162 THE SMUGGLER. 



commissioned officers are instructed, on the very first requisi- 

 tion made by a chief officer of customs, to turn out and aid in 

 the execution of the law. Wherever any of the regiment are 

 quartered, you will find them ready to assist." 



" Ay, but they are so scattered, sir," rejoined Mowle, "that 

 it may be difficult to get them together in a hurry." 



" Not in the least," replied Osborn ; " they are so disposed 

 that I can, at a very short notice, collect a sufficient force at 

 any point, to deal with the largest body of smugglers that ever 

 assembled." 



"You may, perhaps, sir, but I cannot," answered the 

 custom-house officer; "and what I wish is, that you would 

 give them a general order to march to any place where I 

 require them, and to act as I shall direct." 



"Nay, Mr. Mowle," said the other, shaking his head, 

 " that, I am afraid, cannot be. I have no instructions to such 

 effect ; and though the military power is sent here to assist 

 the civil, it is not put under the command of the civil. I do 

 not conceal from you that I do not like the service; but that 

 shall only be a motive with me for executing my duty the more 

 vigorously ; and you have but to give me intimation of where 

 you wish a force collected, and it shall be done in the shortest 

 possible time." 



Mowle did not seem quite satisfied with this answer; and 

 after musing for a few minutes, he replied, " But suppose I 

 do not know myself; suppose it should be fifteen or twenty 

 miles from Hythe, and I myself, on the spot, how am I to get 

 the requisition sent to you, and how are you to move your 

 men to the place where I may want them: perhaps, farther 

 still?" 



"As to my moving my men, you must leave that to me," 

 answered the young officer; "and as to your obtaining the 

 information, and communicating it, I might reply, that you 

 must look to that; but as I sincerely believe you to be a most 

 vigilant and active person, who will leave no means unem- 

 ployed to obtain intelligence, I will only point out, in the first 

 place, that our best efforts sometimes fail, but that we may 

 always rest at ease when we have used our best; and, in the 

 second, I will suggest to you one or two means of ensuring 

 success. Wherever you may happen to find that the landing 

 of these goods is intended, or wherever you may be when it is 



