ps.

"One moment," said Archy, and, giving orders to the men to separate,
surround the premises, and search the outbuildings, then stationing two
more at the doors, and taking one, Gurr, to search upstairs, he followed
the farmer into a fairly spacious stone cellar, where there was a cider
barrel in company with two of ale, and little kegs of elder wine and
mead.

"Sarch away, squire," said Shackle bluffly, as he placed the mugs on the
floor and turned the wooden spigots.

"That's elder wine in the little barrel. Say, you haven't seen anything
of a boy of mine in your travels? My lad and one of the men have gone
after a stray cow. I'm fear'd she's gone over the cliff."

"They're all on board the cutter."

"What? Well, that is good news. Full up here. Done sarching, sir?"

"Yes," replied Archy, who began to feel more and more ashamed of being
suspicious of so frank and bluffly hospitable a man.

"Come along then. Your lads will be as pleased as can be with a mug of
my home-brewed."

As he led the way to the door the midshipman gave another glance round,
seeing nothing in the slightest degree suspicious, and, a few minutes
after, the whole party was being refreshed, both officers quite
convinced that there was nothing contraband on the premises.

"What other houses are there near here?" asked Gurr at last.

"Only one. The Hoze."

"The Hoze?"

"Yes; Sir Risdon Graeme's. Yonder among the trees. Going up there?"

"Yes, of course," said Archy shortly.

"Yes, of course," said the farmer, in assent. "But I'd be a bit easy
with him, sir. Don't hurt his feelings. Gentleman, you see."

"Don't be alarmed," said the midshipman quietly. "I hope we shall not
be rude to any one."

He moved towards the door, after saluting Mrs Shackle, the farmer
leading the way, and pointing out the nearest path up the steep slope.

"'Bout my cow," he said.

"I have no doubt that as soon as the lieutenant in command is satisfied
that you had nothing to do with the smuggling, your people will be set
at liberty."

"And the cow?"

"And the cow of course."

"Thank ye, sir; that's good news. I'll go and tell the missus.
Straight on, sir; you can't miss it."

"Ah, my fine fellow," he continued, as he walked back, "if it hadn't
been for your gang with you, how easily I could have turned the key and
kept you down in that cellar, where I wish I had your skipper too."

"Oh, Blenheim!" said his wife, in an excited whis