With Wolfe in Canada: The Winning of a Continent

by G. A. Henty

  Chapter 6: A Storm.

  After breakfast next morning, the squire asked his friend to go withhim into his study.

  "I have been thinking this matter over," he said, "very seriously, and,upon reflection, I agree with you that it is undesirable that Aggieshould see much of Richard, until she is of an age to form a fairopinion for herself, and to compare him with other young men. I agreewith you, also, that we have not yet sufficient proofs that he iscompletely changed. I hope that he is. You think he is not. At anyrate, he must have a longer trial, and until it is proved to yoursatisfaction, as well as mine, that he is in every way a desirablehusband for Aggie, the less they see of each other, the better. Itherefore propose to write at once to my friend Admiral Hewson, to askhim to use his influence, at the admiralty, to get the young fellowappointed to a ship. Does that meet your approval, my friend?"

  "Quite so," the other said cordially. "Nothing could be better. In themeantime, as you say, should Richard turn out well, and the youngpeople take a liking for each other, no match could be moresatisfactory. What I want is that she should take no girlish fancy forhim, at present."

  "So be it, then," the squire said. "I think, you know, that we are acouple of old fools, to be troubling ourselves about Aggie's future, atpresent. Still, in a matter which concerns us both so nearly, we cannotbe too careful. If we had a woman with us, we could safely leave thematter in her hands; as it is, we must blunder on, as best we may."

  And so it was settled, and a week later, Richard Horton received anofficial letter from the admiralty, ordering him to proceed at once toPortsmouth to join the Thetis, to which he was appointed as fourthlieutenant. The order gave Richard extreme satisfaction. He wasbeginning to find his life desperately dull, and he was heartily sickof playing the attentive nephew. He was well content with the progresshe had made; nothing had gone wrong since he returned, his uncle hadclearly taken him back into his favour, and he had no doubt that Aggiequite appreciated the pains he had bestowed to gain her liking.

  He detested the squire's companion, for he felt that the latterdisliked and distrusted him, and that his projects would meet with awarm opposition on his part. Still, with the squire and Aggie herselfon his side, he did not fear the result. As to James Walsham, whom hehad come home prepared to regard as a possible rival, from his earlyintimacy with the child, and the fact that his mother was hergoverness, he now regarded him with contempt, mingled with a revengefuldetermination to pay off the old score, should a chance ever presentitself.

  He therefore started next day in high spirits, assuming, however, agreat reluctance to tear himself away. A few days later a letter camefrom him, saying that he hoped that he should be able to come back,sometimes, for a day or two, as the Thetis was at present to beattached to the Channel squadron, and it was not expected that shewould, for some time, proceed on foreign service.

  Early in October, James Walsham was to go up to London, to commence hismedical course. A week before he was to start, Mr. Wilks went down inthe morning, intending to insist on his returning with him to the Hall.As he went down towards Sidmouth, the old soldier noticed how stronglythe wind was blowing, the trees were swaying and thrashing in the wind,the clouds were flying past overhead. Everything portended a severegale.

  Finding, at Mrs. Walsham's, that James was down on the beach, hecontinued his course until he joined him there. James was standing witha group of fishermen, who were looking seaward. Now that he was exposedto the full force of the wind, Mr. Wilks felt that, not only was itgoing to blow a gale, but that it was blowing one already. The heavyclouds on the horizon seemed to lie upon the water, the waves werebreaking with great force upon the beach, and the fishermen had hauledtheir boats up across the road.

  "It's blowing hard, Jim," he said, laying his hand on the youngfellow's shoulder.

  "It is blowing hard, and it will blow a great deal harder beforenightfall. The fishermen all think it is going to be an exceptionalgale. It is blowing dead on shore. It will be bad work for any shipsthat happen to be coming up Channel today. Eight or ten of our boatsare out. We thought we had made out three of them just before you came,but the cloud closed down on them. The fishermen are just going to getlifelines ready. I am afraid we are going to have a terrible night ofit."

  "I came down to ask you if you will come up to lunch, Jim, but Isuppose you will not be able to tear yourself away from here."

