“Before twelve o’clock last night! How long have you missed him?”
“He quitted the keel, they say, just at dark, when she came alongside the collier,—only because he had broken his pipe, and went to get another; but he did not come back.”
Walter was silent; but Effie could interpret his thought.
“It is certain the press-gang was out last night,” she observed.
“Where is the tender stationed?” asked Walter, pulling down his shirt sleeves, and looking round for his coat.
“Just in the river’s mouth; but there is no getting at her. Half the boats in Shields have been hanging about her; but, there being only women in them, they do but make sport for the officers. Nobody but an officer or two is to be seen on deck——”
“Ay, ay; the other poor creatures are kept close enough down below. I suppose, if there are few but women in the boats, her business is done, and she will make little further stay.”
“There is not a seaman to be seen in all Shields since the day before yesterday, they say; and so the jail has been half emptied to make up the number. Walter, you must not think of going to look for my father. There has scarcely a keel passed all this day, because the men will not venture to the port any more, while the tender is there. You will not think of going, Walter? I am not quite sure that it is safe for you to be working here, full in sight from the river. From the other side I saw you as plain as could be.”
“Why, Effie, what do you think they could make of a gardener on board a king’s ship?”
“What they make of other landsmen, I suppose. ’Tis certain they have got some who never were on ship-board in their lives.”