372 THE SMUGGLER. 



"Then he deserves to be shot," said old R ad ford, fiercely; 

 " but take care, Dick, you had better riot do it yourself. 

 You'll find him difficult to get at, arid may be caught." 



" Leave him to me; leave him to me," answered his hope- 

 ful son; "I've a plan in my head that will punish him better 

 than a bullet. But the bullet he shall have, too, for all the 

 men have sworn that they will take his blood ; but that can 

 be done after I'm gone.' 7 



"But what's your plan, my boy?" asked old Mr. Eadford. 



"Never mind, nevermind!" answered Richard; "I'll find 

 means to execute it. I only wish those dragoons were away 

 from Harbourne Wood." 



"Why, they are," exclaimed his father, laughing. "They 

 were withdrawn this afternoon, and a party of them, too, 

 marched out of "Woodchurch, as if they were going to Ashford. 

 I dare say, by this time to-morrow night, they will be all 

 gone to their quarters again." 



"Then it's all safe!" said his son; and after some more 

 conversation between the two, and various injunctions upon 

 the part of the old man, as to caution and prudence, upon the 

 part of the young one, they parted for the time. Young Rad- 

 ford then rejoined his companions, and remained with them 

 till about one o'clock in the morning, when the small portion 

 of smuggled goods which had been saved, was sent off, escorted 

 by two men, towards Eadford Hall, where they arrived 

 safely, and were received by servants well accustomed to such 

 practices. They consisted of only one horse-load, indeed, so 

 that the journey was quickly performed, and the two men re- 

 turned before five. Although Richard Radford had given his 

 father every assurance that he would remain quiet, and take 

 every prudent step for his own concealment, his very first acts 

 showed no disposition to keep his word. Before eight o'clock 

 in the morning, he, the two Ramleys, and one or two other 

 men, who had come in during the night, were out amongst 

 the fields and woods, "reconnoitring," as they called it; but 

 with a spirit in their breasts which rendered them ready for 

 any rash and criminal act that might suggest itself. Thus 

 occupied, I shall for the present leave them, and show more of 

 their proceedings at a future period. 



