CHAPTER TWO.
THE LOVERS AND THE PRESS-GANG.
About a mile to the eastward of the ancient town of Arbroath the shoreabruptly changes its character, from a flat beach to a range of,perhaps, the wildest and most picturesque cliffs on the east coast ofScotland. Inland the country is rather flat, but elevated severalhundred feet above the level of the sea, towards which it slopes gentlyuntil it reaches the shore, where it terminates in abrupt, perpendicularprecipices, varying from a hundred to two hundred feet in height. Inmany places the cliffs overhang the water, and all along the coast theyhave been perforated and torn up by the waves, so as to presentsingularly bold and picturesque outlines, with caverns, inlets, andsequestered "coves" of every form and size.
To the top of these cliffs, in the afternoon of the day on which ourtale opens, a young girl wended her way,--slowly, as if she had no otherobject in view than a stroll, and sadly, as if her mind were moreengaged with the thoughts within than with the magnificent prospect ofland and sea without. The girl was:
"Fair, fair, with golden hair,"
and apparently about twenty years of age. She sought out a quiet nookamong the rocks at the top of the cliffs; near to a circular chasm, withthe name of which (at that time) we are not acquainted, but which wasdestined ere long to acquire a new name and celebrity from an incidentwhich shall be related in another part of this story.
Curiously enough, just about the same hour, a young man was seen to wendhis way to the same cliffs, and, from no reason whatever with which wehappened to be acquainted, sought out the same nook! We say "he wasseen," advisedly, for the maid with the golden hair saw him. Anyordinary observer would have said that she had scarcely raised her eyesfrom the ground since sitting down on a niece of flower-studded turfnear the edge of the cliff, and that she certainly had not turned herhead in the direction of the town. Yet she saw him,--however absurd thestatement may appear, we affirm it confidently,--and knew that he wascoming. Other eyes there were that also saw youth--eyes that would havecaused him some degree of annoyance had he known they were upon him--eyes that he would have rejoiced to tinge with the colours black andblue! There were thirteen pair of them, belonging to twelve men and alieutenant of the navy.
In those days the barbarous custom of impressment into the Royal Navywas in full operation. England was at war with France. Men were wantedto fight our battles, and when there was any difficulty in getting men,press-gangs were sent out to force them into the service. The youthwhom we now introduce to the reader was a sailor, a strapping, handsomeone, too; not, indeed, remarkable for height, being only a little abovethe average--five feet, ten inches or thereabouts--but noted for greatdepth of chest, breadth of shoulder, and development of muscle;conspicuous also for the quantity of close, clustering, light-browncurls down his head, and for the laughing glance of his dark-blue eye.Not a hero of romance, by any means. No, he was very matter of fact,and rather given to meditation than mischief.
The officer in charge of the press-gang had set his heart on this youth(so had another individual, of whom more anon!) but the youth, whosename was Ruby Brand, happened to have an old mother who was at that timein very bad health, and she had also set her heart, poor body, on theyouth, and entreated him to stay at home just for one half-year. Rubywillingly consented, and from that time forward led the life of a dog inconsequence of the press-gang.
Now, as we have said, he had been seen leaving the town by thelieutenant, who summoned his men and went after him--cautiously,however, in order to take him by surprise for Ruby, besides being strongand active as a lion, was slippery as an eel.
Going straight as an arrow to the spot where she of the golden hair wasseated, the youth presented himself suddenly to her, sat down besideher, and exclaiming "Minnie", put his arm round her waist.
"Oh, Ruby, don't," said Minnie, blushing.
Now, reader, the "don't" and the blush had no reference to the arm roundthe waist, but to the relative position of their noses, mouths, andchins, a position which would have been highly improper and altogetherunjustifiable but for the fact that Ruby was Minnie's accepted lover.
"Don't, darling, why not?" said Ruby in surprise.
"You're _so_ rough," said Minnie, turning her head away.
"True, dear, I forgot to shave this morning."
"I don't mean that," interrupted the girl quickly, "I mean rude and--and--is that a sea-gull?"
"No, sweetest of your sex, it's a butterfly; but it's all the same, asmy metaphysical Uncle Ogilvy would undertake to prove to you, thus, abutterfly is white and a gull is white,--therefore, a gull is abutterfly."
"Don't talk nonsense, Ruby."
"No more I will, darling, if you will listen to me while I talk sense."
"What is it?" said the girl, looking earnestly and somewhat anxiouslyinto her lover's face, for she knew at once by his expression that hehad some unpleasant communication to make. "You're not going away?"
"Well, no--not exactly; you know I promised to stay with mother; but thefact is that I'm so pestered and hunted down by that rascallypress-gang, that I don't know what to do. They're sure to nab me atlast, too, and then I shall have to go away whether I will or no, soI've made up my mind as a last resource, to--" Ruby paused.
"Well?" said Minnie.
"Well, in fact to do what will take me away for a short time, but--"Ruby stopped short, and, turning his head on one side, while a look offierce anger overspread his face, seemed to listen intently.
Minnie did not observe this action for a few seconds, but, wondering whyhe paused, she looked up, and in surprise exclaimed--"Ruby! what doyou--"
"Hush! Minnie, and don't look round," said he in a low tone of intenseanxiety, yet remaining immovably in the position which he had assumed onfirst sitting down by the girl's side, although the swelled veins of hisneck and his flushed forehead told of a fierce conflict of feelingwithin. "It's the press-gang after me again. I got a glance of one o'them out of the tail of my eye, creeping round the rocks. They think Ihaven't seen them. Darling Minnie--one kiss. Take care of mother if Idon't turn up soon."
"But how will you escape?"
"Hush, dearest girl! I want to have as much of you as I can before Igo. Don't be afraid. They're honest British tars after all, and won'thurt _you_, Minnie."
