mes forgot himself and revealed his plans, only to repent most
bitterly the next morning. For very sure was he that a messenger had
started as soon as he had been shut into his bedroom, and that long
before morning the quarry would be far away among the moors, lurking
there as safely as ever did Peden, called the Prophet, once minister of
New Luce.

His men were continually being called out by this Supervisor and that,
but he had grown to be profoundly distrustful of such summonses. They
brought him no honour, and not even any satisfaction. The wily
exciseman, knowing well on which side his bread was buttered, had
generally made his pact with the "runners." When the troops and the
Preventive arrived on the scene of the "run," nothing remained except a
multitude of pony-tracks, and occasionally, if they were very swift and
very lucky, the top-masts of a schooner or brig might be seen hanging
like mist against the morning sky. Then the Preventives would run round
looking behind ridges of rocks and exploring the bottoms of shallow
pools, till they heroically took possession of the twenty or thirty
casks of Edam Hollands or Angouleme brandy which had been left for them.

Then the newspaper account would run somewhat as follows:

"IMPORTANT SMUGGLING CAPTURE.--On the night of the 7th, acting on
information received, the Preventive officers of Stranryan (Chief
Supervisor Pirlock in command), assisted by a troop of H.M. 27th
Dragoons stationed at the same place, succeeded in intercepting a
most serious attempt at smuggling at Port Logan. Supervisor Pirlock
had had the place under observation for several weeks, and on the
evening of the 7th he swooped down upon the law-breakers,
completely broke them up, and captured no fewer than thirty large
casks of fine liquors, both Dutch and French, probably all that the
smuggling ship had been able to put on shore. The vessel was seen
and her description will be sent to all ports, harbours, offices,
as well as to the general agencies under the charge of H.M. Board
of Excise.

"A few more such successes and our law-breaking friends will fight
shy of the district occupied by the keen eyes and ready hands of so
able and zealous an officer as Mr. Chief Supervisor Pirlock."

When a paragraph such as this came under the notice of Colonel Laurence,
he would stamp up and down his room, swearing great oaths, till