"Not exactly that either," he answered. "You see, Jack, I found that you were pressed, or would be to a certainty, and I did not like to have one whom I had nursed up almost from a baby on the salt waters, so to speak, altogether out of my sight, though you are big enough now to take care of yourself; so, says I to myself, Well, if they take me, I'll go with a free will--I don't mind. However, when the lieutenant picked out the men he would like to have, and who have no protection, he passed me over, thinking that, on account of my age, he could not touch me. But among the men he chose was poor Bill Jackson, who has a wife and small family at Halifax, and who only came the voyage from his love for Captain Stenning, and was going to give up the sea and live on shore with his wife's relations up the country. I never saw a poor fellow so cut up and broken-hearted when he saw all his hopes blown to the winds, and knew that, for many a long year, he might not see his wife or little ones. He knows well the ups and downs of a sailor's life, and that very likely he might never see them again. I know that I could not stand his grief. Captain Gale did all he could to get the lieutenant to let him off, but nothing would do. The only answer was, `His Majesty wants seamen, and seamen he must have.' "`So he shall!' said I, walking up to the officer. `Now, sir, if you will let that man go, you may have me in his stead; and I'll make bold to say, that there isn't a man aboard this brig but will acknowledge that, blow high or blow low, I'm his equal, either aloft or at the helm, or in handling the lead. What say you, mates? Who'll speak for me? It isn't because I want to boast, you know; but I do want to save poor Bill Jackson from being pressed aboard a man-of-war!' "`He speaks the truth, that he does!' exclaimed all the crew, who were mustered on deck. `There are few of us can come up to him.' "`I tell you, sir,' said Captain Gale, `I should be very sorry to lose either Jackson or Poplar; but if you ask me which is the best seaman of the two, I am bound to say that Poplar is; and besides, in him you get a willing hand, who loves the sea, which I am sure poor Jackson does not.' "`Then Poplar let us have, by all means,' answered the lieutenant, telling Jackson that he was free, and ordering us all to be smart in getting our traps ready to take with us. "The captain, meantime, told me to bring him your papers, which I did, though I well knew that they were no protection to you, and so he discovered, and so I got your chest ready with the rest: and so you see, Jack, you and I are man-of-war's men, and so, lad, let's do our duty like men, and stand up boldly for our king and country."