in:
Alderman Gravesand brought all his _posse comitatus_ down, for he was
then on the look-out for Nicholas at the town's end: and, would you
believe it? by that time all was settled the whole party of the
smugglers, bag and baggage, was clean through the town, and ten miles
on the road to Ap Gauvon. And all this at noon-day."

"Well, landlord, and what said Nicholas when you saw him next?"

"The next time I saw him, gentlemen, was in my own bar; and dressed in
one of my own wigs, jacket, and apron. Gad, I never was so frightened
in the whole course of my life. I had just walked a mile out of town to
our parson's; and, as I was coming back, a man shot by me like an
arrow: but, as quick as he was, says I to myself,--That's Nicholas!
And sure enough many minutes had'nt passed before up comes a great
company of men, and asks me which way Nicholas had gone. I thought to
myself--These'll be the Blazer's men of the revenue service, that's
stationed off Caernarvon. So I did'nt trouble myself to give 'em much
of an answer, and away they pelted after him in full cry. Well,
gentlemen,--before I got home, both hare and hounds (as it happened)
had turned into my bar. And, if you'll believe me, the first man I
clapt my eyes on as I came into my own house--egad, I thought it was
myself or my own ghost."

"And if this had been in the Scotch Highlands now, landlord, you would
have been sure of being in your coffin before the year was out."

"Why I know not for that, Sir: but it's not lucky in any country for a
man to see his own likeness walking about: and I'll not deny but I was
a little startled; and I sate me down amongst the Blazer's men, and
could not speak a word. And says he to me--(but he turned his face
rather away)--'Good man, did you call for whiskey?' And I could have
sworn to the voice for my own amongst a thousand: But, when he served
me the whiskey, I looked hard at him; and I saw it was Nicholas. But I
had'nt the heart to betray him: and I says to him--'Landlord, how are
you? and how goes business?'--'Business?' says he, 'we've business for
evermore; I'm run off my feet with business.' And sure enough he took
sixpence of me in my own bar; and fifteen shillings of the revenue men
for smuggled brandy. And whilst they were drinking, out he slips--and
whips away at the north gate by the very same road they had all come;
and two minutes after the lieutenant and his company were off, as if
the devil drove 'em, to the sou