  "I shouldn't like to leave now, indeed. There is no saying what mayhappen. Besides, so many of the fishermen are away, that I may beuseful here if a vessel comes ashore, and there may be half a dozenbefore the morning. Every hand will be wanted to give assistance."

  "But you could not get a boat out through those breakers, could you,Jim?"

  "Yes," Jim replied, "we might get one of the big boats through it now;but it's going to be worse, presently. When I went out, last year, witha boat to the brig which was driven ashore, it was worse than this.

  "I shall be very glad to come up tomorrow, if you will let me. I hearthat fellow Horton went away last week."

  "Yes, he went away, Jim. But why his being there should have kept youfrom going up is beyond me."

  "I don't like the fellow, Mr. Wilks. He may mean very well, but I don'tlike him. I have been in one row about him with the squire, and I don'twant another; but I am quite sure, if I had gone up much while he wasthere, it would have ended in my trying to punch his head again."

  "In that case, perhaps," the old soldier said, smiling, "you were wiseto stay away, Jim. I don't like the lad myself. Still, punching hishead would not have been a desirable thing."

  "I am glad you don't like him," James said, warmly. "Somehow I made upmy mind that you were all sure to like him, and I don't suppose theidea made me like him any the better. He was just the free-and-easysort of fellow to get along well, and I was quite sure that Aggie wouldnot want me, when she had him to go about with her. I saw him drivethrough in the pony carriage with her, two or three times, and it waseasy to see how thoroughly she was enjoying herself."

  "Well, it was your own fault, my boy. If you choose to sulk down here,and never to go up to the Hall, you can't blame Aggie for lettingherself be amused by someone else."

  "Oh! I don't blame her," James said hastily. "Of course, it is allright that she should enjoy herself with her cousin. Only somehow, youknow, after being great friends with anyone, one doesn't like to seesomeone else stepping into your place."

  "But as I have told you, over and over again, during the last threeyears, Jim, you have willfully stepped out of your place. You know howoften I have asked you to come up, and how seldom you have come. Youhave never shown Aggie that you have any wish to continue on thefooting of friendship, on which you stood towards each other when shewas at your mother's, and as you have chosen to throw her over, I don'tsee why she shouldn't take to anyone else who takes pains to makehimself pleasant to her."

  "Oh! I don't blame her a bit, Mr. Wilks. How could you think such athing! I was very fond of little Aggie when she was at my mother's; butof course, I was not ass enough to suppose that she was going trottingabout the country with me, when she once went up to the Hall as thesquire's granddaughter. Of course, the whole thing was changed.

  "Ah! Here comes the rain."

  As he spoke, a sudden splash of rain struck them. It might have beennoticed coming across the water in a white line. With it came a gust ofwind, to which that which had already been blowing was a trifle. Therewas no more talking, for nothing less than a shout could have beenheard above the roaring of the wind. It was scarcely possible to standagainst the fury of the squall, and they were driven across the road,and took shelter at the corner of some houses, where the fishermen hadalready retired.

  The squall lasted but a few minutes, but was soon succeeded by another,almost equally furious, and this seemed to increase in strength, untilthe wind was blowing a perfect hurricane; but the fishermen nowstruggled across the road again, for, between the rain squalls, aglimpse had been caught of two of the fis
hing boats, and these were nowapproaching the shore. A mere rag of sail was set on each, and yet theytore over the waves at tremendous speed.

  One was some two hundred yards ahead of the other, and by the coursethey were making, they would come ashore nearly at the same spot. Thenews that two boats were in sight spread rapidly, and many of thefishermen's wives, with shawls over their heads, ran down and stoodpeering out from behind shelter, for it was well-nigh impossible tostand exposed to the fury of the gale.

  An old fisherman stood, with a coil of rope in his hand, close to thewater's edge. Several of the others stood close to him, and four ofthem had hold of the other end of the rope. When the boat was withinfifty yards of shore, the sail was lowered; but she still drovestraight on before the wind, with scarce an abatement in her speed. Aman stood in her bow, also with a coil of rope in his hand, and, as heapproached, threw it far ahead. The fisherman rushed waist deep intothe water and caught the end of it, which in a moment was knotted tothe one in his hand.

