178 The Old Bomr Boad, 



have been landed, and the scent was lost. A special order 

 had been received at Dover for post-horses to be in waiting 

 for a very expeditious journey, and a rumour was carefully 

 circulated that it was for the smugglers, as the money for 

 the horses was paid in advance. A carriage was to go to a 

 place a little on the other side of Dover and pick up a gen" 

 tleman, who got in without any luggage but a portmanteau, 

 and the postboys, according to private orders, dashed 

 through Dover to Canterbury as hard as they could go. 

 The officers, who suspected that the passenger was going to 

 pick the cargo up at some of the notorious places for 

 depositing smuggled goods, ordered a carriage in pursuit. 

 They arrived at Canterbury a few minutes after the sus- 

 pected vehicle, hurried on with four horses, at any price, to 

 catch the runaway, followed just at the heels of the other 

 carriage through Faversham, Sittingbourne, Rochester, and 

 Gravesend, where they found the old return heavy night 

 coach — an extra, which carried the newspapers and the 

 bulky part of the foreign mails once a week to Dover, and 

 took its own time going back, pretty much at its own pace. 

 '' Did you see a chaise and four, at full gallop, pass you ? " 

 they asked of the old coachman, a kind of half superan- 

 nuated whip. ''Yes," was the reply, "and I think one 

 horse of their last change was lame, so if anything is wrong 

 you may catch them yet." Away went the custom-house 

 men, and caught the carriage at Dartfoid, where it was 

 waiting for fresh horses, whilst the passenger had his 

 supper. They walked straight into the traveller's room, 

 and found a gentlemanly stranger, who asked their busi- 

 ness. " We shall search your carriage in the King's name," 



was the reply. " Search, and be ," was the answer. 



There was nothing in the carriage but a portmanteau, and 

 the only thing for the officers to do was to apologise, and 

 the matter was at an end. And where was the lace ? In 



