THE SMUGGLER. 159 



11 He was wrong; he was quite wrong," replied the other. 

 <; If you had passed by New Street, then straight over the 

 fields and meadows, up to the mill, you would have had them 

 in a trap. They could not have reached Chart, or New Pur- 

 chase, or Gouldwell, or Etchden, without your catching them ; 

 and if they had fallen back, they must have come upon the 

 men I stationed at Bethersden, with whom was Adams, the 

 officer." 



" Why, you seem to know tlie country, sir," said his com- 

 panion, with some surprise, " as if you had lived in it all 

 your days." 



" I do know it very well," answered the officer of dragoons ; 

 " and you must be well aware that what I say is right. It 

 was the shortest way, too, and presents no impediments but a 

 couple of fences and a ditch." 



" All very true, sir," answered Mowle, " and so I told Bir- 

 chett ; but Adams had gone oif for another officer, and he is of 

 very little use to us himself. There's no trusting him, sir. 

 However, we came up with them at Rousend; but there, after a 

 little bit of a tussle, they separated ;" and he went on to give 

 his account of the affray with the smugglers, nearly in the 

 same words which he had employed when speaking to the 

 magistrates, some six or seven hours before. His hearer lis- 

 tened with grave attention ; but when Mowle came to mention 

 the appearance of Kichard Radford and his capture, the young 

 officer's eyes flashed, and his brow knit ; and as the man went 

 on to describe the self-evident juggle which had been played, 

 to enable the youth to evade the reach of justice, he rose from 

 the table, and walked once or twice hastily up and down the 

 room. Then, seating himself again, to all appearance as calm 

 as before, he said, " This is too bad, Mr. Mowle, and shall bo 

 reported.'' 



" Ay, sir; but you have not heard the worst," answered 

 Mowle. "These worthy justices thought fit to send the five 

 men whom they had committed off to gaol in a waggon, with 

 three or four constables to guard them, and of course you 

 know what took place." 



" Oh! they were all rescued, of course;" replied the officer. 



" Before they got to Headcorn," said Mowle. " But the 

 whole affair was arranged by Mr. Radford; for these fellows 

 say themselves, that it is better to work for him at half price 



