arnestness of the old soldier's manner that his
mission was a friendly one, they became more communicative, and even
owned that some of their men had been taken prisoners and marched to
Weymouth; but none of them had heard of any wounded man being in
hiding.

Convinced, at last, that James must have gone off to the lugger, Mr.
Wilks returned to Sidmouth, a prey to great anxiety. Everything
depended now on whether the lugger was captured. If so, James would
have to stand his trial for being concerned in the fight on the beach,
and, as two of the revenue men had been killed, his sentence might be a
heavy one.

If she got away, all would be well. They would doubtless hear by letter
from Jim, and it would be better that he should not return at present
to Sidmouth, but should at once take up his residence in London, and
commence his studies there.

He met the squire just as the latter was starting for Sidmouth.

"Well, Wilks, we began to think that you were lost," he said,
cheerfully. "Aggie was downstairs to lunch, and was mightily offended
that you should not be there at her first appearance.

"But you look tired and fagged. Has anything gone wrong?"

"Things have gone very wrong, squire."

And he related to his friend all the news that he had gathered, and his
conviction that James Walsham was on board the lugger.

"This is a pretty kettle of fish," the squire said irritably. "What on
earth did the boy mean by getting himself mixed up with such an affair
as that?"

"It is a foolish business, squire," the old soldier agreed. "But we
can't expect wise heads on young shoulders, I suppose. He, somehow or
other, learnt the surprise which the revenue men intended, and as most
of his friends, the fishermen, would probably be concerned in it, he
went to give them notice, intending, no doubt, to go quietly back again
before the revenue men arrived. I don't know that he's altogether to be
blamed in the matter. Most young fellows would do the same."

"Well, I suppose they would," the squire agreed reluctantly; "but it is
a most awkward business. If the lad gets caught, and gets two or three
years' imprisonment, it will ruin his prospects in life. His mother
will be broken hearted over the business, and I am sure Aggie will take
it terribly to heart. They were great friends of old, though she hasn't
seen much of him for the last two or three years, and, of course, that
affair of the other day has made quite a hero of him.