Adventures of Working Men Part 25

"'Of course he'll give up, poor fellow,' I muttered to myself; but I was mistaken, for the next moment I saw him scramble up one side of a ridge and slide down the other, in a way which showed that submission was far from his intention.

"Not to be outdone, the three men separated, and as one followed in the prisoner's steps, the others tried to cut him off right and left.

"But for duty, I felt so much sympathy for the poor fellow, that I should have said, 'Let him go.' But all I could do was to gaze horror-stricken at the scene going on about thirty feet from where I stood. Once a warder was near enough to touch the prisoner, but he eluded the grasp, and led his pursuers right to the end of the building, each man, in the excitement of the chase, running fearlessly along the coping of the parapet, or das.h.i.+ng up and down the ridges in a way that chilled me with horror, as I thought of a fall full fifty feet into the stone-yard below.

"'Thank G.o.d!' I e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed at last, for at the second race round the building I saw one of the men drop behind a projection in hiding, and then, as the prisoner came round, the warder leaped up, caught him by the throat, and I thought all was over. But directly after I shuddered as I saw a deadly struggle going on within a foot of the parapet, and felt that the next moment must see the pair falling headlong to the ground. It was almost a relief to see them go down heavily into the gutter, and the prisoner leap up and continue his flight, pursued by the other two men, who had lagged behind to cut off their quarry.

"But a new plan was now being adopted by the pursuers, who crawled on hands and knees between the ridges, one going one way, the other another way, while to my astonishment I saw the prisoner stop at the corner where the brick-burdened wall touched the building, and let down a rope of knotted blanket, hitherto hidden in the lead gutter, to which it was somehow secured. The next instant the poor fellow was over the side, swinging backwards and forwards, and turning round and round as he lowered himself quickly, staring upwards at the men, who now came up and looked over at him.

"In that moment of peril I could do nothing but look on, for I felt, I may say, that something was going to happen. My hands were wet, the big drops stood upon my brow, while, when Ridding swung round, and I saw his dilated eyes, I shuddered again, just as the weak-knotted rope parted, and he fell with his back striking the wall, and dislodging some of the loose bricks, when I turned away from the window to run down; but not quickly enough to avoid hearing the sickening crash of the poor fellow's fall upon the hard flags in the yard.

"The doctor was standing over Ridding when I went into his cell, and then, answering my inquiring look with a slight raising of the eyelids and a shake of the head, he went out and left me with the poor fellow, who smiled as I leant over his bed.

"'Are you in much pain?' I said.

"'Only in one place,' he whispered, touching his breast; and then no more was said for a minute or two, when I spoke a few encouraging words.

"'No use, sir, no use,' he murmured. 'Don't be cross with me. I couldn't bear it any longer. I wanted to be with the wife and little ones once more. Tell 'em how it was.'

"The next morning the poor fellow was free--free from prison bonds-- earthly bonds--all; and I was so upset with that affair that I sent in my resignation. It was returned to me with a note begging that I would reconsider my determination: and I did. But we have some most heart-rending cases at times."

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

MY PATIENT THE SAILOR.

"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 s.h.i.+p 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 ash.o.r.e, for there was more than one as I was wis.h.i.+ng 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 s.h.i.+p, 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 pa.s.sed, 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 s.h.i.+p's side, dropped on to the wharf, and were off.

"Well, being reg'lar old s.h.i.+pmates, you see, it was only natural that we should drop into a little public-house that was down Wapping way, to take a gla.s.s 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 s.h.i.+p after s.h.i.+p--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 gla.s.s 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 s.h.i.+p, everything looks snug and cosy ash.o.r.e.

"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 gla.s.s 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 s.h.i.+ps 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 cutla.s.ses.

"'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 n.o.ble 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 s.h.i.+p 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 pa.s.sion 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 pa.s.s 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 sc.r.a.pe 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 Hertfords.h.i.+re, 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 cla.s.s--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 ap.r.o.n 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--