134 THE SMUGGLE!?. 



"I don't know that, major," replied the gentleman; "on 

 the former occasion I gave you a month, I think." 



" Ay, but the blackguards that time gave me two," rejoined 

 the major. 



" Because it was the second offence." said Squire Jollyboat. 



" The second! Lord bless you, sir!" answered the major, 

 with a look of cool contempt; and turning round with a wink 

 to his two companions, they all three laughed joyously, as if it 

 were the finest joke in the world. 



It might not be very interesting to the reader were we to 

 give in detail the depositions of the various witnesses upon a 

 common case of smuggling in the last century, or to repeat all 

 the various arguments which were bandied backwards and for- 

 wards between the magistrates, upon the true interpretation of 

 the law, as expressed in the 9th George II. cap. 35. It was 

 very evident, indeed, to the officers of customs, to the serjeant 

 of dragoons, and even to the prisoners themselves, that the 

 worthy justices were disposed to take as favourable a view of 

 smuggling transactions as possible. But the law was very 

 clear; the case was not less so; Mowle, the principal riding 

 officer, was a straightforward, determined, and shrewd man; 

 and although Sir Robert Croyland, simply with a view of pro- 

 tracting the investigation till Mr. Radford should arrive, started 

 many questions which he left to the other magistrates to settle, 

 yet in about half an hour the charge of smuggling, with riot, 

 and armed resistance to the custom-house officers, was clearly 

 made out against the major and his two companions; and as 

 the act left no discretion in such a case, the resistance raising 

 the act to felony, all three were committed for trial, and the 

 officers bound over to prosecute. 



The men were then taken away, laughing and jesting; and 

 Sir Robert Croyland looked with anxiety for the appearance 

 of the next party; but two other men were now introduced 

 without Richard Radford; and the worthy baronet was re- 

 leased for the time. The case brought forward against these 

 prisoners differed from that against those who preceded them, 

 inasmuch as no resistance was charged. They had simply 

 been found aiding and abetting in the carriage of the smuggled 

 goods, and had fled when they found themselves pursued by 

 the officers, though not fast enough to avoid capture. The 

 facts were speedily proved, and, indeed, much more rapidly 



