The mountain Democrat., 1863-11-21

among the sandy iSletS OF the West In
dies, and of sailors who had won sack
full Of dollars by the fash of cutlass, or
the swapping of pistol. Henry Mills
was naturally of an adventurous disposi-
tion, and can well imagine that be often
looked with a sort Of envy at the depar-
ture Of gallant ships company, flushed
with hope and confidence, on the then IA
vorite errand of plundering the enemy
But old Wade, very sober and religious
man, had scruples regarding this rough
and wanton trade, scruples which bis
daughter shared, and which his intended
sen,iNslNw respected .... ~.
So, when poor Mary Wade sNbbed out
the words, %, sir, it's about Henry
was fairly puzzled.
'Henryr said |; surely he is at sea,
and out of the Downs by this time and
in few months we shall hope to see him
come back from Calcutta to claim his
wife. The Give was to have sailed week
since
'Ah, your reverence, but the Give did
not sail, sobbed Mary; and now my poor
dear Henry will be taken by the press.
gang, and sent off to the feet and sea, as
so many of our poor lads have been, and
he will be killed in these horrid wars. [
shall never, never see him more
And the girl wept more piteously than
ever, struggling the while to reprcss her
sobs, lest Mrs. Simmons should hear them
and grow InquiSitive; for my landlady,
though good sort of a woman, was an
inveterate gossip, and publicity would be
fatal to the plan which Mary had already
formed in her head.
\ plan there was, and no bad one, 10 be
the device of a young woman Of nineteen,
whose life had hitherto been spent in the
simplest domestic duties. But before
coming to this notable scheme, which will
develop itself in due time, must point
out what was the danger against which it
was directed.
Men were in great request at that time
for the royal navy. The bounty was high,
but the service, in those days Of hogglng
and discomfort, was by TO means so at
tractive as at present. Itwas ON the press.
gang that the Admiralty chiefly relied for
manning the fleet, and at this particular
period the man ofwar tender Grasper,
commanded by Lieutenant Barnes, lay in
Sallyport harbor, and her crew were busy
on shore.
As yet, the Graspcr's men had made
but few captures Of able seamcn, at least,
for the few sailors whom the town still
contained were hidden away most care
fully in artful places of concealment, and
did not venture to stir abroad until the
presSgang should be gone. But Mary
Wade had Just learned the fact that Lieu
tenant Barnes had discovered the hiding
place of a number Of seamen, who were
slowed away in an obscure public house,
in one of the waterSide suburbs, and that
this preserve Of human beings we're to be
pounced upon that very night.
And Henry's there, sir, said the poor
girl, in a timid whisper, he is there along
with the rest, and will be taken with
them. Oh, sir, it was so unfortunate, the
delay about his going up to London to join
his ship. But the Give proved to be in
want CT some repairs in her rigging or
mastS, or sonnet ing, and is still in dock;
and the captain wrote word Henry need
not come up ; and he was here when the
Graspsr came into port, and was obliged
to hide like the other sailors, because
Lieutenant Barnes-that cruel man-had
sent party by land from Tidemouth to
any poor fellows trying to es-
cape by the road. And now they are all
shared, like birds in net, and in a few
hours they'll all be in irons on board the
kings ship
| was myself much alarmed by this an.
nouncement. | had long taken a good
deal of interestin this humble pair of low
ers; though had but slight acquaint-
ance personally, with the young mariner.
| still regretted much to hear that his
prospects Of happiness should be thus
nipped in the bud, and Mary's distress
would have moved a more callouS obser.
yer than myself
| tried to comfort her, by suggesting
that Henry Mills would be released on ex.
hibiting his written proofs that he filled
the post of fourth officer in an Indiaman;
but Mary replied that this chance was de-
MED him; he had no written appointment
to show, nothing but the captains letter,
and Lieutenant BarncS-a hard, over
bearing man, detested by all the seafaring
population Of that coaSt-would laugh
his eXpoStulations to scorn.
Il heard, SIR said the girl, that the
Lieutenant was specially anxious to get
my Henry into his clutches. He has got
a list, somehow, of most Of the Salyport
men, and he knows there's no sailor
among them all except perhaps Minns and
Datchet, who are away to South America,
to compare with my dear Henry, and they
do so want men to fight the dreadful bat
ties, and -
Here she broke down altogether.
But what can | do to assist in this mat
ter?' asked |, in great perplexity, for
Mary kept sobbing out incoherent assev-
erations that 4 alone-I alone, could save
them both, if pleased
'Of course | will do all | can,' said ], as
paced the room; but own can see no
way out of this distressing affair. l fear
it would be of little use to speak to the
officer: he is severe man, and not very
s.rupulous, or report does him great in.
Justice. If were to 60 to the place,
and ihen give warning to the men con-
cealed-'
'Ah no, sir; ii is too late for that, said
the girl, shaking her head. Before |
heard of what was to be done, which
came about through a neighbor's child
overhearing the talk of the men-ot-war's S
men, every way was beset and guarded.
l dared not 60 there. | don't even think
the poor lads know their danger, and,
my dear sir, they don't know they. are
soId.'
'Soldn l exclaimed.
Yes, SIR answered Mary. The child
l spoke of heard the tenders crew boast
ing among themselves how they had trap
ped the wariest of the merchant seamen