o be carried away from your young ones without saying a
few last words to cheer them up."

"It can't be done, my man," answered the officer, turning away. "If I
grant you the favour, all the rest will be wanting to go and wish their
wives and children farewell, and a fine account I should have to give of
them! Bring the prisoners along!" he shouted to the seamen.

"You'll tell poor Susan what has happened," said Ben, as he passed the
landlady. "Tell her to keep up her spirits. I'll be back home as soon
as I can."

"Trust me, Ben," said kind-hearted Mrs Simmons; "I'll see your wife
to-morrow morning, and tell her what you say."

The officer, losing patience, ordered his party to move on. The
men-of-war's men kept close around their captives, who would, they knew,
attempt to escape if there was the slightest chance of their doing so,
or they thought it possible that the smugglers' associates might
endeavour to rescue them. The boat, however, was reached without any
attempt of the sort being made, and the prisoners were compelled to step
on board.

Some of the more daring resisted, hoping that perhaps even then
assistance might come to them, but a seaman's pistol held at the heads
of the refractory ones compelled them to obey, and in another minute
they were all seated in the boat, which at once pulled away for the
tender.

Dick found himself seated next to Ben.

"A bad job this, my boy; I never thought you and I should be hauled away
like this," whispered Ben. "If they hadn't put our wrists in irons we'd
be overboard and soon stowed away where they wouldn't find us in a
hurry."

Dick did not say he thought that it was owing to Ben he was brought into
his present condition. He merely answered, "I wouldn't try to escape if
I could. If a man-of-war is as bad as you say, I shall be dead in a
short time, and it won't much matter to any one."

"Silence there, men!" shouted the officer, who overheard Ben and Dick
talking. "Give way, lads!"

The boat was soon alongside the tender, a large cutter, which lay off
the mouth of the creek. The captured men were compelled to mount her
side, two stout fellows standing by to lift them up by the collars of
their jackets, as they were unable to use their hands, when they were at
once sent down into the hold of the vessel, over which a sentry with a
loaded musket kept guard.

It was a large, gloomy place, lighted by a single ship's lantern, which
hung from one of th