3GQ THE SMUGGLER, 



The joy and excitement of his escape from the wood, the teni j 

 porary triumph which he had obtained over the vigilance of 

 the soldiery, and the effect produced upon a disposition natu- 

 rally bold, reckless, and daring, by the sudden change from 

 imminent peril to comparative security, had all raised his 

 spirits to an excessive pitch; and, indeed, the whole party, 

 instead of seeming depressed by their late disaster, appeared 

 elevated with that wild and lawless mirth, which owns no tie 

 or restraint, reverences nothing sacred or respectable. Spirits 

 and water were circulating freely amongst them; and they 

 were boasting of their feats in the late skirmish, or commenting 

 upon its events, with many a jest and many a falsehood. 



" The major did very well, too," said Ned Ramley, "for 

 he killed one of the dragoons, and wounded another, before he 

 went down himself, poor devil!" 



" Here's to the major's ghost 1" cried young Radford, " and. 

 I'll try to give it satisfaction by avenging him. We'll have 

 vengeance upon them yet, Ned." 



" Ay, upon all who had any concern in it," answered Jim 

 Ramley, with a meaning look. 



" And first upon him who betrayed us,'' rejoined Richard 

 Radford; " and I will have it, too, in a way that shall punish 

 him more than if we flogged him to death with horse-whip?, 

 as the Sussex men did to Chater, at the Flying Bull, near 

 Hazlemere." 



The elder of the two Ramley 's gave a look towards the 

 men who were at the bottom of the table; and Richard Rad- 

 ford, dropping his voice, whispered something to Ned Ramley, 

 who replied aloud, with an oath, " I'd have taken my revenge, 

 whatever came of it." 



"No, no,'' answered Radford, "the red-coats were too near. 

 However, all's not lost, that's delayed. I wonder where that 

 young devil, Little Starlight's gone to. I sent him three hours 

 ago to Cranbrook with the clothes, and told him to come back 

 and tell me if she passed. She'll not go now, that's certain; 

 for she would be in the dark. Have you any notion, Ned, 

 how many men we could get together in case of need? 5 ' 



" Oh, fifty or sixty!" said one of the men from the bottom 

 of the table, who seemed inclined to have his share in the con- 

 versation, as soon as it turned upon subjects with which lie 

 was familiar; "there are seven or eight hid away down at 