Still seated at the girl's side, as if perfectly at his ease, yetspeaking in quick earnest tones, and drawing her closely to him, Rubywaited until he heard a stealthy tread behind him. Then he sprang upwith the speed of thought, uttered a laugh of defiance as the sailorsrushed towards him, and leaping wildly off the cliff, fell a height ofabout fifty feet into the sea.
Minnie uttered a scream of horror, and fell fainting into the arms ofthe bewildered lieutenant.
"Down the cliffs--quick! he can't escape if you look alive. Stay, oneof you, and look after this girl. She'll roll over the edge onrecovering, perhaps."
It was easy to order the men down the cliffs, but not so easy for themto obey, for the rocks were almost perpendicular at the place, anddescended sheer into the water.
"Surround the spot," shouted the lieutenant. "Scatter yourselves--away!there's no beach here."
The lieutenant was right. The men extended themselves along the top ofthe cliffs so as to prevent Ruby's escape, in the event of his trying toascend them, and two sailors stationed themselves in ambush in thenarrow pass at the spot where the cliffs terminate in the direction ofthe town.
The leap taken by Ruby was a bold one. Few men could have ventured it;indeed, the youth himself would have hesitated had he not been drivenalmost to desperation. But he was a practised swimmer and diver, andknew well the risk he ran. He struck the water with tremendous forceand sent up a great mass of foam, but he had entered it perpendicularly,feet foremost, and in a few seconds returned to the surface so close tothe cliffs that they overhung him, and thus effectually concealed himfrom his pursuers.
Swimming cautiously along for a short distance close to the
rocks, hecame to the entrance of a cavern which was filled by the sea. The innerend of this cave opened into a small hollow or hole among the cliffs, upthe sides of which Ruby knew that he could climb, and thus reach the topunperceived, but, after gaining the summit, there still lay before himthe difficulty of eluding those who watched there. He felt, however,that nothing could be gained by delay, so he struck at once into thecave, swam to the inner end, and landed. Wringing the water out of hisclothes, he threw off his jacket and vest in order to be as unencumberedas possible, and then began to climb cautiously.
Just above the spot where Ruby ascended there chanced to be stationed aseaman named Dalls. This man had lain down flat on his breast, with hishead close to the edge of the cliff, so as to observe narrowly all thatwent on below, but, being a stout, lethargic man, he soon fell fastasleep! It was just at the spot where this man lay that Ruby reachedthe summit. The ascent was very difficult. At each step the huntedyouth had to reach his hand as high above his head as possible, andgrasp the edge of a rock or a mass of turf with great care beforeventuring on another step. Had one of these points of rock, or one ofthese tufts of grass, given way, he would infallibly have fallen downthe precipice and been killed. Accustomed to this style of climbingfrom infancy, however, he advanced without a sensation of fear.
On reaching the top he peeped over, and, seeing that no one was near,prepared for a rush. There was a mass of brown turf on the bank abovehim. He grasped it with all his force, and swung himself over the edgeof the cliff. In doing so he nearly scalped poor Dalls, whose hair wasthe "turf" which he had seized, and who, uttering a hideous yell, leapedupon Ruby and tried to overthrow him. But Dalls had met his match. Hereceived a blow on the nose that all but felled him, and instantly aftera blow on each eye, that raised a very constellation of stars in hisbrain, and laid him prone upon the grass.
His yell, however, and the noise of the scuffle, were heard by those ofthe press-gang who were nearest to the scene of conflict. They rushedto the rescue, and reached the spot just as Ruby leaped over hisprostrate foe and fled towards Arbroath. They followed with a cheer,which warned the two men in ambush to be ready. Ruby was lithe as agreyhound. He left his pursuers far behind him, and dashed down thegorge leading from the cliffs to the low ground beyond.
Here he was met by the two sailors, and by the lieutenant, who hadjoined them. Minnie was also there, having been conducted thither bythe said lieutenant, who gallantly undertook to see her safe into thetown, in order to prevent any risk of her being insulted by his men. Onhearing the shout of those who pursued Ruby, Minnie hurried away,intending to get free from the gang, not feeling that the lieutenant'sprotection was either desirable or necessary.
When Ruby reached the middle of the gorge, which we have dignified withthe name of "pass", and saw three men ready to dispute his passage, heincreased his speed. When he was almost up to them he turned aside andsprang nimbly up the almost perpendicular wall of earth on his right.This act disconcerted the men, who had prepared to receive his chargeand seize him, but Ruby jumped down on the shoulders of the one nearest,and crushed him to the ground with his weight. His clenched fist caughtthe lieutenant between the eyes and stretched him on his back--the thirdman wisely drew aside to let this human thunderbolt pass by!
He did pass, and, as the impetuous and quite irresistible locomotive isbrought to a sudden pause when the appropriate brakes are applied, sowas he brought to a sudden halt by Minnie a hundred yards or so fartheron.
"Oh! don't stop," she cried eagerly, and hastily thrusting him away."They'll catch you!"
Panting though he was, vehemently, Ruby could not restrain a laugh.
"Catch me! no, darling; but don't be afraid of them. They won't hurtyou, Minnie, and they can't hurt me--except in the way of cutting shortour interview. Ha! here they come. Goodbye, dearest; I'll see you soonagain."
At that moment five or six of the men came rushing down the pass with awild cheer. Ruby made no haste to run. He stood in an easy attitudebeside Minnie; leisurely kissed her little hand, and gently smootheddown her golden hair. Just as the foremost pursuer came within fifteenyards or so of them, he said, "Farewell, my lassie, I leave you in goodhands"; and then, waving his cap in the air, with a cheer of more thanhalf-jocular defiance, he turned and fled towards Arbroath as if one ofthe nor'-east gales, in its wildest fury, were sweeping him over theland.