326 THE SMUGGLER. 



the direction of Widow Glare's cottage. Of a daring and 

 resolute disposition, for his only virtue was courage, he thought 

 of passing the soldiers as a good joke, rather than a difficult 

 undertaking ; but still recollecting the necessity of caution, as 

 he came near the edge of the wood he slackened his pace, tried 

 to shorten his steps, and assumed a more feminine demeanour. 

 When he was within a couple of hundred yards of the open 

 country, he saw one of the dragoons slowly pass the end of 

 the road and look up; and, on issuing forth from the wood, 

 he perceived that the man had paused, and was gazing back. 

 But at that distance, the female garments which he wore 

 deceived the soldier, and he was suffered to walk on unopposed 

 towards Iden Green. 



