us to get away. They began,
indeed, to quarrel with me; but seeing that had not much effect, they
became very civil and polite. In a short time the man of the house--a
sturdy ruffian, with a Jewish cast of countenance--went to the cupboard,
and I saw him pouring out several tumblers of grog. I pretended not to
be watching him, but went on talking to my companions as before.
Directly afterwards his wife got up and placed a tumbler by the side of
each of us, taking one--

"There are your Saturday's night-caps, my lads," said she, sitting down
opposite to us. "Let us drink to sweethearts and wives, and lovers and
friends; a bloody war, and plenty of prize-money!" And with a leer out
of her evil eye, she gulped down half the contents of the tumbler
between her thick lips.

Now I had seen old Growler fumbling with several bottles at the dresser,
and as I passed my nose over the tumbler which his wife placed near me,
a certain rank odour arose from it which I did not like. How to avoid
drinking it I was puzzled, as I did not wish to show the suspicion I
felt that it was drugged. Luckily the tumbler stood on a little round
table by itself; so I jumped up on a sudden, as if something had stung
me, and upset the table with the tumbler and its contents! Old Growler
pretended to be very sorry for the accident, and insisted on mixing
another. "No, thank you, master," I answered; "I've been very clumsy,
and must pay the penalty by the loss of the grog." The couple looked at
each other and then at me with such an evil glance, that I believe had
it not been for my companions they would at that moment have turned me
out into the street.

There were six seamen in the room, lately discharged from different
merchantmen. The house was at the end of a dirty, narrow court, all the
inhabitants of which were of the lowest description. As we were sitting
smoking, a tap was heard at the door. Old Growler went to it. Several
questions were asked by a person outside. He came back in a hurry, and
beckoned to his wife to come and answer them. "There are some
man-of-war's men outside," said he. "They say that they are come to
look for a deserter. They'll soon make my missus open the door, so
you've no time to lose, my lads. Be quick, then; through the door, and
stowaway in the coal-shed." The house had a back-door, or it would not
have been fit for old Growler's purposes; and the door opened into what
they called a garden, but