  "Run along with her," he shouted.

  For a moment, the boat towered on the top of a wave, which raced intowards the shore. The next, as it came, took her stern, and she was inthe act of swinging round, when the strain of the rope came upon her,and brought her straight again. Higher and higher the wave rose, andthen crashed down, and the boat shot forward, like an arrow, in thefoam. The fishermen rushed forward and caught it, those on board leaptout waist-deep; all were taken off their feet by the backward rush, butthey clung to the sides of the boat, while the men at the head rope,with their heels dug deeply into the sand, withstood the strain, andkept her from being swept out again.

  A few seconds, and the boat was left dry, and the next wave carried ithigh up on the beach, amid a loud cheer from the fishermen and lookerson; but there was no time to waste, for the next boat was close athand. Again, the rope was thrown to the shore, but this time the straincame a moment too late, the following wave turned the boat round, thenext struck it broadside and rolled it, over and over, towards theshore. The fishermen, in an instant, joined hands, and rushing downinto the water, strove to grasp the men.

  Several times, those in front were knocked down and rolled up on thebeach, but three of the crew were brought in with them. There was onestill missing, and there was a shout as he was seen, clinging to anoar, just outside the line of breakers. James Walsham had been workingwith the fishermen in saving those already brought to shore. He nowfastened the end of a line round his body.

  "You can never get through those rollers--they will break you up likean eggshell," the old fisherman shouted.

  "I will dive through them," Jim shouted back. "Give me plenty of slack,and don't pull, till you see I have got him."

  The lad waited for his opportunity, and then, rushing down after thesheet of white foam, he stood, waist deep, as a great wave, some twelvefeet high, towered up like a wall towards him. It was just going tobreak, when James plunged, head foremost, into it. There was a crashwhich shook the earth, a mass of wildly rushing foam, and then, someten yards beyond the spot where the wave had broken, Jim's headappeared above the surface. It was but for a moment, for he immediatelydived again, under the next wave, and then came up within a few yardsof the floating oar. A stroke or two, and he was alongside. He seizedthe man, and held up one arm as a signal. In a moment the ropetightened, and they moved towards shore. When they were close to theedge of the breaking waves, Jim held up his hand, and the strainstopped.

  "Now," he said to the man, "the moment they begin to pull, leave go ofthe oar, and throw your arms round me."

  He waited until a wave, bigger than ordinary, approached, and, just asit began to pass under him, gave the signal. Higher and higher theyseemed to rise, then they were dashed down with a tremendous shock.There was a moment's confusion as they were swept along in the whitewater. Jim felt a terrific strain, and it seemed to him that the ropewould cut him in sunder. Then he was seized by a dozen strong arms, andcarried high and dry, before the next wave could reach him.

  For a minute or two he was scarce conscious. The breath had been almostknocked out of his body, with the break of the wave, and the rushingwater seemed still singing in his ears.

  "Are you hurt, my boy? Are you hurt, James?" were the first words heclearly heard.

  "No, I think I am all right," he said, trying to sit up. "Is the otherfellow all right?"

  "He has broke his arm," one of the fishermen, who had just helped theman to his feet, replied. "He may be thankful it's no worse."

  James was now helped to his feet.

  "I am all right," he repeated to Mr. Wilks, "except that I feel as if Ihad a hot iron round my body. That rope has taken the skin off allround me, I fancy, and doesn't it smart, just, with the salt water!"

  "Oh, James, how could you do it?" a girl's voice said suddenly.

  The fishermen drew aside, and Aggie Linthorne pressed forward.

  The squire had gone into her schoolroom and had said:

  "Mrs. Walsham, I think you had better give up your lessons for themorning, and get home. It is blowing a gale now, and we shall probablyhave the rain down before long. I will walk down with you. The wind isdead on the shore, and it will be a grand sight."

