THE SMUGGLER. 253 



must have come in there, just when he was hid from his pur- 

 suers by the trees, assigning as a reason for this belief, that 

 they had found his horse turned loose not a hundred yards 

 from the house. They accordingly proceeded to execute their 

 intention, meeting with no farther impediment till they reached 

 the room of Sir Edward Digby, who, though he did not choose 

 to interfere, not being on duty himself, warned the Serjeant 

 that he must be careful of what he was doing, as it appeared 

 that he had neither magistrate, warrant, nor custom-house 

 officer with him. 



The Serjeant, however, who was a bold and resolute fellow, 

 and moreover a little heated and excited by the pursuit, took 

 the responsibility upon himself, saying that he was fully autho- 

 rised by Mr. Birchett to follow, search for, and apprehend one 

 Richard Radford, and that he had the colonel's orders, too. 

 Certainly not a nook or corner of Harbourne House did he 

 leave nnexamined before he retired, grumbling and wondering 

 at his want of success. 



Previous to his going, Sir Edward Digby charged him with 

 a message to the colonel, which proved as great an enigma to 

 the soldier as the escape of Richard Radford. " Tell him," 

 said the young baronet, " that I am ready to come down if 

 he wants me; but that if he does not, I think I am quite as 

 well where I am." 



The breakfast passed in that sort of hurried and desultory 

 conversation which such a dish of gossip, as now poured in from 

 all quarters, usually produces, when served up at the morning 

 meal. Sir Robert Croyland, indeed, looked ill at ease, laughed 

 and jested in an unnatural and strained tone upon smugglers 

 and smuggling, and questioned every servant that came in for 

 further tidings. The reports that he thus received were as 

 full of falsehood and exaggeration as all such reports generally 

 are. The property captured was said to be immense. Two 

 or three hundred smugglers were mentioned as having been 

 taken, and a whole legion of them killed. Some had made 

 confession, and clearly proved that the whole property was 

 Mr. Radford's; and some had fought to the last, and killed 

 an incredible number of the soldiers. To believe the butler, 

 who received his information from the hind, who had his from 

 the shepherd, the man called the major, before he died, had 

 absolutely breakfasted on dragoons, as if they had been 



