do, shipmate! Where's your liberty ticket ?' said he; 'you are a sailor, as sure as I wear a red coat: there is tar upon your trowsers, and your hat is blistered with salt water.' "I stepped a pace backwards, and asked him what business he had to stop me? 'I'll show you,' he replied, as he called out for corporal somebody, and was about to lay his hand on my collar. I however saw his intention, struck him to the ground, and bolted through the barrier. The corporal, however, and two men who had heard the summons, pursued me, but without fire-arms. The former ran faster than I did, and coming up first, made a blow at my head which sent me reeling to the ground. I got on my feet again, however, and had levelled him in my place, when his companions arrived and took me into custody. "The scuffle would have been excuse sufficient for detaining me, and with the bitterest pangs of disappointment, I was taken on board the guard-ship, commonly called the Billy, where the tails of my green coat were cut off, along with those of many others, who were by order ranged in the same line, and deprived of the modest superabundance of their long robes. "A few days afterwards, I was drafted on board his Majesty's sloop ****; but judge of my horror, Harold, when I heard she was to follow the frigate from which I had escaped.” CHAPTER IX. PAY-DAY. Gaoler, look to him; tell not me of mercy! SHAKSPEARE. "THE day previous to the ship's sailing, at a very early hour she was surrounded by boats filled with Jews and boxes of clothes; the former holding up letters addressed to the officers, in order to gain admittance; while the sentinels, acting under positive orders, and knowing their pay-day tricks, as resolutely kept them aloof, in which duty they were aided by twenty-four pound shots slung by ropes from the main-yard, and vibrated to and fro on the surface of the water, occasionally splashing the persevering Israelites, who having supplied many of the crew with clothes on credit, and expecting an enormous profit, continued to solicit admittance. None, however, were allowed to come on board till the crew had been paid and the commissioners' yacht had departed. Then the Jews swarmed up the side, and pulled on board their goods, occasionally let run into the boat or overboard, by means of slippery hitches, to the great amusement of the seamen, and annoyance of their avaricious creditors. "You know what a scene of confusion payday is, Harold, and never was there a much more noisy one than this I am telling you of. Mordecai complained that he had advanced clothes and money to several of the men, on promise of payment when the ship was paid. Smouch had lost a box of comforters overboard, in consequence of a slippery hitch being placed upon it by a man who was his debtor, assisting o get it on board. Levi could not get paid for more than half of his Guernsey frocks; and Solomon, with all his wisdom, could find no man on board who said he had three years' wages due, and who had a pea jacket, a Flushing coat, several pairs of blue stockings with white clocks, two banyans, and a real C. D. B. hat, from him. "The bumboat-woman,* too, complained wofully of not being paid for the soft tack, the men had had on tick' (soft bread on credit). "At sunset, the first-lieutenant, harassed by investigating complaints, and enraged at the disorder which prevailed, ordered all the women and Jews out of the ship: the former departed discontented at their shabby reward, and the latter with imprecations on their creditors. "The following day we sailed from Spithead; when discipline was again restored, and order and regularity prevailed. *The Bumboat is that which belongs to the person who has the privilege of supplying the ship with necessaries, and usually brings the letters on board. |