THE SMUGGLER. 219 



all the country in the vicinity of their course, and covered 

 their line of advance right and left, they began to lose the 

 sense of danger, and to suppose that the sounds which had 

 been heard, and the forms which had been seen, were but 

 mere creations of the fancy. 



About two miles from the border of Romney Marsh, the 

 mist grew lighter, fading gradually away as the sea air 

 mingled with the clearer atmosphere of the country. At times 

 a star or two might be seen above; and though at that hour 

 the moon gave no light, yet there was a certain degree of 

 brightening in the sky which made some think they had mis- 

 calculated the hour, and that it was nearer the dawn than they 

 imagined, while others contended that it was produced merely 

 by the clearing away of the fog. At length, however, they 

 heard a distant clock strike four. They were now at a spot 

 where three or four roads branch off. in different directions, at 

 a distance of not more than half-a-mile from Chequer-tree, 

 having a wide extent of rough, uncultivated land, called Ald- 

 ington Freight, on their right, and part of the Priory Wood 

 on their left; and it yet wanted somewhat more than an hour 

 to the actual rising of the sun. A consultation was then held ; 

 and, notwithstanding some differences of opinion, it was 

 resolved to take the road by Stonecross Green, where they 

 thought they could get information from some friendly cot- 

 tagers, and thence through Gilbert's Wood towards Shaddox- 

 hurst. At that point, they calculated that they could safely 

 separate in order to convey the goods to the several hides, or 

 places of concealment, which had been chosen beforehand. 



At Stonecross Green they paused again, and knocked hard 

 at a cottage door, till they brought forth the sleepy tenant 

 from his bed. But the intelligence gained from him was by 

 no means satisfactory; he spoke of a large party of dragoons 

 at Kingsnorth, and mentioned reports which had reached him 

 of a small body having shown itself, at Bromley Green late 

 on the preceding night; and it was consequently resolved, 

 after much debate, to turn off before entering Gilbert's Wood, 

 and, in some degree retreading their steps towards the Marsh, 

 to make for Woodchurch Beacon, and thence to Redbrook 

 Street. The distance was thus rendered greater, and both 

 men and horses were weary ; but the line of road proposed lay 

 amidst a wild and thinly inhabited part of the country, where 



