240 THE SMUGGLER. 



ham-stringed my mare, because I wouldn't let them have her 

 for the last run.' 7 



''That's Tom Angel," observed the blacksmith; " he's to 

 be married to Jinny Eamley, they say." 



" He'll be married to a halter first, I've a notion, 5 ' answered 

 the wheelwright; " and then instead of an angel he'll make a 

 devil! He's one of the worst of them, bad as they all are. A 

 pretty gaol delivery we shall have at the next 'sizes!" 



" A good county delivery, too," replied the blacksmith ; 

 "as men have been killed, it's felony, that's clear: so hemp 

 will be dear, Mr. Slatterly." 



By the above conversation the feelings of the people of 

 Woodchurch towards the smugglers, at that particular time, 

 may be easily divined ; but the reader must not suppose that 

 they were influenced alone by the very common tendency of 

 men's nature to side with the winning party; for such was not 

 altogether the case, though, perhaps, they would not have 

 ventured to show their dislike to the smugglers so strongly, 

 had they been more successful. As long as the worthy gentle- 

 men, who had now met with so severe a reverse, had contented 

 themselves with merely running contraband articles ; even as 

 long as they had done nothing more than take a man's horse 

 for their own purposes, without his leave, or use his premises, 

 whether he liked it or not, as a place of concealment for their 

 smuggled goods, they were not only indifferent, but even 

 friendly ; for man has always a sufficient portion of the adven- 

 turer at his heart to have a fellow feeling for all his brethren 

 engaged in rash and perilous enterprises. But the smugglers 

 had grown insolent and domineering from long success; they 

 had not only felt themselves lords of the county, but had made 

 others feel it often in an insinuating, and often in a cruel and 

 brutal manner. Crimes of a very serious character had been 

 lately committed by the Kamleys and others, which, though 

 not traced home by sufficient evidence to satisfy the law, were 

 fixed upon them by the general voice of the people; and the 

 threats of terrible vengeance which they sometimes uttered 

 against all who opposed them, and the boastful tone in which 

 they indulged, when speaking of their most criminal exploits, 

 probably gained them credit for much more wickedness than 

 they really committed. 



Thus their credit with the country people was certainly on 



