f he made
the slightest movement, and consequently lay still.

"They'd be sure to look upon me as an intruder," he muttered, "and be
ready to resent my being here."

At last though the silence was broken by the trampling of feet amongst
the loose shingle, accompanied by a low murmured conversation, which was
continued up the gap and died out finally high up towards the cottages,
leaving the way for the listener clear.

Aleck took advantage of this, and, sad at heart, he was going slowly
back towards the Den, when suddenly became aware of steps coming from
the direction of the smugglers' scattered patch of cottages.

Whoever it was had approached so near and had come upon him so suddenly
that he obeyed his first impulse, which was to say, sharply:

"Who's that?"

"Eh? That you, Master Aleck?"

"Yes, it is I, Ness. What are you doing out here at this time of
night?"

"Mornin', arn't it, sir? Same as you, I s'pose. Who was to stop in bed
with press-gangs coming and dragging folkses off to sea?"

"Then you heard them?"

"Heerd 'em, yes, sir! I was that feared o' being took myself that I got
into hiding."

"You were not fighting, then?"

"Me? Fight? Not me! I lay low and listened."

"The press-gang landed and surprised the smugglers, then?"

"Yes, sir, and they've nabbed Eben Megg and six of his mates. Did yer
hear the women giving it to the sailors?"

"I heard something of it."

"They was fighting savage like to save their men, and the sailor chaps
was glad enough to get back to their boats; but they took Eben Megg and
half a dozen more along with 'em."

"You seem to know all about it, Ness," said Aleck, suspiciously.

"Me, Master Aleck? Well, you see, being such near neighbours like I
can't help hearing a deal. But it's bad work smuggling, and I keep as
clear of the folk as I can. Going home to bed?"

"Yes."

"That's right, sir. Best place, too, of a night. But how did you know
the press-gang was coming?"

"I didn't know they were coming."

"But you were theer?" said the old gardener, suspiciously.

"I was there?" said Aleck, "because the noise woke me, coming through my
open window."

"Oh!" said the gardener. "I see."

The next minute their ways diverged, and Aleck soon after climbed up to
his bedroom window, to drop off into a sleep disturbed by fights with
press-gangs and smugglers all mixed up into a strange confusion, from
which he was glad to awaken and find that he ha