“Hurry up and get those chaps on board,” the mate called out, “I want to get under way.”
“All right, Mister Mate,” answered one of the crimps, “we’ll soon have them on board. Get out of that you brutes!” he added, giving one of the dazed men a savage lack.
Slogan and his men soon got their victims on board, but on getting on deck one of the fellows, a fine-built young Swede, seemed to partly recover his senses.
“I don’t belong to this ship,”’ he said, and made for the gangway. With an oath Slagan sprang at him. A terrific blow on the side of the head, and the poor fellow dropped senseless on the deck. They then bundled the lot forward.
Finding no light in the forecastle he and his men stepped inside, and were in the act of striking matches, when each of them was knocked senseless with a blow behind the ear from a knuckle duster. They were then dropped into the fore-peak and the hatches fastened down, while the new men were lifted into berths to sleep off the effects of the drugged liquor.
In the meantime the second mate slipped down the gangway, and standing on one side of Slagan’s boat, capsized her. When she filled with water he cast her off and let her drift up river.
The tug boat dropped down, the tow-rope was secured, the buoy cast off, and before midnight the ship was outside the Nobbies and under all sail. At day light the “shanghaied” men were getting over the effects of the drug and the captain called all hands aft and gave them a good stiff glass of grog. The new men were in a terrible state when they came to their senses and found they had been “shanghaied.” One young fellow in particular sat down on the hatch, and placing his head on his hands, seemed to give way to despair. He took no heed of what was going on, and spoke no word to anyone. The young Swede, who had been so brutally struck by Sullivan stepped up to the captain:
“Who brought us on board?” he asked.
“Dan Slagan,” replied the mate, “he said you were his boarders. I saw him come alongside, and then I went forward, and have not seen him since.”
“Did you pay him any advance for us, captain?”