Often during the night, as Harry lay on Widow Tuttle's spare truckle
bed, he repented him of his resolution to start off immediately to sea.
Common sense said, "Wait till you can hear from your kind guardian, or
still better, till you have had an interview with him. Explain the
state of the case clearly to Mr. Coppinger, acknowledging that you were
drunk, and put your name to papers with the contents of which you were
not acquainted. Let him know that Silas Sleech is a consummate
hypocrite, and in all probability a thorough rogue. Brave the worst.
Surely nothing can be so bad as running away, and leaving your name and
credit and character in the hands of such a fellow as Sleech, who has
acknowledged himself your enemy, and who will, like his master--Satan--
if you bravely face him, succumb before you." Then rose up again
Harry's desire to go to sea, his dislike of having to acknowledge his
weakness and folly to Mr. Coppinger, and his doubts whether his uncle
would believe his statements. Sleep scarcely visited his eyelids. He
was just dozing off when he heard Tuttle's rough voice exclaiming--
"Turn out there, mate, we'll have some breakfast, and then be off before
the sun's up. We have a long voyage before us, and only our own legs to
depend on." Harry had wished to go to Portsmouth by sea.
"And I'll tell you what would happen if we did," said Jacob. "As soon
as we set foot on shore the press-gang would be upon us, and whether we
liked it or not would carry us on board their ship to serve his Majesty.
I was very nearly caught once; had twenty fellows after me as hard as
they could pelt. Fortunately it was dusk, and I bolted down an alley
and into a court, and up a stair, and right under an old woman's bed,
and there I lay while the whole gang hunted about without finding me. I
know a place or two where we can lie hid till we learn what ships are
fitting out, and who are to command them. It's a great thing to get a
good captain, Harry. There are several captains I would like to sail
with well enough; but there are not a few whose ships are like hells
afloat, and you may depend on't I'll stand clear of them."
Jacob gave his old mother a hearty kiss, as putting a stick into his
bundle, he threw it over his shoulder.
"Don't take on, dame, now," he said. "I'll be back soon and bring you
no end of the rhino. Most of it, to be sure, slipped away from me at
the end of the last cruise before I got home; but I will take better
care of it this time for your sake, mother."
The old woman shook her head. She had been too long accustomed to find
that Jacob's money had slipped away before he got home to expect much,
though he had generally contrived to bring enough for his board while he
remained. Harry wrote a note, which he got a boy to carry to Captain
Falwasser, saying that he was going off to sea, and begging him to take
care of his bag till his return. With brisk steps, though Harry's heart
was heavy, the two young men took their way through the forest. They
looked like two active young seamen any captain would be glad to get
hold of. They cautiously approached the village of Hythe, opposite
Southampton, lest the press-gang might be there on the look-out for men.
The coast being clear, they ran across the beautiful estuary of the
Southampton Water in a wherry, and landing on the western side near
Itchin, pushed on towards Gosport. Night had closed in before they had
got to the end of their journey. Harry had seldom taken so long a walk;
but his muscles were well knit, and he might have gone still farther.
"We must keep a sharp look-out, mate," said Jacob; "the gangs are sure
to be about, and if they were to fall in with us, we might say good-bye
to liberty. But come along; there's a house I know of not far off, and
we shall be all right there if we once get inside the door."
Jacob led Harry down several lanes and alleys in which scenes of
drunkenness and vice met his eye, which, even accustomed to London as he
was, made his heart turn sick.
"And this is the way the defenders of our country spend their time on
shore!" he said to himself. "No wonder they are treated like brutes,
when they live like beasts without souls."
Harry's reasoning might possibly not have been correct as to what cause
produced the effect. Might he not more justly have reasoned, "If they
are treated like brutes, like brutes they will live?" That question has
been solved in later days. Since thought has been taken for seamen they
have essayed, and not unsuccessfully, to attend to the welfare of their
souls. In those days little regard was paid to that subject.
They stopped before the door of a low house with not many windows
looking into the street. Such as there were were closed with shutters.
