Several other men were sitting or laying near him.

Some of them were cursing and swearing, others were stanching the blood which flowed from various cuts and gashes.
"What does all this mean ?" he asked as he somewhat recovered himself.
"It means," said one, "that we are pressed to serve as soldiers.

I made a fight for it, and just as they had got the handcuffs on some citizens came up and asked what was doing, and the sergeant said, 'It is quite legal.

We hold the mayor's warrant to impress this man for service in the army; there is a constable here who will tell you we are acting on authority, and if any interfere it will be worse for them.'" Jack heard the news in silence.

So, he had been pressed by a warrant of the mayor, he was the victim of the spite of his late employer.