nd when
going free nothing could hope to come up with her; so that our only
chance of capturing her was to jam her in with the shore, or to find
ourselves near her in a calm, when we might get alongside her in our
boats.

So daring was the smuggler that, though he well knew his life was at
stake, he still continued to carry on his free trade with the coast,
where he had many friends; yet, notwithstanding that his vessel was
constantly seen, she was never approached except by those he trusted.

It was towards the end of October--I remember the time well--the days
were growing shorter, and the night-watches darker and colder, when,
after cruising up and down a week or so at sea, in hopes of falling in
with a prize, it came on to blow very hard from the south-west. Our
skipper was not a man to be frightened by a capful of wind, so, setting
our storm sails, we stood off shore and faced the gale like men; for, do
ye see, it is just such weather as this was that the smugglers choose to
run across the channel, when they think no one will be on the lookout
for them. Towards evening, however, it came on to blow harder than
ever, so that at last we were obliged to up with the helm, and run for
shelter into harbour; but just as we were keeping away, a sea struck the
cutter, carried away our stern boat, and stove in one of our quarter
boats. In this squall the wind seemed to have worn itself out, for
before we made the land it suddenly fell, and by daylight a dead calm
came on, followed by a dense fog. Our soundings told us that we were
within a short distance of the coast, so that our eyes were busily
employed in trying to get, through the mist, a sight of it, or of any
strange sail which might be in the neighbourhood. At last, for an
instant the fog lifted towards the north, like when the curtain of a
theatre is drawn up, exposing close in with the land the white sails of
a lugger, on which, as she rose and fell on the heavy swell remaining
after the storm of the previous night, were now glancing the bright
beams of the morning sun, exposing her thus more clearly to our view.

Before we could bring our glasses to bear, the fog again closed in, but
every eye was turned in that direction to get another sight of her; we,
doubtless, from our position, and the greater thickness of the mist
round us, remaining hid from her view.

"What think you, Davis? which way shall we have the breeze when it does
come?" asked our skipper o