it was a bit of dirty barren ground, strewn
with broken bricks and crockery, and bits of rotten wood, with some
tumble-down sheds on either side of it. In one of these he proposed we
should hide. As we opened the door, however, to rush out, we found
ourselves confronted by a dozen stout seamen; and before we could make
the slightest resistance, we were all of us bound hand and foot. The
front-door being opened, an officer and several men entered through it,
and a large party of us assembled in Mrs Growler's kitchen. The
lieutenant and midshipman who commanded the press-gang took very coolly
the abuse which our worthy host and hostess so liberally bestowed on
them. We were allowed to go, two and two at a time, under escort, to
collect our traps, and then marched down to a couple of boats waiting
for us at the quay. In a short time we were put on board a cutter, with
a number of other men who had been picked up in a similar way. There
was a good deal of grumbling, and some of the men seemed to have been
very hardly dealt with; but I cannot say that my change of lot made me
particularly unhappy.

Another night's foray on shore considerably increased our numbers;
besides which several volunteers, mostly landsmen, were obtained, and
the cutter then sailed to discharge her passengers into the ships most
requiring men. I and several others found ourselves going up the side
of His Majesty's ship _Glutton_, of 50 guns, commanded by Captain Henry
Trollope. As I stood on the deck looking about me, previous to being
summoned aft, I saw on the other side the tall figure of a man whose
back was turned towards me. My heart beat with surprise and joy, for I
felt almost sure he must be Peter Poplar. He shortly turned his head.
I was right. He was no other than my old friend. I sprung over to him,
and warmly grasped his hand. He started when he saw me, stared at me
with astonishment, and for a minute could not speak.

"Is it really you, Jack?" he at length exclaimed. "Why, lad, I thought
you were dead. I was told that you had been lost overboard from the
_Juno_."

"So I was," said I; "but I was found by an old friend, who in the end
played me a somewhat scurvy trick." And I told him in a few words all
that had occurred to me since we had been paid off from the _Syren_.

"Well, I am right glad to see you, lad--that I am," he exclaimed, again
wringing my hand.

My yarn was scarcely out when I was summoned to have my n