A Lad of Grit: A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea in Restoration Times

attributed to the legacy left him under my father's will. Though far from being in needy circumstances--receiving as Clerk of the Survey

clined to verbosity. It did not take me long to ascertain that the pair were ill-assorted, and when on certain occasio

ld of nine years. I was soon on capital terms with both, though, boylike, I treated

y of my adventures on the road, and, happening

Middleton, lately appointed commissioner of this dockyard, and he who ro

ith Blake the fleets of Holland and of Spain, and whose prompt action in co-operating with Monk and taking

in company with my cousin Maurice, w

armouth, Swiftsure, London, and Ruby--lay at anchor at some distance from the wharves, while c

lip, being nearly fit for launching, stood a large ship of seventy-s

d by a pair of bandy legs, came towards the place where we stood. He wore a blue uniform, with three-cornered hat, and ca

zard! Stand aside, boys, wh

ain was

dy to weigh and make sail, but

replied my uncle. "I can only

thereupon give me cold comfort by sending me again to the Commissioner. How can I take my ship to sea lacking bre

and my uncle were debating. His calling was appar

Captain Duce can get

to be paid monthly, but have received nothing since September last. Verily, I am afraid to go abroa

yment were a common occurrence, Maurice and I stole away and wan

, richly ornamented with gilded quarter badges and richly carved galleries. Little did we know that a short seven

h year of his reign", as the crown document has it. The gilded effigy of his sainted father was restored to its niche in the Square Tower at Portsmouth, where a

ng a paper from his pocket, read in a sonorous voice a summons for me to attend at the courthouse as a witness against Di

es dealt with before the one in which I had to give evidence, and, though it was in keepin

ame, and there remain until Saturday next between the hours of Eleven and Twelve of the Clock in the forenoon, at which time she was to be brought to the public Whipping-post, and there receiv

y theft, what, thought I, will be the corr

unt in the valley near Petersfield, and now, knowing full well that his neck was already in the hangman's noose, his demeanour was one of

ms betokened a villain whose existence had been of an out-door kind. There was a look of haunting terror in his face that turned the br

and with a terrible oath poured out the most frightful imprecations against me, vowing that sooner or later his mates would doubly avenge themselves on my miserable carcass, ti

ng given evidence, it was thought that the case for the prosecution was concluded, but a

rong odour of tar, which was a pleasant relief to the fetid atmosphere of the crowded court, hovered around him like a cloud. He was about fifty years of age, wizened and bent. His face, burnt by exposure to all weathers, was of a deep mahoga

ad been cut off at the knee joint, and was replaced by a wooden stump. The fingers of his right hand were dried like a mummy's, the

ered the oath, his e

Joseph

your H

either of t

esence, that red-hai

ting lawyer, addressing Caleb Keepin

ed not, except to shak

your evidence,

, and without further delay plunged into his story, which,

we cleared Poole harbour we were overtaken by a gale from the south'ard, and soon got into difficulties close to the Pur

igns of terrified interest--a fact that m

gan to break up. One by one the crew were swept overboard, and at last a heavy se

results. Numbers of bales and barrels, that had formed our cargo, were being collected on the platform by a number of villainous-looking, half-naked men. A slight tin

ie, poor old John Cartridge of Hamworthy. The wretches began to hack his fingers off, as they had done mine, and even tore a pair of ear-rings forcibly from his ears. Old John wasn't d

or-stricken voice: "No, no! You are mistaken.

men bare his back, good sir, and if he hath not the sign o

remove the clothing from the prisoner's back. Sure enough, ther

r evidence, M

h, yet expecting every moment to have a knife betwixt my ribs. 'Is 'e done with?' asked another. 'Then overboard with 'im.' Next minute I felt myself being dragged across the platform and pushed off the edge. I fell about a score of feet, striking the water with a heavy splash. When I came to t

m Wareham and Poole; but though they discovered the caves, not a trace of

of a notorious band of Dorset smugglers, whose misdeeds had caused the utmost consternation fo

journey (having heard both men sentenced to death), as we were passing through a wood between Twyford and W

but in my own mind I attributed it to the vengeance of the s

outhsea beach. Such occasions are invariably regarded as a kind of holiday, and thousands

to being compelled to mount the ladder, whence he was thrown violently, and in a few moments all was over. But with Dick Swyre it was diffe

tempted; but the soldiers kept back the press, and in spite of his violent struggles the prisoner was brought underneath the gallows, where a rope wa

in the affair had gained me many unknown enemies. This impression grew after an attempt had been made to burn my uncle's house, and I had been deliberately pushed f