e leader of the gang, "you may as well go
with us quietly, for ye see resistance is useless, an' it only frightens
the old woman."

This latter part of the remark had more effect on the unfortunate Bill
than the former. He at once resigned himself into the hands of his
captors. As he was about to be led away, he turned towards Mrs Blyth,
intending to speak, but the poor old woman had fainted, and Nelly's
fears for her lover were lost for the moment in her anxiety about her
mother. It was not until the party had left the room that the poor girl
became fully aware of what was going on.

Uttering a loud cry she rushed towards the outer door. Bill heard the
cry, and, exerting himself to the utmost, almost succeeded in
overturning the five men who held him.

"Make your mind easy," said one of them; "no harm will come to the
women. We ain't housebreakers or thieves. All fair an' above board we
are--true-blue British tars, as would rather swing at the yard-arm than
hurt the feelin's of a woman, pretty or ugly, young or old. It's all in
the way of dooty, d'ye see? The King's orders, young man so belay
heavin' about like that, else we'll heave ye on your beam-ends, lash you
hand and futt to a handspike, and carry you aboord like a dead pig."

"Hold on!" cried the man with the big whiskers, who, after having been
knocked down, had become emphatically the man with the big nose, "I'll
go back an' comfort them a bit: don't you take on so. _I_ know all
about it--see through it like a double patent hextromogriphal spy-glass.
Only goin' on a short cruise, d'ye see? Come back soon with lots o'
prize-money; get spliced right off, buy a noo gown with big flowers all
over it for the old mother, pension off the stout gal wi' the crutch--
all straight; that's the thing ain't it?"

"Don't, don't," entreated Bill earnestly; "don't go for to--to--"

"No fear, young man," replied the sailor, seeing that Bill hesitated;
"Ben Bolter ain't the man to do anything that would bring discredit on
His Majesty's service, and I bear you no grudge for this," he added,
pointing to his swelled nose; "it was given in a good cause, and
received in the reg'lar way o' business."

Saying this Ben Bolter ran back to the cottage, where he tried to
comfort the women to the best of his power. How he accomplished his
mission does not remain on record, but it is certain that he rejoined
his party, in little more than five minutes, with sundry new marks