204 THE SMUGGLER. 



"Ah," said the landlord, "so there's something going on 

 to-night?" 



"Not that I know of," answered the head groom. "Tie 

 down that holster, Bill. The thongs are loose, don't you 

 see?" 



"Oh! but there must be something in the wind," re- 

 joined the landlord; "the colonel wouldn't ride out so late 

 else." 



"Lord bless youl" replied the man, "little you know of 

 his ways. Why, sometimes he'll have us all up at two or 

 three in the morning, just to visit a post of perhaps twenty 

 men. He's a smart officer, I can tell you; and no one must 

 be caught napping in his regiment, that's certain.'' 



"But you have saddled three horses for him!" said the 

 landlord, returning to his. axiom; "and he can't ride three at 

 once, anyhow." 



"Ay, but who can tell which he may like to ride?" re- 

 joined the groom; "we shan't know anything about that till 

 he comes into the stable, most likely." 



"And where is he going to, to-night?" asked the land- 

 lord. 



"We can't tell that he's going anywhere,'' answered the 

 man ; " but if he does, I should suppose it would be to Folke- 

 stone. The major is away on leave, you know; and it is 

 just as likely as not, that he'll go over to see that all's right 

 there." 



The worthy host was not altogether satisfied with the in- 

 formation he received; but as he clearly saw that he should 

 get no more, he retired, and went into the tap, to try the 

 dragoons, without being more successful in that quarter than 

 he had been in the stables. 



In the mean time, his guest up stairs had finished his let- 

 ters; had dressed himself in uniform; armed himself, and laid 

 three brace of pistols, charged, upon the table, for the holsters 

 of his saddles; and then taking a large map of the county, 

 he leaned over it, tracing the different roads, which at that 

 time intersected the Weald of Kent. Two or three times he 

 took out his watch; and as the hour of eleven drew near, 

 he began to feel considerable alarm for the fate of poor 

 Mowle. 



"If they discover him, they will murder him, to a certainty," 



