signal with a lanthorn, and
then after a bit seen a light shown out at sea."

"You've seen that, youngster?"

"Lots of times; and the boats going and coming and the lights showing up
against the cliff. Of course we know what goes on, but my uncle doesn't
care to interfere, and I've never tried to find out where you hide the
smuggled goods; but I shouldn't be long finding out if I tried."

"Hum!" growled the man, gazing up searchingly. "P'raps you're right,
youngster, p'raps you arn't; but there is a deal o' smuggling goes on
along this coast."

"Especially about here," said Aleck, with a smile.

"Well, what's the harm, eh? A man must live, and if one didn't do it
another would."

"Look here; I don't want to know or hear anything about it," cried
Aleck. "Only I shall come along these cliffs, egging or watching the
birds, as often as I like."

"Well, I don't know as anyone'll mind, Master Aleck, if I speaks to 'em
and says as you says as a young gentleman that you'll never take no
notice of anything as you sees or hears--"

"What! How can a gentleman promise anything of the kind about people
breaking the law?"

"How? Why, by just saying as he won't."

"A gentleman can't, I tell you. There, I won't promise anything."

The man gave his rough head a vicious scratch, before saying, sharply:

"Then how's a man to trust yer?"

"I don't know," said Aleck, carelessly, "but I'll tell you this. If I'd
wanted to I could have found out whether you've got a place to hide your
stuff, as you call it, long enough ago."

"I don't know so much about that," said the man, with a grin.

"Well, then, I could have told the Revenue cutter's men where they had
better look."

"But you won't, Master Aleck? We are neighbours, you know."

"Neighbours!" said Aleck, scornfully. "Pretty neighbours! There, I'm
not going to alter my words. I shall make no promises at all."

"Well, you are a young gentleman, and I'll trust yer," said the man;
"for I s'pose I must. But I don't know what some of our lads'll say."

"Then I'd better tell my uncle that if anything happens to me he'd
better get the Revenue cutter's men to hunt out the Eilygugg smugglers,
because they pushed me off the cliff."

"Nay, don't you go and do that," said the man, anxiously. "I didn't
mean it."

"Am I to believe that, Eben?" said the boy, sharply.

The man showed his teeth in a laugh, and put his hands round his neck in
a peculiar way.

"Look