ke, told her what
was going on, and a terrified woman she was. I then dressed myself with
all possible expedition, and went to the town-clerk's, and we sent for
the town-officers, and then adjourned to the council-chamber to wait the
issue of what might betide.

In my absence, Mrs Pawkie rose out of her bed, and by some wonderful
instinct collecting all the bairns, went with them to the minister's
house, as to a place of refuge and sanctuary.

Shortly after we had been in the council-room, I opened the window and
looked out, but all was still; the town was lying in the defencelessness
of sleep, and nothing was heard but the clicking of the town-clock in the
steeple over our heads. By and by, however, a sough and pattering of
feet was heard approaching; and shortly after, in looking out, we saw the
pressgang, headed by their officers, with cutlasses by their side, and
great club-sticks in their hands. They said nothing; but the sound of
their feet on the silent stones of the causey, was as the noise of a
dreadful engine. They passed, and went on; and all that were with me in
the council stood at the windows and listened. In the course of a minute
or two after, two lassies, with a callan, that had been out, came flying
and wailing, giving the alarm to the town. Then we heard the driving of
the bludgeons on the doors, and the outcries of terrified women; and
presently after we saw the poor chased sailors running in their shirts,
with their clothes in their hands, as if they had been felons and
blackguards caught in guilt, and flying from the hands of justice.

The town was awakened with the din as with the cry of fire; and lights
came starting forward, as it were, to the windows. The women were out
with lamentations and vows of vengeance. I was in a state of horror
unspeakable. Then came some three or four of the pressgang with a
struggling sailor in their clutches, with nothing but his trousers on--his
shirt riven from his back in the fury. Syne came the rest of the gang
and their officers, scattered as it were with a tempest of mud and
stones, pursued and battered by a troop of desperate women and weans,
whose fathers and brothers were in jeopardy. And these were followed by
the wailing wife of the pressed man, with her five bairns, clamouring in
their agony to heaven against the king and government for the outrage. I
couldna listen to the fearful justice of their outcry, but sat down in a
corner of the cou