1830.] The Pressed Man : a Tale of the Coast. 541 



starred love created, was filled up by my old companion Kit, and the 



dashing stood down channel for her three years' spell on the India 



station. Kit was soon attached, as a kind of personal retainer, to the 

 lieutenant, and refused even a boatswain's warrant that he might remain 

 disposeable to follow his master whenever he changed ship. 



The details of a prolonged cruise between the Cape and the China 

 seas, the bay of Bengal, and the Persian gulf, claim no place in this tale. 

 Years passed away, the lieutenant got his commander's commission on 

 the station, and was dispatched home, in charge of a prize corvette he 

 had himself cut out, to get confirmed at the Admiralty. 



To man the corvette for fighting her way over the broad seas required 

 a draft from various men of war and Indiamen that were lying in Bom- 

 bay harbour. Among the first to ascend her side, and pass muster before 

 her new commander, was Ned Needham. A scowl of peculiar though 

 suppressed meaning just crossed his brow as he measured eyes with his 

 future captain ; but no other token of recognition passed on either side. 

 The character Ned brought with him secured him at once the post of 

 captain of the fore-top. But his conduct soon showed a strange com- 

 bination of every quality most valuable in a sailor, with an occasional 

 dogged kind of indifference to duty ; or rather, a wilful display of negli- 

 gence, and even insubordination, when more immediately under the 

 captain's own eye. The captain knew him well ; remembered but too 

 painfully how deeply he had injured him, and winked hard at his sallies. 

 But at length a daring expression of almost mutinous defiance obliged 

 his commander to order him instantly to the custody of the master at 

 arms. 



" I waited but for this," exclaimed Ned, and darting suddenly forward, 

 aimed a murderous blow at his captain with a jack-knife, which, it was 

 afterwards discovered, he had been for days carefully pointing and 

 sharpening. 



" This for Ned and Fanny." 



The captain, though only slightly wounded, reeled with the force of 

 the blow ; and at once a hundred arms secured the mad assassin. 



" Do him no injury ; his sentence must pass in England," said the 

 captain; " but let him be securely guarded." 



The corvette rounded the Cape, after hammering for a week against 

 a nor-wester ; rolled down to St. Helena, and was already making 

 TenerifFe's lofty peak, when, for the first time during her long voyage, 

 a sail decidedly inimical claimed her attention. A game of long bowls 

 by moonlight ensued ; night parted the combatants ; but the morning 

 showed, on board the Englishman, a lost prisoner, and his sentinel, 

 bayoneted and senseless, stretched over the useless fetters. When the 

 marine had somewhat recovered his senses, under the doctor's hand, he 

 said that during the hottest of the firing, Needham had suddenly jumped 

 up, freed, as if by magic, from his irons ; seized his musket, and pinioning 

 him to the deck with his own bayonet, had rushed up the nearest hatch- 

 way, and no doubt plunged overboard unobserved, while all hands had 

 their guns and a Frenchman to look after. " Best as it is," thought the 

 captain ; " I am well rid of him. I should have little liked to be obliged 

 to hang a poor devil whose happiness I had unfortunately blasted for 

 ever." How Needham had contrived to escape during the bustle of 

 an engagement, a small watch-spring file, lying near his irons, pretty 

 clearly explained ; but whether even his skill in swimming would 



