s they stepped on board,
looked at the midshipmen askance, evidently having heard of the part
they had taken in the capture of the smugglers, many of whom were their
relatives and friends. The captain, however, treated them with the
greatest civility, but took good care not to answer any questions they
put to him concerning the smugglers, leaving them to suppose that he was
ignorant of the existence of such persons, and was not even aware that
there was any smuggling on that coast.

Of Dick Hargrave nothing had been heard, but a warrant had been taken
out for his apprehension, and people were on the watch to capture him
should he make his appearance, or should his place of concealment be
discovered. A fresh breeze quickly carrying the cutter up to
Portsmouth, Lord Reginald and Voules once more found themselves on board
the _Wolf_, which had hauled away from the dockyard, ready to go out to
Spithead.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE SECOND TRIP OF THE NANCY--PARTICULARS OF THE LANDING--HOW IT FARED
WITH DICK AND BEN--WANDERING IN THE FOREST--IN HIDING--NEARLY CAUGHT--
SEIZED BY A PRESSGANG--KINDNESS OF THE LANDLADY AT THE ADMIRAL BENBOW--
BEN RUDALL A PRISONER--ON BOARD THE TENDER--OFF COWES--THE WOLF--MR
BITTS, THE BOATSWAIN--DICK RECOGNISES LORD REGINALD AND VOULES--AN
ATTEMPT TO MAKE AN EXCHANGE.

When Dick Hargrave sailed the second time on board the _Nancy_, he
forgot the saying that "the pitcher which goes often to the well gets
broken at last," or that few who follow a lawless occupation escape from
suffering in the end. Of course, he should have been influenced by a
far higher motive, but he had not been taught to look upon smuggling in
the same light which an honest man does nowadays. Even his father
regarded it with a lenient eye, though he had ever refused to take a
share in the proceedings of the smugglers by permitting his horses to be
used in transporting the goods when landed on the coast. Dick had a
tolerably pleasant life on board the _Nancy_, as Dore and the crew
always treated him kindly.

The lugger, as before, ran into the quiet little harbour in which she
was wont to take her goods on board, and had a narrow escape from a
French cruiser; but had got free by the very common device of lowering
all her canvas during the night and allowing her pursuer to pass her.
Without further cause for alarm, she made the English coast. Dick,
though he liked the life well enough, had no wish to continue in it; he