"She's a good old creature," whispered Jacob, "though maybe by this hour
she's a little lushy; but you must not mind that. She knows me and my
ways, and will treat us well. Her husband is sure to be drunk; but then
he will be in bed and out of the way, and she's never so bad but what
she can get supper ready. We may trust Sally Hoggart for that. You
will see I am right."
Jacob gave two or three knocks on the door, but no one came to it.
"Maybe she's had a drop or two more than usual," observed Jacob. "She
will wake up in time, only I hope no press-gang will be coming along the
street before she opens the door. If we see them we must run for it,
Harry. You stick by me. I know a place to hide away in."
Jacob repeated his blows on the door. At last a slide was moved in one
of the panels, and a light streamed through it.
"All right, Sally," said Jacob. "You know me, and I have brought a
mate. Open the door, and let us in; we have enough to pay for our
board, so don't be afraid."
The door opened, and the two young men entered, the bolts and bars being
instantly replaced. The person who came to the door might have
possessed many excellent qualities, but her appearance was not in her
favour. Her figure was stout and shapeless; her dress, wanting greatly
in hooks and eyes and strings, worn and stained, looked ready to slip
off her shoulders. Her hair, already sprinkled with white, escaped in
dishevelled locks from beneath her mob cap, destitute of all stiffness,
and darkened by soot and dust, while her thick lips and watery bloodshot
eye showed that she not unfrequently indulged in potations deep and
strong. Jacob, however, on entering, chucked her under the chin, and
giving her a hearty smack on her flabby cheeks, told her to be a good
old soul, and to get supper ready for two hungry wayfarers. At first
she declared that she had dressed suppers for twenty men already, and
that she was too sleepy to put another saucepan on the fire; but Jacob,
after a little persuasion, made her promise to exert herself, and he
then led the way into a room at the back part of the house. Here some
dozen or more men were sitting round a table, most of them with pipes in
their mouths, others with pots of ale or glasses of spirits before them,
while several were playing at cards. They looked up at the new comers,
who took their seats at the other end of the table. Jacob soon entered
into conversation with those nearest him, and learned what ships were
fitting out. The characters of various captains were discussed.
"The `Brilliant,' Captain Everard, has just come in to refit, and is in
want of hands. He's a right sort of officer. If I wanted to go afloat,
I would volunteer on board his ship as soon as any other," remarked a
seaman who was sitting opposite to them.
"What do you say, Harry? Would you like to volunteer on board the
`Brilliant'?" asked Jacob.
"No, she would not suit me," answered Harry. "I have my reasons for not
wishing to join her."
"Run from her, maybe, once in a time?" observed a seaman.
"Well, then there's the `Nymph,' Captain Cook. He's a good seaman, and
not over-harsh with his men; and there's the `Saint Fiorenzo,' Captain
Sir Harry Neale. Never a man has sailed with him who's worth his salt
who would not wish to sail with him again. I wish there were many other
captains in the navy like him. We should not have cause to complain as
we have now."
Harry and Jacob agreed therefore to volunteer on board the "Saint
Fiorenzo." While this discussion was going on Sally placed a smoking
supper before her two lately arrived guests. They did ample justice to
it, for although the cookery was of a somewhat coarser character than
that to which Harry had been accustomed, his long walk had given him an
appetite. He soon began to feel a great longing to lie down and go to
sleep. For three nights, indeed, he had scarcely closed his eyes for
ten minutes together. Even before he had finished supper his head began
to nod. Jacob observed his condition, and asked Sally for a bed.
"Why," was her reply, "every one I have got are more than full already;
you must prick for the softest plank you can find. Not the first time
either of you youngsters have had to do that."
Jacob knew there was no use remonstrating, and so drawing a bench up to
a corner of the room, he placed his bundle under Harry's head, and led
him to it. Scarcely had Harry stretched himself on the bench, hard as
it was, than he was fast asleep. Jacob, however, was not so happy as he
intended to be, and calling for come more liquor--he was not very
particular what it was--he and his new friend opposite were soon engaged
in plying each other with tumblers of grog.
