afford some fun. We watched an
opportunity to put it in execution. The time came one evening when our
tutors did not return with us to the house after the afternoon's
shooting, but went to the _Clear the Track_, to chat and settle some
other matters until tea-time at seven.

Delighted with the arrangement, we boys ran to the house, and, getting
up into our attic, began to make preparations for the trick we had
concocted. There was nothing very original in our plan, I must own, nor
was it, I confess, a very grand or noble thing to try and frighten a
couple of poor ignorant negroes, for such was the object just then of
our plans and preparations. Clump and Juno had a wholesome dread of
smugglers and of the acts of vengeance of which they were supposed to be
capable. We therefore arranged to dress up so as to make ourselves look
as formidable as possible, and then to appear suddenly before the old
couple. For this purpose we brought up from the wreck all the boat
cloaks, greatcoats, and pieces of canvas which we could find, and
sou'westers and tarpaulin hats, not forgetting some pistols and rusty
swords. Besides these we laid in a store of pasteboard, and brown and
coloured paper, and some laths, and string, and paint, and corks, and
tow. With this abundant supply of materials we set to work to fabricate
a variety of garments, such as we supposed smugglers would wear; at all
events, such as were worn on the stage. We made a sufficient number of
false noses to supply each of our faces, and long curling moustaches,
which made those who wore them look very fierce. Some had wigs with
wonderfully long shaggy hair, and others beards of prodigious growth.
The greatcoats and cloaks served for most of the party, with belts round
their waists stuck full of daggers made of wood, and a real pistol or
two. Then we manufactured out of the canvas some high boots of huge
proportions; the upper part capable of containing the whole of a man's
personal luggage, and a day's supply of provender into the bargain.
Nothing could exceed, either, the wild and ferocious appearance of our
hats. Two of us wore black feathers in them, and two others were
adorned with death's heads and cross bones: indeed, it must be confessed
that we represented much more a band of pirates of two or three
centuries back than a party of such smugglers as it was probable could
be found on the British coast. Besides the real swords we possessed, we
manufactu