystere_ to impart, and that is a regulation which no clever chap disregards. We are companions in misery; we sleep beneath one roof; we eat out of one kettle;--in fact, _nous sommes freres_, and the _secrets of brothers are sacred, within these walls, from jailers and turnkeys_!"

As he said these words, he pursed up his mouth, bent his eyes scrutinizingly into mine, and laying his finger on his lip, brought his right hand once more, with a salute, to the oily remnant of a military cap.

I was initiated. I gave the required pledge for my party, and, in return, was a.s.sured that, in any enterprise undertaken for our escape,--which seemed to be the great object and concern of every body's prison-life,--we should be a.s.sisted and protected by our fellow-sufferers.

Most of this day was pa.s.sed in our rooms, and, at dark, after being mustered and counted, we were locked up for the night. For some time we moped and sulked, according to the fas.h.i.+on of all _new_ convicts, but, at length, we sallied forth in a body to the court-yard, determined to take the world as it went, and make the best of a bad bargain.

I soon fell into a pleasant habit of chatting familiarly with old Corporal Blon, who was grand chamberlain, or master of ceremonies, to our penal household, and turned out to be a good fellow, though a frequent offender against "_le coq de France_." Blon drew me to a seat in the suns.h.i.+ne, which I enjoyed, after s.h.i.+vering in the cold apartments of the prison; and, stepping off among the prisoners, began to bring them up for introduction to Don Teodor, separately. First of all, I had the honor of receiving Monsieur Laramie, a stout, stanch, well-built marine, who professed to be _maitre d'armes_ of our "royal boarding-house," and tendered his services in teaching me the use of rapier and broadsword, at the rate of a _franc_ per week. Next came a burly, beef-eating bully, half sailor, half lubber, who approached with a swinging gait, and was presented as _frere_ Zouche, teacher of single stick, who was also willing to make me skilful in my encounters with footpads for a reasonable salary. Then followed a dancing-master, a tailor, a violin-teacher, a shoemaker, a letter-writer, a barber, a clothes-washer, and various other useful and reputable tradespeople or professors, all of whom expressed anxiety to inform my mind, cultivate my taste, expedite nay correspondence, delight my ear, and improve my appearance, for weekly stipends.

I did not, at first, understand precisely the object of all their ceremonious appeals to my purse, but I soon discovered from Corporal Blon,--_who desired an early discount of his note_,--that I was looked on as a sort of Don Magnifico from Africa, who had saved an immense quant.i.ty of gold from ancient traffic, all of which I could command, in spite of imprisonment.

So I thought it best not to undeceive the industrious wretches, and, accordingly, dismissed each of them with a few kind words, and promised to accept their offers when I became a little more familiar with my quarters.

After breakfast, I made a tour of the corridors, to see whether the representations of my morning courtiers were true; and found the shoemakers and tailors busy over toeless boots and patchwork garments.

One alcove contained the violinist and dancing-master, giving lessons to several scapegraces in the _terpsich.o.r.ean_ art; in another was the letter-writer, laboriously adorning a sheet with cupids, hearts, flames, and arrows, while a love-lorn b.o.o.by knelt beside him, dictating a message to his mistress; in a hall I found two pupils of Monsieur Laramie at _quart_ and _tierce_; in the corridors I came upon a string of tables, filled with cigars, snuff, writing-paper, ink, pens, wax, wafers, needles and thread; while, in the remotest cell, I discovered a p.a.w.nbroker and gambling-table. Who can doubt that a real Gaul knows how to kill time, when he is unwillingly converted into a "government boarder," and transfers the occupations, amus.e.m.e.nts, and vices of life, to the recesses of a prison!

Very soon after my incarceration at Brest, I addressed a memorial to the Spanish consul, setting forth the afflictions of twenty-two of his master's subjects, and soliciting the interference of our amba.s.sador at Paris. We were promptly visited by the consul and an eminent lawyer, who a.s.serted his ability to stay proceedings against the ratification of our sentence; but, as the Spanish minister never thought fit to notice our misfortunes, the efforts of the lawyer and the good will of our consul were ineffectual. Three months glided by, while I lingered at Brest; yet my heart did not sink with hope delayed, for the natural buoyancy of my spirit sustained me, and I entered with avidity upon all the schemes and diversions of our stronghold.

Blon kept me busy discounting his twenty _sous_ notes, which I afterwards always took care to lose to him at cards. Then I patronized the dancing-master; took two months' lessons with Laramie and Zouche; caused my shoes to be thoroughly mended; had my clothes repaired and scoured; and, finally, patronized all the various industries of my comrades, to the extent of two hundred francs.