  Aggie at once set her mind on going, too; but the squire refused, untilMrs. Walsham suggested that, if it came on wet, Aggie could stop at herhouse until it cleared up, or, if necessary, till morning. Whereupon,the squire had given way, and the three had started together forSidmouth, leaving Mrs. Walsham at her house as they passed. The othershad struggled down, against the wind, until they came within sight ofthe sea. The first boat had just been run safely on shore when theyarrived, and Aggie gave a cry, and put her hands over her face, as thesecond boat was seen to capsize.

  "Cling to me, Aggie," the squire said. "See, they are rushing in thewater to save them. They will have them, yet!"

  At the cheer which broke out from the spectators, clustering thicklynow, as the first of the shipwrecked crew was brought to shore, Aggielooked out again. It was a sight she never forgot. With the great wavescrashing down on the shore, and the line of straggling figures, waistdeep in the white foam, in which were scattered, here and there,portions of the boat, oars, sails, and nets.

  "Well done, well done!" the squire exclaimed. "They have dragged upthree of them. I don't know whether there are any more."

  "Yes, yes, look!" Aggie cried; "there, out in the waves--there, I cansee a head. That's just about where I was nearly drowned. Oh,grandpapa, take me away, I can't look at it."

  "There's someone going out to save him, Aggie. Listen to the cheer."

  Aggie looked again.

  "Oh, grandpapa, stop him, stop him!" she cried, "it's James."

  But at the same moment the plunge was made, and the figure lost tosight.

  Aggie threw her arms round her grandfather, and hid her face.

  "I can't look, I can't look," she cried. "Tell me about it."

  "There, he is up; bravo!" the squire exclaimed, almost as excited asshe was. "He has dived again, dear,"--then, after a pause--"there he isclose to him. He has got him, Aggie! Now he is waving his hand; nowthey are tightening the rope; now he is waving his hand again, and theyare waiting. There!"

  There was a pause, which seemed to the girl to be endless, then thesquire cried:

  "They have got them out, both of them;" and a loud cheer broke from allstanding round.

  "Come along, grandpapa, let us go down to them."

  "Stay a moment, my dear. They may be hurt. It's better you should notgo."

  The girl stood, with her hands clasped, gazing at the fishermen groupedon the shore, stooping over the prostrate figures. Then one of themstood up and waved his hand, and the spectators knew that all was well.Then the girl ran down to join them.

  "Why, Aggie!" James exclaimed in astonishment, as she pressed forward."Why, my dear, what brings you here in this storm? Whatever will thesquire say?"

  "The squire has brought her down himself," Mr. Linthorne said,f
ollowing closely behind his granddaughter; "and he is glad he did,James, for she has seen a grand sight.

  "You are a fine fellow;" and he wrung the lad's hand.

  "A grand fellow, Wilks, isn't he?"

  "I always said so, squire," the old soldier said, his face beaming withsatisfaction; "but now, let us get him home, and Aggie, too. The childwill be blown away."

  But, for a minute or two, they could not carry James off, so closelydid the men and women press round him, and shake him by the hand. Atlast they got him away, and, escorted by a crowd of cheering boys, ledhim back to his mother's.

  "Your son is a hero, Mrs. Walsham!" the squire exclaimed as theyentered; "but don't talk to him now, but mix him a glass of hot grog.

  "Wilks, you get him between the blankets directly. I will tell hismother all about it, while she is mixing the grog.

  "Hallo, Aggie! Why, bless the child, she's fainted."

  The girl had borne up till they reached the house, towards which thewind had blown her along, as she clung to her grandfather's arm; butthe excitement had been too much for her, and, the instant they enteredthe room, she had dropped into an armchair, and at once lostconsciousness.

  Mrs. Walsham kept her presence of mind, in spite of her bewilderment atthese sudden occurrences. She at once laid the girl on the sofa,removed her dripping bonnet and cloak, and poured a few drops of brandybetween her lips, while she set the squire to work, to chafe her hands.Aggie soon opened her eyes, and recovered her consciousness.