There was a knocking at the door. Sally having by this time slept off
some of her evening potations again went to it. Another seaman begged
for admittance. He had nowhere to lodge, and he was afraid the
press-gang who were about would be getting hold of him. He had plenty
of shiners to spend, as Sally should soon know by the glitter of one
with which he would at once cross her hand. This argument had great
effect upon her gentle heart. Opening the door she admitted her
visitor. He was a stout-looking man in a thick pea-coat, with a
tarpaulin hat firmly fixed on his head, while his hand clutched a stout
walking-stick. As she was about to close the door behind him great was
her indignation to find a crowbar inserted. There was a trampling of
feet. She shrieked out with several unfeminine oaths, "Murder! murder!
the press-gang is upon us." Her visitor, however, very ungallantly
seized her by the arm as she attempted to close the door, and shoved a
thick handkerchief into her mouth. In the meantime the door was forced
completely back, and two or three men who had been lying down close
under the walls, had sprung to their feet and entered with their leader.
They were quickly joined by others of their party, who had been coming
at a quick run down the street. In an instant the inmates were aroused,
and the whole house was in a fearful uproar. Some tried to force their
way out by a back door, but no sooner had they opened it than they found
themselves in the power of a strong body of armed seamen. The men who
were in bed threw on their clothes, some trying to jump from the
windows; but seeing by the number of the press-gang outside that they
would be certainly caught if they did so, rushed down-stairs and joined
in the fray which was going forward in the public room. Some were armed
with bludgeons, others with fire-irons; some seized chairs and benches,
and various other articles of Sally's furniture. She, to do her
justice, with her female attendants, fought as heroically as her guests,
in a vain endeavour to secure their personal safety.
Harry had slept through the first part of the combat, but at length the
fearful uproar aroused him. He started to his feet, not knowing where
he was or what had happened. The room was almost in total darkness, for
the lights had instantly been extinguished, and only here and there fell
the glare of the men-of-war's men's lanterns as they held them up in the
hopes of distinguishing friends from foes. Harry seized Jacob's bundle
with one hand, and the stick with which he had carried it in the other,
and attempted to defend himself from the blows which were dealt freely
round. He thought he distinguished Jacob's voice not far from him, and
he made his way up to his friend. At that instant, however, a further
party of the press-gang arriving, the seamen were completely
overpowered. In vain Sally and her attendants fought on, in the hopes
of enabling some of their friends to escape. Every outlet was too
strictly guarded. The officer and many of the men composing the
press-gang probably knew the house as well as its inmates, and had taken
their measures accordingly.
In the course of a few minutes, although some heads had received pretty
hard cracks, yet no blood was spilt, every man in the house, with the
exception of old Tony Hoggart, was in the power of the press-gang. It
was a most successful haul. Upwards of thirty prime seamen had been
captured, Jacob and Harry among them. Not till the fight was over did
old Tony find his way down-stairs, at the foot of which he stood with a
light in his hand, his red nightcap set on one side of his bullet head,
his trousers held up by one suspender, his stockingless feet in shoes
down at heel, while from his blear eyes he glared out on the intruders
into his abode. As if at length aware of what had occurred, he
commenced a series of his vituperative remarks, which increased in
vehemence as he proceeded, his curses and oaths being first directed
towards the head of the officer in command of the party and his men, the
captain of the ship, and the navy in general coming in for their share.
"We're in for it, Harry," said Jacob; "keep up your courage, however; if
we put a good face on the matter, we shan't be so much worse off than if
we had volunteered. We can tell the first-lieutenant when he examines
us to-morrow morning that we intended to do so. I'll just learn what
ship we have been taken for."
Jacob made the inquiry of the seaman who had charge of him.
"The `Brilliant,' Captain Everard," was the answer; "he's a good
captain, and you may bless your stars that you have been taken for his
ship."
Harry's heart sank when he heard this.
He would at once be recognised by the captain.
What account could he give of himself? The boats were in waiting in the
harbour. The men hurried down to them immediately. Some resisting were
dragged along. A cuff on the head, or a blow with the butt end of a
pistol, generally silenced those who cried out in the hopes of being
rescued.
Harry and Jacob walked along quietly. Neither were disposed to
struggle. As soon as the prisoners were got into the boats they shoved
off. In a quarter of an hour afterwards Harry found himself for the
first time in his life on board a man-of-war.