in
running her cargo, or whether Sir Reginald had acted on the information
I had given him, and had sent the coastguard-men to watch for the
smugglers and capture them. Without stopping, therefore, in the
neighbourhood of the burning rick, I hurried away towards the spot at
which I had heard Ned Burden and his companions propose to run the
cargo. I must have been running on for twenty minutes or so when I
heard a pistol-shot fired; it was succeeded by two or three others.
This made me more than ever eager to ascertain what was going forward.
I doubled my speed. The path was tolerably good, and I knew the way.
All the time I had not met a single person. After some time I heard
more shouts, sounding much nearer, and cries mingled with the clashing
of cutlasses, so it seemed to me. I had no doubt that the
coastguard-men and the smugglers were having a desperate fight, the
latter endeavouring to defend their property, and the former to capture
it. Which would succeed in their object seemed doubtful. I pictured
the whole scene, though as yet I could see nothing. This I was eager to
do, forgetting that bullets flying about were no respecters of persons.
At last I reached the top of a cliff overlooking the bay, whence I could
see a lugger, which I guessed to be the "Saucy Bess," with her sails
loose, a short distance from the shore, and two or three boats near her;
while on the sands were a number of men, who from their movements, and
the babel of tongues arising from the spot, were evidently struggling.
That the revenue-men had the best of it, I had no doubt. It appeared to
me that they had captured part of the cargo, and some of the smugglers,
and that others were endeavouring to rescue their comrades. That this
was the case I had little doubt, when I saw the lugger's head turned
seawards, and presently she disappeared in the gloom of night I was now
satisfied that Sir Reginald had acted on the information I had given
him, and that he would find it had been correct. I was at last about to
return home, when, just as I reached a lane leading from the cliffs, I
heard footsteps close to me, and, turning round, saw three men
approaching. Whoever they were I thought it better to keep out of their
way, and began to run. But they must have seen me, and at once made
chase. I could easily have kept ahead, but unfortunately stepping into
a deep rut, I stumbled, and before I got under weigh again the men were
upon me.

"