  "Don't try to get up, Aggie," Mrs. Walsham said. "You are faint andshaken with all this excitement. Your grandpapa and I were two veryfoolish people, to let you come out.

  "Now, Mr. Wilks, the best thing you can do, is to find a boy outside,and send him up to the Hall, with a message that the carriage is tocome down directly.

  "I think, Mr. Linthorne, she had better get back home. I should be gladenough, as you know, to keep her here for the night; but this house isrocking with the wind, now, and she would not be likely to get anysleep here. I will run up and see how James is, and if he is all right,I will come up with her and stop the night. She is very much shaken,and had better not be alone."

  Mrs. Walsham soon came downstairs again, and said that James said henever felt better in his life, and that, by all means, she was to go upto the Hall. She then set about and prepared a cup of tea, whichgreatly restored Aggie, and, by the time the carriage arrived, the girlwas able to walk to the gate.

  Mr. Wilks had offered to remain with James, but the latter would nothear of it. The lad was, indeed, well pleased to hear that they wereall going up to the Hall, as thereby he escaped hearing any more of hisown praises. Besides, he was most anxious to get down to the beachagain, for no one could say what might take place there before morning.

  As soon, therefore, as he heard the door close, he jumped out of bed,and when, peeping through the blinds, he saw the carriage drive offwith its four occupants, he at once began to dress. He felt bruised andsore from the blows he had received, and a red wheal round his chest,beneath the arms, showed where the rope had almost cut into the flesh.However, he soon dressed himself, and descended the stairs, went intothe kitchen, and told the astonished girl that he was going out; then,having made a hasty meal of bread and cold meat, he put on his oilskinsagain, and started for the shore.

  He did not, however, wait long. So heavy was the sea, now, that nothingwhatever could be done should any vessel drive ashore, and, as for thefisher boats, the sailors shook their heads as they spoke of them.

  "They were farther away to the west, so the chaps as got ashore tellsus. They may have got in, somewhere, before it got to the worst. Ifnot, it must have gone hard with them."

  Finding that there was nothing to be done, and that he was much morestiff and bruised than he had believed, Jim made his way back again,and turned into bed; where he soon fell asleep, and did not wake untilthe following morning.

  One of the grooms had come down from the Hall, at six o'clock, toinquire how he was, and the message given by the girl, that he had beenout, but that he had come back and was now sound asleep, satisfied Mrs.Walsham, and enabled her to devote her undivided attention to hercharge, who needed her care more than her son. Before night, indeed,the squire had sent down to Sidmouth for Dr. Walsham's successor, whosaid that Aggie was very feverish, and must be kept perfectly quiet forsome days. He sent her up a soothing draught, and Mrs. Walsham sat upwith her all night. She slept but little, and talked almostincessantly, sometimes rambling a little.

  The first thing in the morning, the doctor was again sent for, and onhis recommendation the squire at once sent off a man, on horseback, toExeter, for the leading physician of that town. When he arrived, latein the afternoon, Aggie was somewhat quieter, and his report was morecheering.

  "Her pulse is very high," he said; "but Mr. Langford tells me that itis not so rapid as it was in the morning, and that he thinks thesymptoms are abating. Undoubtedly, it is a sharp feverish attack,brought on by excitement and exposure. A very little more, and it wouldhave been a case of brain fever, but I trust now that it will soon passoff. The sedatives that have been administered are taking effect, and Itrust she will soon fall asleep.

  "As you requested, I have made my arrangements for staying heretonight, and I trust that, by the morning, we shall have herconvalescent."

  Mr. Wilks had gone down, the first thing in the morning, to see James,and found him up and about as usual. He was very greatly concerned, athearing that Aggie had passed a bad night, and came four times up tothe Hall, during the day, to inquire about her; and on his last visit,late in the evening, he was told that she was sleeping quietly, andthat the doctor had every hope that she would wake, in the morning,free from fever. This proved to be the case; but she was ordered tokeep her bed for a day or two.

