the city; but Captain Jan knew well enough
how he loved his wife, and chose this way of
torturing him. An old fisherman, who lived
hard by the shore, said, that he woke up
suddenly in the night, and heard their screams;
but they were too many for him, or he would
have gone out. He was an old man, and it
was only natural. They then pulled away
for the ship, he standing up, and screaming
at the waves like a fiend incarnate, as he was.
How the poor passengers ever got alive on
board was a miracle—for the waves came
dashing over the bows of the boat, where
they were lying, at every stroke.

“Now it fell out, that at this time, there was
a British frigate cruising about these parts—
for Captain Fagel had a short time before
this, fired into an English vessel. The frigate
was, therefore, keeping a sharp look-out for
the brig, and had been looking into all the
creeks and harbours along the coasts, when
she was caught in this very storm—of
Captain Fagel’s raising. Just as she was
struggling round the Head, she came upon the
Maelström, taking on board her boat’s crew.

“‘Let go all clear!’ they heard him cry,
even above the storm—and then they saw the
dark hull swing round, and set off along shore,
where it was hard for the frigate to follow.
As for Jan Fagel, if ever Satan entered into
a man in this life, he must have possessed him
that night! They could hear him from the
other vessel, as he shrieked with delight, and
swore, and bounded along his deck, when
other men could scarcely keep their feet.
Why, sir, one time, he was seen on the edge
of the taffrail—his eyes looking in the dark
like two burning coals! No doubt he would
have got away from them, after all—for there
was no better mariner in those seas—when
just as he was coming round a point, they
heard a crash, and down came his topmast
upon his deck. The sailors rushed to clear
away the wreck.

“‘Bring up the woman,’ he roared through
his trumpet. ‘Bring up the woman and
child, you sea imps!’ Though his ship was
in danger, he thought of the councillor. Some
of them rushed down into the hold, and
came up in a moment with Madame Elde
and the little girl. She was quite scared and
sank down upon the deck, as if she were
insensible.

“‘A handsome creature, sir,’ they said, even
some of those savages felt for her. They
heard her saying over and over again to
herself:

“‘O, such a Christmas night! Such a
Christmas night!’

“He overheard her.

“‘Ah, ah! witch! you shall have a merry
Christmas. Never fear. So should your
husband—curse him—if we had him here.’

“She started up with a scream when she
heard him speaking. And then they saw
her standing, with her long black hair blown
back by the wind, and her arms out, as if
she were praying. 'Where shall Thy
judgments find this man?’

“‘Here, witch! Look for me here on a
stormy night—any night; next Christmas, if
you like. Hi, lads! get a sail here, and send
them over the side.’

“Even those ruffians hung back, for it was
too awful a night for them to add murder to
their other sins. So, with many oaths,
Captain Fagel went forward himself to seize the
lady.

“‘He shall meet me before the Judgment
seat,’ said she, still praying.

“‘Cant away, sorceress! come back here of
a stormy night, and I’ll meet you: I’m not
afraid;’ and he laughed long and loud.

“Then he flung the wet sail round them, and
with his own hands cast them into the sea.
The storm came on fiercer than ever, and
they thought that the ship’s timbers were
going to part. But Jan Fagel strode
about his deck, and gave his orders and
she bore up well before the wind. It seemed
that no harm could come to that ship when
he was on board of her. As for the frigate,
she had long since got away into the open
sea. But the lady’s words were not to be in
vain, for just as he was going one of his mad
bounds along the poop, his foot caught in a
coil of rope, and he went over with an
unearthly scream into the black, swollen sea.
All the crew ran to look out after him,
but, strange to tell, without so much as
thinking of casting him a rope. It seemed
as if they had lost their sense for a time, and
could only stand there looking into the waves
that had swept him off. Just then, the wind
went down a little, and they heard a voice
high in the mainmast-top, as if some one
were calling; and these words came to them
very clear and distinct: ‘Yo, yo! Jan Fagel,
yo!’ Then all the crew at the vessel’s side,
as if they had caught some of his own devilish
spirit, could not keep themselves from giving
out, in a great wild chorus, ‘Yo, yo! Jan
Fagel, yo!’ Once more the voice came from
the mainmast-top, calling, ‘Yo, yo! Jan
Fagel, yo!’ and again the crew answered,
louder than before, as if they were
possessed. He was seen no more after that.

“The memory of that night never left that
wicked crew; and many of them, when dying
quietly in their beds long after, started up with
that cry, as though they were answering a call,
and so passed away to their last account.

“Every year, as sure as Christmas night
comes round, Jan Fagel comes into the bay
to keep his word with Madame Elde. And,
any ship that is off the Head then, must wait
and beat about until midnight; when he goes
away.

“But they are wanting me on deck,” said
Mr. Bode, looking at his watch. “I have
stayed too long as it is.”

Mr. Bode hastily departed, leaving me
to ponder over his wild legend. Ruminating
upon it, and listening to the rushing of the