ong whom
was Porter, to be carried aboard the frigate, where they were to be
kept until they agreed to enlist. Loaded with irons, they were thrust
into "the brig," or guard-room of the frigate; but, though the case
seemed hopeless, Porter gallantly refused to enter the king's service,
and ceaselessly exhorted his comrades to stand firm against the
commands of the British. Days passed, and still the frigate's crew was
in no wise increased from among the obstinate Americans. The British
captain lost patience, and commanded that all the prisoners be brought
out on deck, triced up, and publicly flogged with the cat-of-nine
tails, for "the bad example they set the crew of his Majesty's ship."
The order was duly put into execution. The prisoners, still ironed,
were brought up under a heavy guard, and taken to the gratings; but
when young Porter reached the deck, and saw the ignominious punishment
in store for him, he fought desperately with his guards, and, finally
breaking away, ran below, and hid in some corner of the hold, from
which the most careful search failed to dislodge him. The captain
finally gave orders to leave him alone, saying, "He'll come out fast
enough when he gets hungry." But the lad did not wait for hunger to
drive him from his hiding-place. That very night he came from the
hold, crawled stealthily across the deck, and dropped into the water,
regardless of the sharks that abound in those tropic seas. A short
swim took him to a Danish vessel, by which he was carried across the
Atlantic. Only after many months of voyaging as a common sailor did
the lad succeed in working his way back to his home.

Even this experience could not deter the young seaman from again
seeking employment upon the billowy main, and for the third time he
shipped upon an American merchantman. Again his course lay toward the
West Indies, and again he was intercepted by the inevitable
man-of-war. This time he was not so fortunate as to escape until after
a month or more of captivity, during which time he was treated with
the greatest cruelty on account of his persistent refusal to serve
under any flag save that of his own country. At last he made his
escape, and reached home. By this time he was naturally somewhat
disgusted with the life of a sailor on an American merchant-vessel;
and he cast about for an appointment to the navy, which he soon
received. It is impossible to doubt that his three adventures with the
British press-gang had