t was that they were smugglers; but then I recollected that such
characters were not likely to be abroad in a body during daylight, and
the glitter of the gold lace round the cap of one of them convinced me
that they were the revenue-men. I shouted at the top of my voice.
Hungry and faint as I was, it did not sound as loud as usual. They did
not hear me. I was afraid they would go on. Again and again I shouted.
One of the men turned his head. Having no handkerchief, in a moment I
stripped off my shirt, and waved it wildly out of the window. The men
saw it, and came hurrying up the hill.

"Who are you, youngster?" shouted one of the men as they came near.

"Master Cheveley, son of the Vicar of Sandgate," I answered.

"Why, he looks more like the ghost of a miller," said one of the men.

"How did you get up there?" inquired the first speaker a head boatman in
charge of the party.

"I got up out of a vault where the smugglers put me," I answered. "Make
haste and come in, for I'm almost starved."

"Here's a door," cried the head boatman; "but I say, mates, it's locked.
Is there no other way in?" he shouted.

"None that I know of," I answered. "I have been trying to open the
door, but could not."

"We'll see what we can do," said the man.

And he with two others placing their shoulders to it quickly sent it
flying inward shattered into fragments, the rotten wood giving way
before their sturdy shoves.

I ran down to meet them. The head boatman, a strong seamanlike-looking
man, at once began to question me as to what had happened. I told him
as briefly as I could adding--

"But, I say, I'm desperately hungry, as I've only had some lumps of
musty flour to eat for several hours, and thirsty too. I shall faint if
I don't have some food."

"We'll get you that, youngster; and then you must try and show us the
way into the vault," said the speaker. "We may get a better haul than
we've had for many a day if it should prove one of the smugglers'
hiding-places."

He then directed one of the men to run down to the next farmhouse and
bring up some bread and cheese, or anything else he could obtain, and a
jug of milk, or if that was not to be procured, some water.

I thanked him, begging the man to make haste, for now that the
excitement was over I could scarcely stand.

"Do you know you are whitened all over?" he asked. "You look as if you
had come out of a flour-bin!"

I had for the moment forgotten how