"Why, how can you expect to be free from a few pains, old fellow?" I
said to a regular ancient sea-dog, whom I used to attend. "Here you've
been knocking about all over the world for best part of a hundred years,
I suppose, and you can't expect to be fresh and well now."
"Well, you see, doctor," said the old fellow, "that's what troubles me.
I'm--let's see--eighty-four, or five, or six--I'm blest if I know
exactly; and I've hardly known ache or pain, and it does seem hard,
after having a clean bill of health so long, to be having my crew on the
sick list now."
"Why, you ungrateful old rascal!" I said, as I saw the mirthful twinkle
in the old fellow's eyes. "There, I'll see what I can do for you;" and
I did manage to allay the old fellow's rheumatic pains, which in spite
of his grumbling he had borne like a martyr.
"I shall begin to think that a sailor's life is the healthiest career in
the world," I said one day as I looked at the fine vigorous old fellow,
who had all his faculties as perfect as a man of five-and-forty.
"You've had your share of adventures, though, I suppose?"
"Ay, ay, sir, I have indeed," he said, combing his thin hair with the
waxy end of his pipe.
"Never in the Royal Navy, were you?"
"Oh, yes, doctor, I was not always in the merchant service. They tried
to get me more than once."
"What--made you good offers?"
"Good offers, doctor? No, they tried to press me, as they used in those
days."
"To be sure; yes," I said. "You lived in the days of the press-gangs?"
"That I did, doctor, bad luck to 'em! Why, let me see, it's as near as
can be sixty year ago since we came slowly up the Thames with the tide,
and after a deal of hauling, yoho-ing, and dodging, we got the old ship
into London Docks, after being at sea two year, and a-going a'most round
the world. Sick of it I was, and longing to get ashore, for there was
more than one as I was wishing to see and get a word with--folks, too,
as were as anxious to get a sight of me; and though a quietish,
steadyish sort of a fellow, I felt as if I should have gone wild with
the bit of work I had to do, while my mate, Harry Willis, was most as
bad. Poor chap! he's been dead and gone now this many a long year: had
his number called and gone aloft. A good fellow was Harry, and the rest
of that day him and I was knocking about in the ship, coiling down and
doing all sorts of little jobs, such as are wanted after a long voyage,
when there's a great cargo aboard.
"One day passed, then another, and another, and mighty savage we were at
being kept so long before we could get off; but the time came at last,
and only just taking a few things each in a handkerchief, we slipped
over the ship's side, dropped on to the wharf, and were off.
"Well, being reg'lar old shipmates, you see, it was only natural that we
should drop into a little public-house that was down Wapping way, to
take a glass or two by way of a treat, and see about a night's lodging
where we could be together, as it was quite evening, and we'd some way
to go into the country both of us, and meant to leave it till morning.
A nice little place it was, close aside a wharf, where the tide came up,
and ship after ship--colliers I think they were--lay in tiers, moored
head and stern; in short, just such a place as a sailor would choose for
a quiet glass and a night's lodging, being snug and cosy-looking. But
there, for the matter of that, after a poor fellow's had years at sea,
knocking about in the close forks'll of a ship, everything looks snug
and cosy ashore.
"It didn't take us long bargaining about our beds, and then, leaving our
kits with the landlady, we strolled out and had a walk here, and a walk
there, till close upon eleven, when I says to Harry, `I'm for hammocks,
lad. What do you say?' `Same as you do,' he says; and we turned back
meaning to have one more glass o' grog apiece, and then to turn in. It
wasn't far to the house, and soon as we got in sight we began to dawdle
slowly along, looking at the ships here and there, just seen as they
were by moonlight, while plenty of 'em showed a lantern out in the
stream.
"`What's those fellows hanging about our place for?' says Harry; for
just then we come in sight of a good score of chaps waiting about the
outside of the public, while another peep at 'em showed as they were
king's men, and most of 'em had got cutlasses.
"`Thought ours was a quiet house,' I says; `I hope they ain't going to
stop about long.'
"`Not they,' says Harry; `come on.'
"So we went up to the house, and, being first, I was going in, when a
tall chap lays a hand on my shoulder, with a `Come along, my lad, we've
been waiting for you.'
