A Yarn aboiit Smugglers. 39 



I explained that nothing appeared wrong with it 

 when I started. After having it well dressed, I 

 reached home with much less pain. Next day I was 

 fit for nothing, and after that was laid up for some 

 time, with the disagreeable prospect before me that 

 in the healing one leg would be left shorter than the 

 other. It was a very discouraging thought to me 

 that I might thus become a cripple for life, and to 

 avoid this, if possible, I persevered, in spite of great 

 pain, in keeping the damaged leg stretched out to the 

 utmost. Placing my two heels to the footboard of 

 the bed, there I kept them night and day till the 

 danger was past, and as a reward for my martyrdom 

 the contracting action was overcome." 



There were many raids made on the smugglers by 

 the excise, although in most cases the smugglers had 

 timely notice of the approach of danger, and it was 

 wonderful how soon they could make a clearance 

 of their valuables, that is to say, of all the plant used 

 in distilling. 



In one instance within our hero's experience, two 

 or three hours after dark the smugglers were sur- 

 prised and made prisoners by the excise officers and 

 a small company of soldiers. Two farmers' wives, 

 who happened to be paying a visit to the bothy or 

 smugglers' shed at the time, were also seized. The 

 still had just been filled with what they called sing- 

 lings, for the second or final distillation. The 

 smugglers agreed to run it off for the excisemen, 

 wishing, so far as they could, to appear friendly with 

 them. A cart was wanted to carry the spoil away, 

 but, it being so late, it was thought best by the excise 



