Part 33 (2/2)

”Then hold your tongue, and go quietly I'll speak to the lieutenant e get aboard”

Don glanced sharply at the bluff-looking boatsho had spoken, and he seemed to mean well; but in Don's excitement he could not be sure, and one moment he felt disposed to ates were opened, and then to shout for help; the next to appeal to his fellow-prisoners to hts were running one over another in his ates were thrown open, and they were all marched down a narrow lane, dimly lit by one miserable oil lamp at the end

Almost as they reached the end the familiar odour, damp and seaweedy, of the tide reached Don's nostrils; and directly after he found hiht of wet and slippery stone steps to where a lanthorn showed a large boat, into which he was hurried along with the rest Then there was the sensation of movement, as the boat rose and fell Fresh orders The splash of oars A faint creaking sound where they rubbed on the tholes, and then the regular measured dip, dip, and splash, splash

”Tide runs sharp,” said a deep voice ”Give way, my lads, or we shall be swept by her; that's it”

Don listened to all this as if it were part of a dreahts and the black, shadowy-looking shapes of the various vessels which kept on looht away to his left, the boat was suddenly run up close to a great black mass, which see her sides

Tento the davits, and he, in co low portion of the 'tween decks, with a couple of lanthorns swinging their yellow light to and fro, and trying to make haloes, while an ar up on deck

Every one appeared too desolate and despondent to say much; in fact, as Don sat upon the deck and looked at those who surrounded him, they all looked like so many wounded lishmen--whose duty henceforth was to be the defence of their country

”Seems rum, don't it?” said Jem in a whisper ”Makes a man feel wild to be laid hold on like this”

”It's cruel! It's outrageous!” cried Don, angrily

”But here we are, and--what's that there noise?” said Je was heard on deck Then there was a series of thuing some more poor wretches on board, Jem?”

”Dunno Don't think so Say, Mas' Don, I often heared tell of the press-gang, andtook; but I didn't knoas so bad as this”

”Wait till et justice done to us”

”Then they'll have to do it sharp, for it's ht ere ht; the sloop was under weigh Morning had broken so set at liberty was growing extre due west

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

JEM IS HUNGRY

The first time the pressed men were mustered Don ell prepared

”You leave it to me, Jem,” he whispered ”I'll wait till our turn comes, and then I shall speak out to the officer and tell him hoe've been treated”

”You'd betterlike this, I sha'n't be able to stand and hear what you have to say”

For a good breeze was blowing from the south coast, sufficient to make the waves curl over, and the sloop behave in rather a lively way; the ood deal of canvas spread, and heeled over and dipped her nose sufficiently to adreat wave from time to time to well splash the forward part of the deck

Don made no reply, for he felt white, but he attributed it to the mental excitement from which he suffered