"`What?' I says, starting; for just then, for the first time, something
shot through me, as it were, and in that short moment I saw all that it
meant, and that was, that after years of service in a merchantman we
were to be seized by force and dragged aboard a tender to serve the
king, whether we would or no; for this party we had come across was a
press-gang. But I had no more time to think. Half a dozen fellows had
tight hold of me directly, and if I had wanted to struggle, it would
have been no use. Harry wasn't so quiet, though. Like me, he had seen
it all in a moment, and as one of the gang laid a hand upon him, he
dashed it off, cried to me to help him, and the next moment there was a
sharp struggle going on--one which roused me to fight; for it was such a
struggle as any man would engage in for his liberty in those good old
times, when a sailor was not safe if he walked the streets of a
seafaring town.
"Harry was a strong fellow, and fought hard; one man went heavily down,
then three went down together. Poor Harry was one of them, while a head
struck the stones a most awful blow, such as seemed enough to kill any
fellow; but it was not Harry's, for the next moment he was up, and
before a soul could stop him, he gave a shout, and leaped clean off the
wharf where we were, right into the water. Then there was a splash, and
you could see the stream all dancing like broken lights where the lamps
and moon shone, and then all was still for a few moments, till the
officer of the gang called to his men to run down the steps and bring
round the boat. `Hold tight by that one,' he shouted, and the next
minute, with some of his gang, he was paddling about on the look-out for
Harry, who had never, as far as we could see, come up again to the
surface.
"I did not want to run then, but stood still, with the men as held me,
looking anxiously out for my poor mate; for it seemed to me then that
after all the dangers we two had been through from storms out in the
wide ocean, the poor fellow was to lose his life in such a way as this--
fighting for his liberty when he was about to be treated like a slave.
It's fine language that writers use about Britannia ruling the waves,
and our gallant tars and noble seamen, and the deeds they have done, but
they never stop to think of the cruelty with which those brave fellows
were treated, dragged off to serve the king in a quarrel that they knew
nothing about, while after being forced into the service it was death
for mutiny if a poor fellow refused to obey.
"Things of the past, these, and times are altered for the better now in
the navy; but in them good old times there were black doings, and no
wonder there were plenty of mutinies. Here were we, two hardworking
sailors fresh home from sea, seized for all the world like blacks, and
to be made slaves of for years to come, whilst people were always
boasting of the land of the free. Thank goodness, some of those things
are better now, and it was time that they should be, for I saw enough of
a ship of war in days to come.
"But it was not to be then; for when, after a minute or so, there was no
sign of poor Harry, the blood seemed to rise up in my eyes, and in a
savage fit of passion I wrested myself from the two men who held me
tightly; for I had been standing quiet, and they were taken up with the
doings of their mates, and did not expect that I should make a struggle
for it now. So I twisted myself free, hit out right and left, and
tumbled one fellow off the wharf into the water, and then, before
anybody could stay me, I dashed off.
"But I was not free yet, I had to pass the steps, from which two of the
gang ran to stop me; but I had good way on then, and as one of them made
a blow at me with a cudgel, I came down upon him like a ram, tumbled him
over too, and then was racing along the street with half a dozen of the
gang shouting and running after me like mad.
"It was a hard run that, up one lane and down another, hard as I could
tear, with the hot breath panting out of my chest, and a burning feeling
strong on me, as if I'd swallowed live coals. But it was for liberty,
and the thought of what would follow if I was caught made me dash on
faster every time I felt ready to sink and give in. Whenever I looked
over my shoulder I could see one or two of the gang after me, but at
last there was only one, and him it seemed as if I couldn't tire out,
for there he always was just about the same distance behind, taking step
for step with me. We were neither of us going fast now for want of
breath, and the perspiration ran down my face; but every time I tried to
shake him off it seemed of no use, and every time I turned round to
look, there he was still hunting me down like a dog. I tried doubling
down a court, but he was close after me; turned down one street and up
another, but there he was still; and the more I tried the closer he
seemed to get to me.
"Well, this seemed to make me savage, and my teeth got gritting
together, and as I knew that he was only one now, having outrun all his
mates, and must be as tired out as I was, I said to myself, `If he takes
me, he'll have to fight for it.' Then I ran down another court which
turned off to the right again directly after, and then came a horrible
disappointed feeling, for I saw that I was in a trap, and when I
remembered the cudgel the press-gang man had, it seemed as if my chance
was gone, for there was no way out at the bottom of the court.
"People think quickly at a time like this, and in a moment I was hid
behind a corner, and listening to the patter of the sailor's feet as he
came down the court. Next moment I put all the strength I had left in
the blow I fetched him aside his head; down he went with his head upon
the stones, and, jumping over him, I ran out into the street and felt
that I was free.
