THE SMUGGLER.. 231 



leader gets away. You are sure of the person, Mr. Bir- 

 chett?" 



"Perfectly, sir," answered the officer of customs. " I was 

 as near to him, at one time, as I am now to you; and Mr. 

 Mowle here, too, will tell you I know him well." 



"Who: young Radford?" asked Mowle. "Oh! yes, that 

 we all do ; and besides, I can tell you that is he on the grey 

 horse, for I was along with him the greater part of last 

 night." And Mowle proceeded to relate succinctly all that 

 had occured to him from ten o'clock on the preceding even- 

 ing. 



The young officer, in the mean while, continued to follow the 

 soldiers with his eyes, commenting, by a brief word or two, 

 on the various turns taken by the pursuit. 



"He is cut off," he said, in a tone of satisfaction; "the 

 troops, from Halden, will stop him there. He is turning to 

 the left, as if he would make for Tenderden. Captain Trby, be so 

 good as to detach a corporal, with as many men as you can 

 spare, to cut him off by Gallows Green, on the left hand road, 

 there. Bid them use all speed. Now he's for Harbourne 

 again! He'll try to get through the wood; but Miles will be 

 before him." 



He then applied himself to examine the state of his own 

 men and the prisoners, and paid every humane attention to 

 both, doing the best that he could for their wounds, in the 

 absence of surgical assistance, and ordering carts to be pro- 

 cured from the neighbouring farms, to carry those most severely 

 injured into the village of Woodchurch. The smuggled goods 

 he consigned to the charge of the custom-house officers, giv- 

 ing them, however, a strong escort, at their express desire; 

 although, he justly observed, that there was but little chance 

 of any attempt being made by the smugglers to recover what 

 they had lost. 



"I shall now, Mr. Mowle,' 7 he continued, "proceed to 

 Woodchurch, and remain there for a time, to sec what other 

 prisoners are brought in, and make any farther arrangements 

 that may be necessary; but I shall be in Hythe, in all proba- 

 bility, before night. The custody of the prisoners I shall take 

 upon myself for the present, as the civil power is evidently 

 not capable of guarding them." 



"Well, sir, you have made a glorious day's work of it, 9 ' 



