e party of seamen under an
officer who had just mustered them outside, while several remained
within, guarding persons with handcuffs on their wrists and seated on
the benches. Two or three of them looked very disconsolate, but the
rest were endeavouring to keep up their spirits by laughing and joking
and talking to each other, or with their captors. Among the former,
Dick, to his sorrow, saw his friend Ben Rudall, who, however, did not
appear to recognise him. The landlady looked far from pleased at the
guests she was compelled to entertain. Dick caught her eye.

"Do give me something to eat, Mrs Simmons!" he exclaimed. "I'm pretty
nigh starved."

"Bless me, Richard Hargrave! is that you? You shall have what little I
have in the house; but it will be a sad night to those at home when they
hear that you are taken."

"I wish that you'd send up and tell them, and get it broken gently to my
mother and Janet," said Dick, as Mrs Simmons placed bread and cheese,
and a piece of cold bacon before him, with a mug of ale.

"Be smart, my lad, and stow that food away," said the seaman, who stood
by with a pair of handcuffs. "You'll get some breakfast on board the
tender to-morrow morning."

"Maybe; but I should be starved to death before to-morrow morning, if
you don't let me eat this," answered Dick, munching away with all his
might. He had never eaten so fast, for he expected every moment that
the seaman would lose patience and clap the handcuffs on him. He was
allowed, however, to swallow the contents of the plate as well as the
ale.

"I'll pay you, Mrs Simmons, some day when I come back; and thank you in
the mean time," said Dick, when he had finished his hasty meal.

"You are welcome to it, my boy," said the landlady, "and who knows but
that you'll one day come back a captain."

The sailor laughed as he clapped the handcuffs on Dick's wrists.
Directly afterwards the officer ordered the prisoners to be brought out,
as the boat had arrived from the tender to carry them on board.

Ben Rudall, who had hitherto been silent, finding that he was at once to
be carried off, rose to his feet and lifting up his manacled hands
addressed the officer, "It is hard lines for me, sir, to be dragged away
from my wife and family, without so much as saying good-bye to them.
They live not many doors off, down the lane; won't you just let me go
down and kiss the children? Maybe you are a father yourself, and you
wouldn't like t