THE SMUGGLER. 223 



Having settled the matter in his own mind, he proceeded to 

 execute his purpose with all speed, and hurried on towards 

 Bilsington, where he knew there was a small party of dragoons, 

 proposing to send off messengers immediately to the colonel of 

 the regiment and to all the different posts around. It was 

 pitch dark, so that he did not perceive the first houses of the 

 hamlet till he was within a few yards of them; and all seemed 

 still and quiet in the place. But after having passed the lauo 

 leading to the church, Mowle heard the stamping of some 

 horses' feet, and the next instant a voice exclaimed, " Stand! 

 Who goes there?" 



"A friend! 5 ' answered Mowle. " Where's the sergeant?" 

 ''Here am I," replied another voice. " Who are you?" 

 " My name is Mowle," rejoined our friend, " the chief offi- 

 cer of customs at Hythe. 3 ' 



"Oh! come along, Mr. Mowle; you are just the man we 

 want," said the sergeant, advancing a step or two. " Cap- 

 tain Irby is up here, and would be glad to speak with you.'' 



Mowle followed in silence, having, indeed, some occasion to 

 sot his thoughts in order, and to recover his breath. About 

 sixty or seventy yards farther on, a scene broke upon him 

 which somewhat surprised him ; for, instead of a dozen dragoons, 

 at the most, he perceived, on turning the corner of the next 

 cottage, a body, at least, of seventy or eighty men, as well as 

 he could calculate, standing each beside his horse, whose 

 breath was seen mingling with the thick fog, by the light of a 

 single lantern held close to the wall of the house which con- 

 cealed the party from the Bonnington road. Bound that 

 lantern were congregated three or four figures, beside that of 

 the man who held it; and, fronting the approach was a young 

 gentleman,* dressed in the usual costume of a dragoon officer 

 of that period. Before him stood another, apparently a pri- 

 vate of the regiment; and the light shone full upon the faces 

 of both, showing a cold, thoughtful and inquiring look upon the 



* It will be seen that I have represented all my officers as young men, 

 even up to the very colonel of the regiment; but it must be remembered 

 that, iu those days, promotion in the service was regulated in a very clif- 

 : mnner from the present system. I remember a droll story of a 

 visitor at a nobleman's house, inquiring of the butler what was the 

 cau.se of an obstreperous roaring he heard up stairs, when the servant 

 replied, "Oh! sir, it is nothing but the little general crying for his pap." 



