180 THE SMUGGLER. 



" Here, Little Starlight 1" he cried, " hold my horse. Why, 

 where are all the men? Have they not come?" 



The old woman arranged her face in an instant into the 

 sweetest smile it was capable of assuming, and replied in- 

 stantly, "Oh! dear, yes: bless your beautiful face, Mr. Radford, 

 but we didn't expect you to-night, and thought it was some 

 of the custom-house blackguards when we heard the horse. 

 Here, Neddy! Major! It's only Mr. Radford." 



Ere she had uttered the call, the men, hearing a well-known 

 voice, were entering the room again; and young Radford 

 shook hands with several of them familiarly, congratulating 

 the late prisoners on their escape. 



" I found I couldn't come to-morrow morning," he said, 

 " and so I rode down to-night. It's all settled for to-mor- 

 row, and by this time Harding's at sea. He'll keep over on 

 the other side till the sun is low; and we must be ready 

 for work by ten, though I don't think he'll get close in before 

 midnight." 



"Are you quite sure of Harding, Mr. Radford?" asked the 

 major. " I thought you had doubts of him about this other 

 venture." 



" Ay, and so I have still," answered Richard Radford, a 

 dark scowl coming over his face, "but we must get this job 

 over first. My father says he will have no words about it till 

 this is all clear, and after that I may do as I like. Then, 

 major, then " 



He did not finish the sentence, but those who heard him 

 knew very well what he meant; and the major inquired, 

 "But is he quite safe in this business? The old woman 

 thinks not." 



Young Radford mused with a heavy brow for a minute or 

 two, and then replied, after a sudden start, " But it's no use 

 now ; he's at sea by this time, and we can't mend it. Have 

 you heard anything certain of him, Galley Ray ?" 



"No, nothing quite for certain, my beauty," said the old 

 woman; "but one thing I know, he was seen there upon the 

 cliffs with two strange men, a-talking away at a great rate, 

 and that was the very night he saw your father, too; but that 

 dear little cunning devil, my boy, Nighty, he's the shrewdest 

 lad that ever lived, found it all out." 



"What did he find out?" demanded young Radford, sharply. 



