spoken, so that we can hardly get a man or a woman t' dee
any trootin' inside the limit; an' when we dee get a chance we hev t'
put wor catches into th' oven, for feor him or his gang gan sneakin'
aboot and faal in wi' summat they hae nee reet t' see. Forbye that,
within the last few months he's driven the smugglers off the coast,
and deprived us o' monny an honest soverin' in helpin' them t' and
theor stuff. And then he's got the gob t' tell me that if aa divvent
change me ways, the Almighty'll dee God knaw's what tiv us! He'll myek
sickness cum, and mebbies tyek sum o' th' bairns frae us. It'll be
warse for him if harm cums t' th' bairns, or me either! Aa tell't him
that this mornin', an' aa said he might tell his Almighty that he
taaked see much aboot, if he liked."

Jenny secretly disapproved of carrying retaliation any further, but
dared not openly say another word in favour of her views, for, as she
afterwards said, "Aa was afeared ye might kill me afore ye got a
chance o' killin' the preacher."

Mr. Turnbull knew what Jimmy's intentions were, and purposely put
himself in his way, so that he might say a cheery word to him in
passing; but he never got more than a grunt in response. He knew that
this wild creature was in league with a gang of the most desperate
smugglers that the "Preventer men" had to contend with. No landing,
however, had been seriously attempted during the time that Turnbull
had been at the station. Craft had been sighted and signals exchanged,
and then the suspected craft disappeared for weeks. The men who
guarded the coast knew these buccaneers had emissaries, and could have
laid hands on them, but preferred to catch them red-handed.

After weeks of close watching and waiting, information was passed
along the coast that a landing would take place close to the spot
where Turnbull now lived with his wife and children. Men from all the
stations extending over a radius of fifty miles were summoned to meet
at a certain point at eleven o'clock on a certain night. Trusted
civilians had been drafted into the service for the occasion; and so
accurate was the information given, that within a couple of hours of
the time several boat-loads of contraband were landed above high-water
mark. Three carts came along, and while the process of transhipping
into them was going on, the "Preventer" men, led by Turnbull, quietly
came from their concealment, and with a sudden rush surrounded the
smugglers. Those of