Harris, the jailer of Miss Lyford, we have before remarked, was extremely superstitious. The other persons on guard were nearly as much so as their superior. The characters of these men had been thoroughly studied by Strale and his friends, and they were satisfied an experiment might be made on their credulity and superstition, with reasonable hope of success. The idea very generally prevailed, that all who were active in the witch prosecutions were exposed to fiery assaults from Satan. On this account, it was deemed a religious duty to guard the prisoners with the greatest possible care, and the most resolute men were selected for this purpose.

The jailer was often apprehensive that Satan might appear in defence of his prisoners. He thought it very possible that a part of the compact might be that they should be delivered in the moment of their greatest peril. He often spoke of some probable encounter with the devil, for it was hardly possible that so faithful a servant of God should remain unmolested, while subverting the kingdom of Satan on earth. In conversation with Bolton and his associates, he often warned them to prepare for such an encounter, and told them of the best methods to beat off the Serpent, should he be so bold as to attack them. Harris thought his spiritual armor was impregnable, and his prowess irresistible, and though as yet he had no opportunity of signalizing his courage by a pitched battle with any of the demons around him, yet he boasted of one or two skirmishes in which the Adversary, though he shook his dragon head and gnashed his teeth, was finally glad to make his retreat. The courageous jailer did not use his worldly weapons, but he always confronted his enemy with passages of scripture, and, in the last resort, employed the most powerful spiritual weapon which he said never failed, and that was prayer. Harris was not much given to this exercise, for its potency, he insisted, was weakened by too frequent repetition; consequently, he kept this weapon for the last extremity, and never employed it, when other expedients would answer.

This view of Harris' character applied to Bolton and the other guards of Miss Lyford, so far as superstition was concerned, but Harris was quite their superior in other respects. He was powerful and bold, and in grappling with flesh and blood, few men could stand before him; but he was quite deceived in supposing himself a match for the imaginary demons around him. No man was more likely to make good his retreat, if he had occular demonstration of the presence of these mysterious beings.

About ten o'clock in the evening, Lyford requested the privilege of visiting his sister for the last time. He was rudely repulsed by Harris and the guard, who said they were forbidden to admit any person on any pretence whatever.

'Hitherto,' said Lyford, 'you have permitted me to visit my afflicted sister, and if she be guilty, and as much so as you allege, she is still my sister, and nature pleads in her behalf. I trust you will permit me to go in.'

'It is vain to ask,' said Harris; 'the permission you had from the Governor has been revoked, and you cannot go in.'

'Will you take no responsibility in the matter?' said Lyford, 'and let me pass for the last time?'

'None whatever,' was the reply. 'Our orders are positive, and we cannot permit you to go in.'

'Mr. Harris,' returned Lyford, 'you say my sister has made a compact with Satan; if so, I trust he will appear in her behalf; for, bad as he is, I would trust him for humanity sooner than such wretches as you. If he possesses any power, I believe he will now exert it. I was informed he was seen in the chamber of the sheriff last night, in a threatening attitude, so that he was hardly able to proceed in his dreadful work to-day. Moreover, I am told by others, that he is excited to uncommon rage, and will not any longer tolerate the murder of his friends.'

Harris seemed startled by these remarks, and as the night was excessively dark, and the train of reflection which Lyford had awakened was not the most agreeable, the jailer began to fortify his courage by repeating passages from the Bible, and calling upon the guard to unite with him in this holy employment, assuring them that Satan would not dare to appear in the face of such rebukes as the holy scriptures contained.

'Look,' said Bolton, 'see, Mr. Harris, what terrible shape is that coming towards us?' The startled jailer cast his eyes in the direction pointed out by Bolton, and he saw, gleaming through the shade, a figure, which his terrified imagination instantly formed into that of a dragon. From his horns, streams of fire were spouting, and a sound like the hissing of a hundred serpents, rushed on the ear. A moment more, and volumes of fire poured from his mouth, discovering by their light, the hideous and distorted features of a demon, while with slow and solemn pace he advanced towards the house.

'Get thee behind me, Satan!' said the agitated Harris. He then looked round for a moment, with a bewildered and uncertain gaze. Lyford had disappeared; Bolton and his companions had fled like the wind. Harris then closed his eyes, and fell on his knees, uttering a hurried and tremulous prayer. Looking up again, the fearful apparition still advanced, and when in the light that was blazing all around, Harris caught sight of his cloven foot, the unhappy jailer no longer doubted that Satan in person was at hand, in behalf of Miss Lyford. The Bible dropped from his hands, the voice of prayer died on his lips. Steel and pistol were of no avail. No other weapon remained, and taking to his heels, the unlucky Harris deserted his post, and fled like a racer for his life, into the depths of the forest. Looking for a moment from behind a tree, he saw the fiery dragon enter the house. Then, redoubling his speed, he pushed on over bushes, fences and brooks, until he plunged into a ditch, from which, after floundering about for an hour, he made shift to get, weary and exhausted, upon its neighboring bank. Even here he dared not open his eyes, lest the terrible image, in its lurid flames, should once more haunt his vision; but falling on his knees, he devoutly returned thanks, for the strength he had received to flee from the destroyer.

Meanwhile, the faithful Somers rushed into the house, and with a single stroke of his axe, broke in the door of Miss Lyford's chamber, and then bearing her down stairs, he placed her in a wagon, which had been provided at a little distance, for the occasion. Walter having divested himself of his dragon's dress, left the horns, the cloven foot and the black robe in the jailer's room, and with Lyford, hastened to the beach, where Somers and Mary had already arrived, and in a few moments, they were all safely on board the Water Witch. The wife and child of Somers had been sent on board, early in the evening, and when the next morning dawned, they were ten leagues from Salem harbor, on their way to Virginia.

The scheme which had been so completely successful was entirely the invention of Strale; its details were arranged with the utmost precision and care, and it was executed with an admirable degree of coolness and skill. Gunpowder in its various adaptations produced the fire. The burning of tobacco caused the smoke, which seemed to proceed from his breath. His face blackened and disfigured, a black gown thrown over his shoulders, and leather sandals in the form of cloven feet, completed the disguise.

It was not surprising that a device, which in ordinary circumstances would have been equally foolish and hopeless, should be, in the present state of public feeling, perfectly adapted to its end. It was then supposed that visible appearances from the world of spirits were not uncommon, and the disordered fancies of men created innumerable apparitions and shapes of evil, which the senses gifted with supernatural acuteness, were enabled to discern among the grosser forms of the material world.

The chronicle we have consulted does not reveal the process by which the mode of Miss Lyford's escape was concealed from the public eye. Yet it contains some hints on this point which are reserved for our next chapter, and it also intimates that many secrets were kept by the men in power, which, had they been disclosed, would have covered the actors in these tragedies with confusion and shame, and finished at once the work of persecution and death.