1828. } The Winter Cruise: 587 
cautiously ascending. He had almost accomplished his task, and was 
grasping a jutting fragment of stone, to enable him to rest a moment 
from the fatigue of his attempt. Susan heard him panting for breath, 
and, in endeavouring to discover whether he wore the jacket or the 
smock-frock (the latter being the usual working attire of the smug- 
glers), heard him sigh heavily. She thought it was a form she knew: 
she bent over the edge, and held her breath in the very agony of hope 
and fear. The figure stood with his back to the cliff, and looking down 
on the beach, ejaculated, “Oh, God!” It was in one of those moans 
which betray the most acute suffering of mind, which thrill through the 
hearer, and create that kindred overflowing of the heart’s tears which 
makes the sorrow of the afflicted more than our own. Susan heard the 
sound, and breathlessly answered—“ Who is it?” The figure sprang 
upwards at the response, and exclaimed— 
« Susan !” 
«“ James! James!” she cried. He caught a large tuft of grass to 
assist him in darting into her expanded arms, when the weed broke by 
the roots from the light sand in which it had grown ;—a faint cry, and 
the fall of a body, with the rattling of earth and stones, down the steep, 
were the sounds that struck terror, and madness, and dismay through 
the brain of poor Susan. 
She attempted to call for assistance, but her voice obeyed not the effort, 
and, in the delirium of the moment, she sprang down the cliff; but, for- 
tunately, alighting on a projection, and at the same time instinctively 
catching the long weeds, was saved from the danger her perilous situa 
tion had threatened: but still she continued her descent, stepping from 
tuft to stone, reckless whether she found a footing, or was precipitated to 
the base ; which the darkness concealing, all below looked like a black 
abyss. Susan alighted in safety on the beach: an indistinct form lying 
on the shingle met her view. 
. “James! James!” she cried, “ speak! let me hear your voice— 
for mercy’s sake tell me, are you hurt ?” 
No answer was returned ; she grasped his hand, and felt his brow ; 
but, on the instant, started from the form in horror—the hand was stiff, 
and the brow was deadly cold; and then, as if all her powers of utter- 
ance had become suddenly re-organized, she broke forth into such a cry 
of anguish, that it pierced through the noises of the night like the scream 
of a wounded eagle. A pistol-shot was heard ; the ball whizzed past the 
ear of Susan, and harmlessly buried itself in the sand of the cliff. A 
party of the blockade rushed toward the spot, and, by the light of a 
torch, discovered the poor girl stretched on the body of a smuggler. 
They raised her in their arms—she was quite senseless ; and holding 
the light in the face of the man, they saw that he was dead. 
«« She’s a pretty young creature!” said one of the men; “ it’s a pity 
she couldn’t let her sweetheart come to the beach alone, for she seems 
almost as far gone as he is ;—what shall we do with her, Sir?” 
This was addressed to a young man of the group, wearing the uniform 
of a midshipman,and whose flushed and disordered countenance proved 
that he had taken a considerable share in the late desperate encounter. 
“ Take her to the tower, Thomas,” said he; “ she may assist with her 
; evidence the investigation of this affair. The body of the man must also 
be carried to our station, for I dare say we shall grapple some of the 
rascals before the night’s work is Ne. Our lieutenant has ordered the 
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