THE SMUGGLER. 1 05 



The last observation of our friend Harding may perhaps 

 sound strangely to the reader's ears ; but some allowance must 

 be made for professional prejudices, and it is by no means too 

 much to say that the smugglers of those days, and even of a 

 much later period, looked upon their own calling as highly 

 honest, honourable, and respectable; regarding the customs as 

 a most fraudulent and abominable institution, and all connected 

 with it more or less in the light of a band of swindlers and 

 knaves, leagued together for the purpose of preventing honest 

 men from pursuing their avocations in peace. Such were the 

 feelings which induced Harding to wonder that so good a man 

 as Mowle could have anything to do with the prevention of 

 smuggling; for he was so thoroughly convinced he was in the 

 right himself, that he could not conceive how any one could 

 see the case in any other point of view. 



"Ay," answered Mr. Radford, "that is a wonder, if he is 

 such a good sort of man ; but that I doubt. However, as you 

 say it would not do to put one's self in his power, I'll have 

 him looked after, and in the meanwhile, let us talk of the rest 

 of the business. You say the night after to-morrow, or the 

 night after that? I must know, however, for the men must 

 be down. How are we to arrange that?" 



" Why, I'll see what the weather is like," was Harding's 

 reply. "Then I can easily send up to let you know; or, 

 what will be better still, if you can gather the men together 

 the day after to-morrow, in the different villages not far off 

 the coast, and I should find it the right sort of night, and get 

 out to sea, they shall see a light on the top of Tolsford Hill, 

 as soon as I am near in shore again. That will serve to guide 

 them and puzzle the officers. Then let them gather, and 

 come down towards Dimchurch, where they will find somebody 

 from me to guide them.'' 



" They shall gather first at Saltwood," said Mr. Radford, 

 " and then march down to Dimchurch. But how are we to 

 manage about the ship?" 



"Why, you must send an order," answered Harding, "for 

 both days, and let your skipper know that if he does not see 

 us the first, he will see us the second." 



" You had better take it down with you at once," replied 

 Mr. Radford, "and get it off early to-morrow. If you'll just 

 come up to my house, I'll write it for you in a minute." 



