a certain amount of
popularity among the smugglers. Sir William saw that the case would go
against the latter unless some one could give evidence for their side.
Therefore, abusing his own position and standing, he came forward and
perjured himself. It is a curious case, but in the history of crime
there is more than one instance of personal pride and vanity being at
the root of wrong-doing.

FOOTNOTES:

[23] How slow she was may be guessed by the fact that she took seven
hours to go from Dover to the Downs even under the expert handling of
MacTavish's crew.

[24] She was officially described as a dogger.

CHAPTER XIX

ACTION AND COUNTER-ACTION

It is conscience that makes cowards of us all, and this may be said of
smugglers no less than of law-abiding citizens. A trial was going on
in connection with a certain incident which had occurred in Cawsand
Bay, Plymouth Sound. It was alleged that, on the night of November 17,
1831, a man named Phillips had been shot in the knee whilst in a boat,
trying with the aid of some other men to get up an anchor. The chief
officer of the Preventive service at Cawsand was accused by Phillips
of having thus injured him, and the case in the course of time was
brought into court. Among the witnesses was one whom counsel believed
to be not wholly unconnected with smuggling. Whether or not this was
true we need not worry ourselves, but the following questions and
answers are well worth recording.

Cawsand was a notorious smuggling locality, and its secluded bay, with
plenty of deep water almost up to the beach, made it highly suitable
for sinking tubs well below the surface of the water. And then there
must have been very few people ashore who had never been concerned in
this contraband trade. In such villages as this you might usually
rely on the local innkeeper knowing as much as anyone in the
neighbourhood on the subject of smuggling. Such a man, then, from
Cawsand, illiterate, but wideawake, went into the witness-box for
counsel to cross-examine, and the following dialogue carries its own
conviction:--

_Question._ "You are an innkeeper and sailor, if I understand you
rightly?"

_Answer._ "Yes!"

_Q._ "Is that all?"

_A._ "Mariner and innkeeper."

_Q._ "Is that all the trades you follow?"

_A._ "Fishing sometimes."

_Q._ "What do you fish for?"

_A._ "Different sorts of fish."

_Q._ "Did you ever fish for half-ankers?"

_A._ "Half-ankers?"

_Q._ "Casks