  On the morning after the storm, the wind had gone down much, although atremendous sea was still breaking on the shore. Messages arrived, inthe course of the day, to say that all the missing boats, with oneexception, had succeeded in gaining the shore before the storm was fullon. The missing boat was never heard of again.

  Two days later, James Walsham had strolled up the hill to the east ofthe town, and was lying, with a book before him, in a favourite nook ofhis looking over the sea. It was one of the lovely days which sometimescome late in autumn, as if the summer were determined to show itself atits best, before leaving. It could not be said that James was studying,for he was watching the vessels passing far out at sea, and inwardlymoaning over the fact that he was destined for a profession for whichhe had no real liking, instead of being free to choose one of traveland adventure.

  Presently, he heard voices behind him. The position, in which he waslying, was a little distance down on the slopes, on the seaward side ofthe path, and, as a screen of bushes grew behind it, he could not beseen by anyone passing along.

  "All the men, with their pistols and cutlasses, are to assemble here atten o'clock tonight, Johnson. But do not give them orders till late,and let them come up, one by one, so as not to attract attention.Lipscombe's men are to assemble at the same hour, and march to meet us.This time, I think, there is no mistake. The cargo is to be landedwhere I told you. It will be high tide at twelve o'clock, and they aresure to choose that hour, so that the cutter can run close in. I havesent off a man on horseback to Weymouth, for the revenue cutter to comeround. If she's in time, we shall catch that troublesome lugger, aswell as her cargo. She has been a thorn in our side for the last year.This time, I do hope we shall have her."

  The speakers then moved on out of hearing, but James Walsham recognizedthe voice, as that of the revenue officer commanding the force atSidmouth.

  Smuggling was, at that time, carried on on a large scale along thecoast, and there were frequent collisions between those engaged in itand the revenue officers. The sympathies of the population were whollywith the smugglers, and the cheating of the revenue was not at allconsidered in the light of a crime.

  Many of the fisherm
en, from time to time, took a hand in smugglingcruises, and the country people were always ready to lend assistance inlanding and carrying the cargoes.

  When out in their boats at night, James had often heard the fishermentell stories of their smuggling adventures, and more than once he hadbeen with them, when they had boarded a lugger laden with contraband,to warn them that the revenue cutter was on the cruising ground, and itwould not be safe to attempt to run cargo at present. He nowdetermined, at once, that he would warn the smugglers of their danger.The question was, where was the cargo to be run? The officer had notmentioned the spot, but, as the force from the next station to the eastwas to cooperate, it must be somewhere between the two.

  Waiting till the speakers must have gone well along the cliff, he roseto his feet, and returned to Sidmouth. He thought, at first, of tellingsome of the fishermen what he had heard, but as, in the event of anaffray, it might come out how the smugglers had been warned of theintention of the revenue officers, he thought there would be less riskin giving them warning himself. He knew every path down the cliff formiles, and trusted that he should be able to make his way down, andgive the boats notice of their danger, before the revenue men reachedthe shore.

  At nine o'clock he dressed himself, in the rough sailor's suit he worewhen he went out with the fishermen, and started along the cliff. Forsome distance he kept well inland, as the officer might have placed aman on the lookout, to stop anyone going towards the scene of action.The spot he thought the most likely was a mile and a half along theshore. There was a good landing place, and an easy path up the cliff,and he knew that cargoes had been more than once run here. Accordingly,when he reached this spot, he sat down among some bushes on the edge ofthe cliff, and waited for some sort of signal. Half an hour later, heheard the tramp of a number of men, passing along behind him.

  "There go the revenue men," he thought to himself. "I suppose they aregoing to meet those coming the other way."

  An hour passed without further sound, and James began to get uneasy. Ifthis was the spot fixed for the landing, some of the country peopleought to be arriving, by this time, to help to carry off the cargo.They might, for aught he knew, be already near, waiting for the signalbefore they descended the path. No doubt the revenue men would be lyingin wait, a short distance off, and would allow the friends of thesmugglers to go down to the water, without letting them know of theirpresence.

