e beams. Dick could see that it already contained
about twenty people, most of them rough, seafaring men, seated with
their backs against the side, or stretched on the deck. Some were
talking in low, grave tones, others were endeavouring to forget
themselves in sleep. A few looked up and nodded as they recognised
acquaintances, but not many words were exchanged between them. Dick saw
several persons whom he knew, but the greater number had been captured
by the pressgang on other parts of the coast. Dick, though no longer
hungry, was very tired, and seeing a vacant spot, threw himself down
with his back against the after bulkhead.

"I have found out all about it," said Ben, who some time afterwards
seated himself by his side. "It is all owing to that young lord and his
father. The marquis, I hear, wrote over to Portsmouth some time ago to
have this pressgang sent down here to make a clean sweep of all the
seafaring men they could lay hands on. If they had come a few days
sooner, they would have stopped the _Nancy_ from attempting the run, and
we should have got off again; but as ill luck would have it, they
arrived just in time to catch us, and the other poor fellows who had
come on shore. I wish that I could lay hands on that Lord Reginald; I'd
pay him off."

"Little chance of that," observed Dick; "he'll soon be safe on board the
_Wolf_, and we shall be sent off, maybe, in some ship to the other end
of the world. I don't care where I go; but it seems to me what we have
now to do is to make the best of it. I have been thinking over the
matter since I have been staying here, and of course, as the king wants
men to fight his battles, and as it is my luck, good or bad, to become
one of them, I'll do my best and try to keep clear of the
cat-o'-nine-tails which you used to tell me about."

"You'll be precious lucky if you are able to do that, my lad," growled
Ben. "Howsumdever, as we're in for it, I don't want to make you think
things are worse than they are. You'll soon find out what's what."

"I suppose I shall," answered Dick, who was becoming very sleepy, and in
spite of the noises going on around him--the loud talking--the tramping
of feet overhead--the movement of the vessel, which had got under way,
and his uncomfortable position, he was soon in happy forgetfulness of
all his troubles.

The cutter, after proceeding some distance, met with a strong head wind,
and was soon pitching her bows into the fa