.

"I thought my senses deceived me," shrieked out the mad woman, and she
turned towards the men with whom Jacob was struggling as they
endeavoured to drag him into the boat.

"Stay, I charge you, men, carry not off that poor lad on to the cruel
salt sea if he is unwilling to go; the salt, salt sea, the cruel salt
sea," and she burst out in her usual refrain.

The men paid no attention to her, and continued their efforts in
dragging Jacob to the boat.

Seeing this she again shrieked out--

"Stay, I charge you, or my curses go with you and all who abet you in
the cruel act. May a speedy and sudden death overtake you; cursed be
the craft which bears you across the salt sea; cursed be the sails which
drive you onwards; cursed be those who bear you company; may the raging
waves, the howling tempest, the flashing lightning, and roaring thunder
overwhelm you; may you all sink down into the salt sea, salt sea; it's a
hungry, deep, and cruel sea. The sea, the sea, the salt, salt sea," and
she whirled her staff around her head, and shrieked louder and louder as
she saw that the men had succeeded in hauling Jacob into the boat.

Miles apparently had no intention of going off, but one of the men,
seizing him by the arm, exclaimed--

"Come along, and see your business carried out, young master; as you set
us to the task, we are not going without you. If you turn fainthearted
we will land the fellow, and let him settle the matter with you as he
lists."

Miles in vain expostulated. Mad Sal drowned his words with her wild
shrieks, while she continued to wave her staff as if in the performance
of an incantation. What with his unwillingness to face the mad woman
should he be left on the beach, and the threats of the men, he was
induced to go on board.

No sooner was he in the boat than the smugglers shoving off pulled
towards the lugger, which lay in her usual berth about half-a-mile from
the shore.

Mad Sal watched the proceeding, making her shrieks and wild shouts heard
till the boat had got far off from the beach: she then suddenly stopped,
and a gleam of sense appeared to pass through her mind.

"Instead of beseeching the villains to have mercy on the youth, I might
have sent those to his aid who have the power to help him," she muttered
to herself, and turning round she began to ascend the cliff.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

IN CHASE OF THE LUGGER.

Harry galloped back to Texford, and found the groom, with Juli