"I was sorry for the press-gang chap as soon as I had hit him; but, duty
or no duty, the men then were a deal too fond of getting other poor
fellows into the same scrape as themselves, and as I felt I was free, my
breath seemed to come easier, and I went along the streets at a gentle
trot, till I knew that I must be safe.
"I wasn't going to stop in London any more, so I made my way, late as it
was, to the Great North Road, and daybreak found me trudging wearily
along between the pleasant hedgerows, thinking very sadly about poor
Harry, who came from the next village to mine in Hertfordshire, and
turning it over in my mind how I should tell his poor old folks about
their lad being drowned at home here when trying to get clear of the
press-gang. It seemed so hard, and I'm afraid I said more than one
queer thing against the king and all his sarvice as I trudged along
homewards; but, in spite of all, the morning was so bright and cheery,
the country looked so green and sweet, and the birds sang so, that I
couldn't feel down-hearted long; while, having no kit to carry, I got
fast over the ground, only stopping once to have a good hearty breakfast
at a roadside public-house, and early that afternoon I was at home.
"I'm not going to keep you long now, while as to the fuss made over a
sailor at home after a long voyage, that's a matter of course. Next day
I started off to walk six miles to Harry's friends, to tell them the sad
news; and a hard job that seemed, for they were nice old people, and of
a better class--the old man doing a bit of farming in his way--and, as
he afterwards told me, there was plenty for Harry to do at home, only he
would go to sea. `Poor old chap,' I thought, `it does seem hard,' and
twenty times over I was ready to turn back, for I felt that I couldn't
tell the old folks the bitter news.
"Last of all I stood resting on a stile, thinking it over, and going
through the whole scene--even seeming to hear the poor fellow's cry as
he leaped right into the water. It was only after a hard fight I could
wind myself up to the right pitch, when, for fear that my heart should
fail again, I ran hard right up to the little place, and walked into the
kitchen where the old folks were sitting at dinner.
"`News of Harry?' they both cried, jumping up; and then they read it all
in my blank face, and the poor old woman was down on her knees sobbing,
with her apron over her head, and the old man trying to comfort her.
They didn't ask no questions, and the words all seemed to stick in my
throat as I tried to speak, and say that, after all, it might not be so
bad as I felt sure it was. Last of all, with a regular wail, the old
lady burst out--
"`Dead--dead--dead! Oh, my poor--poor boy!'
"`Not this time, mother,' shouted a cheery voice, and I got such a slap
on the back as nearly sent me on to my nose, and I says, says I--
"`Well, if that's Harry's ghost he's a reg'lar down-right hard hitter.'
"`How did I manage it?' says Harry just half an hour after, as we were
all sitting at dinner, except the old lady, who would wait on us, so as
she could get behind Hal now and then, and have a stroke at his curly
hair--`how did I manage it? why, I jumped right slap off the wharf.'
"`Well, I saw that,' I says.
"`And then I dived till I felt about choked, when I thought I'd rise,
and I came up against what I'm sure was the keel of a brig, but I kicked
out again and came up t'other side.'
"`What, dived right under the brig?' I says. `I ain't a marine,
Harry.'
"`True as you sit there,' he says; and then, as I could hear the gang
shouting, I let myself float with the tide down through the shipping;
and I got nearly jammed between two schooners. But after a bit I worked
myself through, and now swimming, and now easing myself along by the
anchor chains, I got to where there was a landing-place between two
great warehouses, and crept up the slippery stone steps dripping like a
rat; and then, to tell the truth, I forgot all about you till I'd
tramped half-way where I stopped and went to bed while my things were
dried for me; when I went fast asleep and slept for hours till too late
to go on home. And this morning, so as not to be a bad shipmate, I came
through Southton village, and told you know who that you was took, for I
couldn't face your old people.
"`You told Lucy as I was taken?' I says, jumping up.
"`Yes,' he says, `I did.'
"But I didn't wait to hear no more, for I ran out of the house like mad
to go and prove that I was not taken, for somehow or another I'd felt
too bashful to go to Southton, though I meant to have gone that day;
while when I got there Lucy had gone three miles to comfort, as she
thought, my old folks. But I needn't tell you any more about that.
"It was a narrow escape, though, for I met several fellows after who
were pressed that very night, and it was five years before they got
their liberty again."