quickly overtook the rest, and pushing through them on his fleet and
powerful horse, soon took the lead. Though vastly superior in a charge,
the troopers' horses were ill able to come up with the active steeds of
the lightly-armed smugglers. The latter kept well ahead, though Harry
urged his companions not to spare the spur. As openings occurred free
of trees, first one of the smugglers rode off, then another, others
following, some going on one side, some on another, till a small band
only held together, led by Gaffin, who had, however, distanced them
considerably. Believing, probably, that he was going to desert them,
the remainder, swearing loudly at his cowardice, following the example
of the first, began to disperse, several throwing themselves from their
horses, and making their way through the thick brushwood, where the
troopers had little hopes of overtaking them.

"Keep the fellow on the black horse in sight," shouted Harry. "He is
the man, I doubt not, who murdered the steward. Let some of your men
accompany me, and follow him with the rest."

The sergeant gave the order as Harry requested, and half the men
continued on with Harry towards Downside, while Gaffin was seen to be
making by the nearest road for the mill. His object apparently was to
take shelter within it, and to sell his life dearly, or he might hope to
conceal himself till he could make his escape by some secret passage, or
by other means with which he alone was acquainted.

The thickening gloom of evening rendered all objects indistinct. The
sergeant and his men, however, kept the smuggler in sight till they saw
him reach the downs on which the mill stood, where his figure was
distinctly visible against the sky. It was but for a moment, for at the
same instant, a party of the sea-fencibles who had been concealed behind
the mill, started up, and several shots were fired at him. It was not
seen whether any had taken effect; the horse and rider disappeared, at
it seemed, over the edge of the cliff. The troopers expected as they
reached the spot to see him dashed to pieces on the sands, but he had
reached the bottom in safety by a pathway which a desperate man alone
would have ventured to take. They caught a glimpse of him as he
galloped along the sands towards the south.

"We must follow him, my lads, or he will escape after all," said the
sergeant, though, as no one dared descend the path Gaffin had taken, the
troopers were compell