everyone would have trusted Jim, still, seeing how he was
placed, with his mother up at the Hall, and the squire a magistrate, it
was thought better as he shouldn't be let into it. Everyone on the
shore here likes Jim."

"But if he was there, and he hasn't been taken prisoner--and I am sure
the lieutenant would have told me if he was--why shouldn't he have got
home?"

"We didn't know as he hadn't got home, did us, Bill?" the fisherman
appealed to one of his comrades.

"No," the other said. "We thought likely he had got safely away with
the rest. It war a dark night, and I expect as everyone was too busy
looking after himself to notice about others."

"He may have been wounded," the old soldier said anxiously, "and may be
in hiding in some house near the place."

The fisherman was silent. Such a thing was, of course, possible.

"He might that," one of the sailors said doubtfully, "and yet I don't
think it. The chase was a hot one, and I don't think anyone, wounded so
bad as he couldn't make his way home, would have got away. I should say
as it wur more likely as he got on board one of the boats. It seems to
me as though he might have come to warn us--that is to say, to warn
them, I mean--just to do em a good turn, as he was always ready to do
if he had the chance. But he wouldn't have had anything to do with the
scrimmage, and might have been standing, quiet like, near the boats,
when the other lot came along the shore, and then, seeing as the game
was up, he might, likely enough, have jumped on board and gone off to
the lugger."

"That is possible," Mr. Wilks said. "Anyhow, I will go off at once, and
make inquiries at all the houses within a mile or so of the landing
place."

Chapter 8: Discharged.

Contrary to his usual habits of punctuality, Mr. Wilks did not return
to luncheon at the Hall, and it was two hours later before he came in,
looking fagged and anxious. He had been to all the farm houses within
two miles of the scene of the fight, and had ascertained, for certain,
that Jim was not lying wounded at any of them. At first, his inquiries
had everywhere been coldly received. There was scarce a farm house near
the coast, but the occupants had relations with the smugglers,
assisting with their carts and men at the landings, or having hiding
places where goods could be stowed away. At first, therefore, all
professed entire ignorance of the events of the previous night; but,
when persuaded by the e