Suddenly, in the midst of these diversions, an order came for our immediate transfer to the _civil prison_ of Brest, a gloomy tower in the walled _chateau_ of that detestable town.

CHAPTER XLV.

I was taken from one prison to the other in a boat, and once more spared the mortification of a parade through the streets, under a guard of soldiers.

A receipt was given for the whole squad to the _brigadier_ who chaperoned us. My men were summarily distributed by the jailer among the cells already filled with common malefactors; but, as the appearance of the _officers_ indicated the possession of cash, the turnkey offered "_la salle de distinction_" for our use, provided we were satisfied with a monthly rent of ten _francs_. I thought the French government was bound to find suitable accommodations for an involuntary guest, and that it was rather hard to imprison me first, and make me pay board afterwards; but, on reflection, I concluded to accept the offer, hard as it was, and, accordingly, we took possession of a large apartment, with two grated windows looking upon a narrow and sombre court-yard.

We had hardly entered the room, when a buxom woman followed with the deepest curtseys, and declared herself "most happy to have it in her power to supply us with beds and bedding, at ten sous per day." She apprised us, moreover, that the daily prison fare consisted of two pounds and a half of black bread, with water _a discretion_, but if we wished, she might introduce the _vivandiere_ of the regiment, stationed in the chateau, who would supply our meals twice a day from the mess of the petty officers.

My money had not been seriously moth-eaten during our previous confinement, so that I did not hesitate to strike a bargain with Madame Sorret, and to request that _la vivandiere_ might make her appearance on the theatre of action as soon as possible. Presently, the door opened again, and the dame reappeared accompanied by two Spanish women, wives of musicians in the corps, who had heard that several of their countrymen had that morning been incarcerated, and availed themselves of the earliest chance to visit and succor them.

For the thousandth time I blessed the n.o.ble heart that ever beats in the breast of a Spanish woman when distress or calamity appeals, and at once proceeded to arrange the diet of our future prison life. We were to have two meals a day of three dishes, for each of which we were to pay fifteen _sous in advance_. The bargain made, we sat down on the floor for a chat.

My brace of Catalan visitors had married in this regiment when the Duke d'Angouleme marched his troops into Spain; and like faithful girls, followed their husbands in all their meanderings about France since the regiment's return. As two of my officers were Catalonians by birth, a friends.h.i.+p sprang up like wildfire between us, and from that hour, these excellent women not only visited us daily, but ran our errands, attended to our health, watched us like sisters, and procured all those little comforts which the tender soul of the s.e.x can alone devise.

I hope that few of my readers have personal knowledge of the treatment or fare of civil prisons in the provinces of France during the republican era of which I am writing. I think it well to set down a record of its barbarity.

As I before said, the _regular ration_ consisted exclusively of black bread and water. Nine pounds of straw were allowed weekly to each prisoner for his _lair_. Neither blankets nor covering were furnished, even in the winter, and as the cells are built without stoves or chimneys, the wretched convicts were compelled to huddle together in heaps to keep from peris.h.i.+ng. Besides this, the government denied all supplies of fresh raiment, so that the wretches who were dest.i.tute of friends or means, were alive and hideous with vermin in a few days after incarceration. No amus.e.m.e.nt was allowed in the fresh air save twice a week, when the prisoners were turned out on the flat roof of the tower, where they might sun themselves for an hour or two under the muzzle of a guard.

Such was the treatment endured by twelve of my men during the year they continued in France. There are some folks who may be charitable enough to remark--_that slavers deserved no better!_

I believe that convicts in the central prisons of France, where they were either made or allowed to work, fared better in every respect than in the provincial lock-ups on the coast. There is no doubt, however, that the above description at the epoch of my incarceration, was entirely true of all the smaller jurisdictions, whose culprits were simply doomed to confinement without labor.

Often did my heart bleed for the poor sailors, whom I aided to the extent of prudence from my slender means, when I knew not how long it might be my fate to remain an inmate of the chateau. After these unfortunate men had disposed of all their spare garments to obtain now and then a meagre soup to moisten their stony loaves, they were nearly a year without tasting either meat or broth! Once only,--on the anniversary of ST. PHILIPPE,--the Sisters of Charity gave them a pair of bullock's heads to make a _festival_ in honor of the Good King of the French!

CHAPTER XLVI.

As the apartment rented by us from the jailer was the only one in the prison he had a right to dispose of for his own benefit, several other culprits, able to pay for comfortable lodgings, were from time to time locked up in it. These occasional visitors afforded considerable entertainment for our seclusion, as they were often persons of quality arrested for petty misdemeanors or political opinions, and sometimes _chevaliers d'industrie_, whose professional careers were rich with anecdote and adventure.

