wanted to see his parents and Janet, and to relieve their anxiety about
him. He had resolved, therefore, to quit the _Nancy_, and to go on
shore with Ben, who did not intend to make the next trip in her. It was
settled, therefore, that he and Ben were to pull in one of the boats
engaged in landing the cargo, and that afterwards they were to assist in
escorting the goods safe into the interior. After they had once got
away from the coast, there was but little danger of their being
captured.

"All right," said Ben to Dick, as the lugger stood in to the westward of
the Shingles; "the revenue men have been told that there is to be a run
made this very night, Portland way, and they will all have gone off
there and left the coast clear for us, so that there is no fear as to
our getting the goods safe on shore."

There seemed every probability that Ben's prognostications would prove
true. The night was dark, and the wind sufficiently off shore to enable
the _Nancy_ to stand close in. The expected signals were seen. The
anchor was dropped, the boats lowered, and immediately afterwards,
others came off from the shore, bringing the satisfactory intelligence
that everything was clear for the run. The vessel was rapidly unloaded.
The greater part of her cargo had been discharged, and was already on
the beach, when the reports of Lieutenant Hilton's pistols were heard,
and the smugglers found themselves beset on both sides by their enemies.
Dick and Ben were already on shore, and were engaged in loading the
packhorses.

"You get out of it, Dick," said Ben, "either climb the cliff or run
along the beach; you've nothing to fight for."

Dick hesitated; he felt that it would be cowardly to desert his
companions.

Ben, though not thus influenced, suspected his motive. "Come, lad," he
said; "there's a path not far from this, and the chances are there is no
one to stop us going up it; I'll show thee the way." Saying this, he
dashed forward quickly, followed by Dick.

He was disappointed in one respect--the path was guarded, but knocking
over the first person who opposed him, who happened to be Mr Voules,
and wrenching the cutlass out of Lord Reginald's hand, he dashed on.
Dick, who kept close behind him, had a narrow escape of being shot, and
felt pretty sure that Lord Reginald, whom he recognised, had seen him.

Continuing on a short time, they were satisfied that they were not
pursued, and might proceed homewards with l