THE SMUGGLER. 203 



scheme, an arm was familiarly thrust through his own, and a 

 pair of lips close to his ear, said in a low but very distinct 

 tone, " I know you, and if you attempt to get off you are a 

 dead man! Continue with the party, and you are safe. 

 When the goods are landed and gone, you shall go ; but the 

 least suspicious movement before, shall bring twenty bullets 

 into your head. You did me a good turn yesterday morning 

 before the justices, in not raking up old offences, and I am 

 willing to do you a good turn now; but this is all I can do 

 for you." 



Mowle turned round, well knowing the voice, nodded his 

 head, and walked on with the rest in the direction of Lympne. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



TOWARDS half-past ten o'clock at night, the inn at Hytho was 

 somewhat quieter than it had been on the evening before. 

 This was not a punch club night ; there was no public dinner 

 going forward; a great many accustomed guests were absent, 

 and the house was left nearly vacant of all visitors, except the 

 young commandant of the dragoons, his two or three servants, 

 and three stout-looking old soldiers, who had come in about 

 ten, and taken possession of the tap-room, in their full uni- 

 form, scaring away, as it would seem, a sharp-looking man, 

 who had been previously drinking there in solitude, only 

 cheered by the occasional visits and brief conversation of the 

 landlord. The officer himself was up stairs in his room, with 

 a soldier at his door, as usual, and was supposed by all the 

 household to be busy writing; but, in the meanwhile, there 

 was a great deal of bustle in the stables; and about a quarter 

 before eleven, the ostler came in and informed the landlord 

 that they were saddling three of the colonel's horses, and his 

 two grooms' horses. 



"Saddling three 1" cried the host; "why, he cannot ride 

 three horses at once, anyhow; and where can he be going to 

 ride to-night? I must run and see if I can pump it out of 

 the fellows;" and away he walked to the stables, where he 

 found the men, two grooms and two helpers busily engaged in 

 the occupation which the hostler had stated. 



