436 THE SMUGGLER. 



fit thundering speed, across the road, and over the sand and 

 shingle, Harding, the smuggler, dashed on, till the horse that 

 bore him stood foaming and panting beside the boat. Instantly 

 springing out of the saddle, he cast the bridle on the tired 

 beast's neck, and jumped into the skiff, exclaiming, " Shove 

 her offl" 



" Arn't there some more Jack?" asked one of the men. 



"None but myself," replied Harding, "and me they shan't 

 catch. Shove her off, I say; you'll soon see who are coming 

 after!" 



The men obeyed at once; the boat was launched into the 

 water; and almost at the same instant, the party of dragoons 

 who were in pursuit appeared upon the top of the rise, followed 

 a moment after, by Birchett, and another officer of the customs. 

 The vehement and angry gestures of the riding officer indicated 

 plainly enough that he saw the prey had escaped him ; but 

 while the dragoons and his fellow officer made their way slowly 

 down the bank, to the narrow road which at that time ran 

 along the beach, he galloped off towards a signal-post, which 

 then stood upon an elevated spot, not far from the place where 

 the turnpike, on the road between Sandgate and Folkestone, 

 now stands. In a few minutes various small flags were seen 

 rapidly running up to the top of the staff; and, as speedily as 

 possible afterwards, signals of the same kind were displayed on 

 board the frigate. 



In the mean time, however, Harding and his party had 

 rowed rapidly towards the lugger, the sails of which were 

 already beginning to fill; and in less than two minutes she 

 was scudding through the water as fast as the wind would bear 

 her. But the frigate was also under weigh ; and, to both ex- 

 perienced and inexperienced eyes, it seemed that the bold 

 smuggler had hardly one chance of escape. Between Dunge- 

 ness Point, and the royal vessel, there appeared to be no space 

 for any of those daring manoeuvres by which the small vessels, 

 engaged in the contraband trade, occasionally eluded the pur- 

 suit of their larger and more formidable opponents ; but Harding 

 still pursued his course, striving to get into the open sea, before 

 the frigate could cut him off, 



Bending under the press of sail, the boat rushed through 

 the waves, with the uptide running strong against her, and 

 the spray dashing over her from stem to stern ; but still, as 