  He kept his eyes fixed on the water to the east, watching anxiously forthe appearance of a light. Presently he started. Immediately in frontof him, about a mile at sea, a bright light was shown. In a second, itdisappeared. Three times it flashed out, and then all was dark. Thenight was a very dark one. There was no moon, and the stars wereobscured, and although he strained his eyes to the utmost, he could notmake out the vessel from which the light had been shown.

  "How foolish to show such a bright light!" he said to himself. "Itwould have been almost sure to attract the attention of anyone on thewatch."

  He made his way to the path, and descended to the edge of the water,and waited, expecting momentarily to be joined by people from above.But no one came. He strained his ears listening for the fall ofapproaching oars; but all was silent.

  Half an hour passed, and then it flashed across him that the signalmust have been made to deceive the revenue men, and to cause them toassemble at that spot, and so leave the point really determined uponfree for operations.

  With an exclamation of disgust at his own stupidity, in having beendeceived, James ran up the path again at the top of his speed, and thentook the road along the cliff. For two miles, he ran withoutinterruption, and then saw a dark mass in front of him. He turned off,instantly, to the left. Doubtless he had been heard approaching, fortwo or three men detached themselves from the rest, and started to cuthim off. James ran straight inland, and in the darkness soon lost sightof his pursuers. Then he turned, and made for the cliff again. Two orthree hundred yards farther along, there was another path to the shore,and this he had no doubt, now, was the one the smugglers were about touse. He struck the cliff within a few yards of the spot. In an instant,two men jumped up and seized him.

  "Who are you?"

  For an instant, James thought that his assailants were revenue men,but, even in the darkness, he saw that they were countrymen.

  "Quick!" he said. "The revenue men are close at hand. They arewatching, two or three hundred yards along. Listen! Here they come."

  A tramping of feet coming rapidly along the cliff was clearly heard,and the men, with an oath, released their hold and ran off, giving aloud whistle, and made for their carts, which were stationed a fewhundred yards inland. James dashed down the path, shouting at the topof his voice. He had not gone many yards before he met a number of men,coming up with tubs of spirits on their shoulders.

  "Throw them down," he cried, "and make along the shore. The revenue menare close behind."

  His advice was taken at once. The tubs were thrown down, and wentleaping and bounding down to the shore, while the men followed James,at full speed, down the path.

  Their pursuers were close behind. There was no longer any use inconcealment. Their officer shouted to them to press forward at fullspeed, while, from the beach below, a hubbub of voices suddenly brokeout, and, at the same moment, a blue light was lit on the cliff above.

  "Beat them back, my lads," one of the smugglers was shouting, as Jamesran down to the little crowd of men standing near two boats. "We arefive to one against them. Come on."

  "Surrender in the king's name," the revenue officer shouted, as herushed forward, followed by his men.

  The answer was a pistol shot, and, in a moment, a furious melee began.The advantage in numbers was all on the side of the smugglers. Thosewho had landed with the kegs were all armed with pistol and cutlass,and the countrymen had heavy sticks and bludgeons. The ten revenue menwould have been overpowered, but suddenly a shout was heard, andanother party of sailors ran up along the shore, and joined in thefray. It was the detachment from the other station, which had beenwaiting, at some little distance along the shore, for the signal fromabove.

  "To the boats, lads," the leader of the smugglers shouted. "We arecaught in a trap."

  The smugglers rushed to the boats, and James, who was standing by thewater's edge, leaped on board with them. Most of the country peoplefled at once along the shore, pursued by some of the revenue men, whilethe others made a rush for the boats. These had been kept afloat a fewyards from the shore. Grapnels had been dropped over their sterns, and,as the men in charge hauled out the moment the fight began, they werein water shoulder deep when the smugglers scrambled on board.

  The revenue men dashed in after them, and strove to hold the boats; butthey were beaten off with oars and cutlasses, and the boats were soonhauled out into deep water. The grapnels were lifted, and the men, manyof whom were wounded more or less severely in the fray, got out theiroars and pulled to the lugger, amid a dropping fire of pistol shotsfrom shore.