en unless from a boat right off the
entrance of the cove, or unless some one peered over the dangerous cliff
above; and what would one think of looking for in there? But we found
enough to excite our astonishment. First there were a strand of rope
and an oar on the narrow ledge, which we followed a couple of yards, and
then saw an opening between two immense strata of stone. We looked in,
and a ray of light that came through the fissure at the other extremity
showed us a number of kegs, several bales of goods, sails, numerous
coils of rope, and various other articles. We climbed in, and found
also a rusty flintlock musket, standing between two barrels. If not as
much frightened, we were as much astonished as Robinson Crusoe, when he
discovered in the sand the print of a human foot.

As hastily as the difficulties would allow, we climbed up the rocks, and
hurried towards the house, talking eagerly with each other while we ran
as to what those kegs and bales might contain. Had they been hidden
there by smugglers, or by whom? Were they now our property? What was
to be the result?

Out of breath we reached the house, to find for our audience only
Captain Mugford. He was reading in the sitting-room, and put down his
book to hear our exciting revelation. When we had told him all, he
asked us not to go to the cove again, until Mr Clare and he had had
time to act on the information we had given, and told us to caution the
other boys in the same way if we met them before he did. "And now,"
said he, "I will go out and meet Mr Clare and Walter--down on the neck,
are they not? I have no doubt that the cave is the storehouse of
smugglers."

"Smugglers!" we exclaimed.

"Yes," he answered, pulling on the pea-jacket that always came off in
the house, and stowing his pipe in the breast-pocket. "Yes, smugglers,
good-for-nothing scoundrels! who enjoy the good laws of the country, and
all the advantages which a settled Government and established
institutions give them, and yet play all sorts of tricks to avoid paying
the required taxes to support that Government; while they do their best
to prevent honest, straightforward-dealing traders from gaining a
livelihood. Then, see to what an expense they put the country to keep
up an army of coastguard men and a fleet of revenue vessels. There's
the _Hind_ sloop of war, with a crew of a hundred and twenty men, and
some fifty cutters, large and small, with crews of from fifteen