heavy fishing boat against the
picked crew of the light gig. If the wind had been a little stronger
they might have escaped, but the wind had decreased, and the small
boat overhauled them yard by yard.

Seeing that they had no chance, Ruby said, between his set teeth:

"Will ye fight, boys?"

"_I_ will," cried Davy Spink sternly, for Davy had a wife and little
daughter on shore, who depended entirely on his exertions for their
livelihood, so he had a strong objection to go and fight in the wars
of his country.

"What's the use?" muttered Big Swankie, with a savage scowl. He, too,
had a strong disinclination to serve in the Royal Navy, being a lazy
man, and not overburdened with courage. "They've got eight men of a
crew, wi' pistols an' cutlashes."

"Well, it's all up with us," cried Ruby, in a tone of sulky anger, as
he tossed his oar overboard, and, folding his arms on his breast, sat
sternly eyeing the gig as it approached.

Suddenly a beam of hope shot into his heart. A few words will explain
the cause thereof.

About the time the works at the Bell Rock were in progress, the war
with France and the Northern Powers was at its height, and the demand
for men was so great that orders were issued for the establishment of
an impress service at Dundee, Arbroath, and Aberdeen. It became
therefore necessary to have some protection for the men engaged in
the works. As the impress officers were extremely rigid in the
execution of their duty, it was resolved to have the seamen carefully
identified, and, therefore, besides being described in the usual
manner in the protection-bills granted by the Admiralty, each man had
a ticket given to him descriptive of his person, to which was attached
a silver medal emblematical of the lighthouse service.

That very week Ruby had received one of the protection-medals and
tickets of the Bell Rock, a circumstance which he had forgotten at
the moment. It was now in his pocket, and might perhaps save him.

When the boat ranged up alongside, Ruby recognized in the officer at
the helm the youth who had already given him so much annoyance. The
officer also recognized Ruby, and, with a glance of surprise and
pleasure, exclaimed:

"What! have I bagged you at last, my slippery young lion?"

Ruby smiled as he replied, "Not _quite_ yet, my persevering young
jackall." (He was sorely tempted to transpose the word into jackass,
but he wisely restrained himself.) "I'm not so easily caught as y