ssociates of the smugglers. The latter
had given it out that the run was to be made on the other side of
Christchurch head, and to induce them to suppose that this was believed,
a party of revenue men had started off in that direction, taking care
that their movements should be observed. It was hoped by this that the
smugglers would be deceived, and would attempt the run at the spot named
in the private information which had been received.

"This is dull work!" whispered Voules to Lord Reginald. "I thought we
should be up and doing long ago."

"Dull enough! I vote we set off by ourselves, to try and find out what
the smugglers are about," answered Lord Reginald.

"I should recommend riding back to the hall, and letting our friends
here follow their own devices," said Voules; "but it would not do, now
that we have once put ourselves under Hilton's command, to desert him."

Their patience was to be further tried. At last, one of the scouts who
had been set to watch the direction taken by those who were sure to
assist in the landing, came in with the intelligence that he had traced
them midway between the hamlets of Barton and Ash, and that he had seen
suspicious lights both on shore and at sea. The latter were, it was
guessed, shown on board the lugger, which was exchanging signals with
the spotsmen on shore, leaving little doubt as to where the goods would
be run. As the distance to the spot was considerable, there was no time
to be lost, for not only might the lugger's cargo be landed, but carried
far away into the interior before the revenue men could get there.
There was a danger, however, should they arrive too soon, of their being
discovered by the smugglers, who would in that case put off to sea again
and wait for a more favourable opportunity.

The road followed by Lieutenant Hilton and his party led some distance
from the shore. They proceeded as fast as they could move, forming a
compact body, that they might run the less risk of being seen. The
commander of the sea-fencibles arranged the plan of proceeding. He,
with his men, would go to the westward, while the lieutenant was to
attack the smugglers on the opposite side, and the excisemen were to
guard the upper part of the hollow or gully which led down to the water,
so as to catch any of the smugglers who might be making their way up it
to escape. This plan was arranged as they went along.

On reaching the neighbourhood of the spot, they halted