led to slaughter. It is a
serious thing to take any man's life when there is no warfare, and it
is still more dismal if that man is of the same nationality as the one
who deals death. If the whole of the _St. Thomas's_ crew had been
killed there could have been no blame on Mr. Stewart, for he was only
carrying out his orders and acting in self-defence. The smugglers were
fully aware they were in the wrong, and they were responsible for any
consequences that might accrue. The officer had given them ample
warning, and he had only used severe measures when absolutely
compelled.

But there is a more satisfactory side to this regrettable incident,
which one is only too glad to be able to record. The man who had been
so badly wounded desired to speak to Mr. Stewart, and when the latter
had approached him he turned to him and said:

"You've killed me; sir, I'm dying."

Mr. Stewart saw that this was perfectly true, and that the man was in
no sense exaggerating.

"Well, I'm sorry for it," he said, "but it was your own fault."

"Yes," answered the dying man, "I know that, but I hope you won't make
things worse than they are. I freely forgive you."

This was the steersman who had so strenuously opposed the boarding of
the _St. Thomas_. We can quite sympathise with the feelings of Mr.
Stewart, and be thankful that those lawless days of violence have long
since passed. If you talk with any of the Revenue officers still
living who were employed in arresting, lying in wait for, receiving
information concerning, and sometimes having a smart fight with the
smugglers, you will be told how altogether hateful it was to have to
perform such a duty. It is such incidents as the above which knock all
romance out of the smuggling incidents. An encounter with fisticuffs,
a few hard blows, and an arrest after a smart chase or a daring
artifice, whilst not lessening the guilt of smuggling, cannot take
away our interest. Our sympathies all the time are with the Revenue
men, because they have on their side right, and in the long-run right
must eventually conquer might. But, as against this, the poorer
classes in those days were depressed in ignorance with low ideals, and
lacking many of the privileges which no thinking man to-day would
refuse them. And because they were so daring and so persistent,
because they had so much to lose and (comparatively speaking) so
little really to gain, we extend to them a portion of our sympathy and
a large m