It was probably a month after we began our intimacy with this "government boarding-house" that our number was increased by a gentleman of cultivated manners and foppish costume. He was, perhaps, a little too much over-dressed with chains, trinkets, and perfumed locks, to be perfectly _comme il faut_, yet there was an intellectual power about his forehead and eyes, and a bewitching smile on his lips, that insinuated themselves into my heart the moment I beheld him. He was precisely the sort of man who is considered by nine tenths of the world as a very "fascinating individual."

Accordingly, I welcomed the stranger most cordially in French, and was still more bewitched by the retiring shyness of his modest demeanor.

As the jailer retired, a wink signified his desire to commune with me apart in his office, where I learned that the new comer had been arrested under a charge of _counterfeiting_, but on account of his genteel appearance and blood, was placed in our apartment. I had no doubt that neither appearance nor blood had been the springs of sympathy in the jailer's heart, but that the artificial money-maker had judiciously used certain lawful coins to insure better quarters.

Nevertheless, I did not hesitate to approve the turnkey's disposal of the suspected felon, and begged him to make no apologies or give himself concern as to the quality of the article that could afford us a moment's amus.e.m.e.nt in our dreary den.

I next proceeded to initiate my gentleman into the mysteries of the _chateau_; and as dinner was about serving, I suggested that the most important of our domestic rites on such occasions, imperatively required three or four bottles of first-rate claret.

By this time we had acquired a tolerable knack of "slaughtering the evening." Our Spanish girls supplied us with guitars and violins, which my comrades touched with some skill. We were thus enabled to give an occasional _soiree dansante_, a.s.sisted by la Vivandiere, her companions Dolorescita, Concha, Madame Sorret, and an old maid who pa.s.sed for her sister. The arrival of the counterfeiter enabled us to make up a full cotillon without the musicians. Our _soirees_, enlivened by private contributions and a bottle or two of wine, took place on Thursdays and Sundays, while the rest of the week was pa.s.sed in playing cards, reading romances, writing pet.i.tions, flirting with the girls, and cursing our fate and the French government. Fits of wrath against the majesty of Gaul were more frequent in the early morning, when the pleasant sleeper would be suddenly roused from happy dreams by the tramp of soldiers and grating bolts, which announced the unceremonious entrance of our inspector to count his cattle and sound our window gratings.

But time wastes one's cash as well as one's patience in prison. The more we grumbled, danced, drank, and eat, the more we spent or lavished, so that my funds looked very like a thin sediment at the bottom of the purse, when I began to reflect upon means of replenis.h.i.+ng. I could not beg; I was master of no handicraft; nor was I willing to descend among the vermin of the common chain-gang. Shame prevented an application to my relatives in France or Italy; and when I addressed my old partner or former friends in Cuba, I was not even favored with a reply. At last, my little trinkets and gold chronometer were sacrificed to pay the lawyer for a _final memorial_ and to liquidate a week's lodging in advance.

"Now, _mon enfant_," said Madame Sorret, as she took my money,--tr.i.m.m.i.n.g her cap, and looking at me with that thrifty interest that a Frenchwoman always knows how to turn to the best account;--"now, mon enfant,--this is your last _franc_ and your last week in my apartment, you say;--your last week in a room where you and I, and Babette, Dolorescita, and Concha, and _Monsieur_, have had such good times! _Mais pourquoi, mon cher?_ why shall it be your last week?

Come let us think a bit. Won't it be a thousand times better; won't it do you a vast deal more good,--if instead of _sacre-ing le bon Louis Philippe_,--paying lawyers for memorials that are never read,--hoping for letters from the Spanish envoy which never come, and eating your heart up in spite and bitterness--you look the matter plump in the face like a man, and not like a _polisson_, and turn to account those talents which it has pleased _le bon Dieu_ to give you? Voyez vous, _Capitaine Teodore_,--you speak foreign languages like a native; and it was no longer than yesterday that Monsieur Randanne, your advocate, as he came down from the last interview with you, stopped at my bureau, and--'Ah! Madame Sorret,' said he, 'what a linguist poor Canot is,--how delightfully he speaks English, and how glad I should be if he had any place in which he could teach my sons the n.o.ble tongue of the great SKATSPEER!'

"Now, _mon capitaine_," continued she, "what the good Randanne said, has been growing in my mind ever since, like the salad seed in the box that is sunned in our prison yard. In fact, I have fixed the matter perfectly. You shall have my bed-room for a schoolhouse; and, if you will, you may begin to-morrow with my two sons for pupils, at fifteen _francs_ a month!"