His father, in the early years of the century, had kept the mill up at Trethake Water, two miles above Gantick.  There were two sons, of whom Reub, the elder, succeeded to the mill.  Nat had been apprenticed to the thatching.  Accident of birth assigned to the two these different walks of life but by taking thought their parents could not have chosen more wisely, for Nat was born clever, with an ambition to cut a figure in man’s eyes and just that sense of finish and the need of it which makes the good workman.  Whereas his brother went the daily round at home as contentedly as a horse at a cider press.  But Nat made the mistake of lodging under his father’s roof, and his mother made the worse mistake of liking her first-born the better and openly showing it.  Nat, jealous and sensitive by nature, came to imagine the whole world against him, and Reub, who had no vice beyond a large thick-witted selfishness, seemed to make a habit of treading on his corns.  At length came the explosion:  a sudden furious assault which sent Reub souse into the paternal mill-leat.

The mother cursed Nat forth from the door, and no doubt said a great deal more than she meant.  The boy—­he was just seventeen—­carried his box down to the Ring of Bells.  Next morning as he sat viciously driving in spars astride on a rick ridge, whence he could see far over the Channel, there came into sight round Derryman’s Point a ship-of-war, running before the strong easterly breeze with piled canvas, white stun-sails bellying, and a fine froth of white water running off her bluff bows.  Another ship followed, and another—­at length a squadron of six.  Nat watched them from time to time until they trimmed sails and stood in for Falmouth.  Then he climbed down from the rick and put on his coat.

Two years later he landed at Portsmouth, heartily sick of the sea and all belonging to it.  He drank himself silly that night and for ten nights following, and one morning found himself in the streets without a penny.  Portsmouth just then (July, 1808) was filled with troops embarking under Sir John Moore for Portugal.  One regiment especially took Nat’s eye—­the 4th or King’s Own, and indeed the whole service contained no finer body of men.  He sidled up to a corporal and gave a false name.  Varcoe had been his mother’s maiden name, and it came handy.  The corporal took him to a recruiting sergeant and handed him over with a wink.  The recruiting sergeant asked a few convenient questions, and within the hour Nat was a soldier of King George.  To his disgust, however, they did not embark him for Portugal, but marched him up the length of England to Lancaster, to learn his drill with the second battalion.