h
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 recognised in the officer at the
helm the youth who had already given him so much annoyance. The officer
also recognised 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 you
think."

"Eh! how? what mean you?" exclaimed the officer, with an expression of
surprise, for he knew that Ruby was now in his power. "I have you safe,
my lad, unless you have provided yourself with a pair of wings. Of
course, I shall leave one of you to take your boat into harbour, but you
may be sure that I'll not devolve that pleasant duty upon _you_."

"I have not provided myself with wings exactly," returned Ruby, pulling
out his medal and ticket; "but here is something that will do quite as
well."

The officer's countenance fell, for he knew at once what it was. He
inspected it, however, closely.

"Let me see," said he, reading the description on the ticket, which ran
thus:--

"Bell Rock Workyard, Arbroath,

"20th June, 1810.

"_Ruby Brand, seaman and blacksmith, in the service of the Honourable
the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouses, aged_ 25 _years_, 5
_feet_ 10 _inches high, very powerfully made, fair complexion,
straight nose, dark-blue eyes, and curling auburn hair_."

This description was signed by the engineer of the works; and on the
obver