the yacht!"

Pickersgill took out his glass.

"Yes, and the yacht's own boat with the name painted on her bows. Well,
let them come--we will have no ceremony in resisting them; they are not
in the Act of Parliament, and must take the consequences. We have
nought to fear. Get stretchers, my lads, and hand-spikes; they row six
oars, and are three in the stern-sheets: they must be good men if they
take us."

In a few minutes Lord B--- was close to the smuggler.

"Boat ahoy! What do you want?"

"Surrender in the king's name."

"To what, and to whom, and what are we to surrender? We are an English
vessel coasting along shore."

"Pull on board, my lads," cried Stewart; "I am a king's officer: we know
her."

The boat darted alongside, and Stewart and Lord B---, followed by the
men, jumped on the deck.

"Well, gentlemen, what do you want?" said Pickersgill.

"We seize you! You are a smuggler,--there's no denying it: look at the
casks of spirits stretched along the deck."

"We never said that we were not smugglers," replied Pickersgill; "but
what is that to you? You are not a king's ship, or employed by the
revenue."

"No; but we carry a pendant, and it is our duty to protect the laws."

"And who are you?" said Pickersgill.

"I am Lord B---."

"Then, my lord, allow me to say that you would do much better to attend
to the framing of laws, and leave people of less consequence, like those
astern of me, to execute them. `Mind your own business,' is an old
adage. We shall not hurt you, my lord, as you have only employed words,
but we shall put it out of your power to hurt us. Come aft, my lads.
Now, my lord, resistance is useless; we are double your numbers, and you
have caught a Tartar."

Lord B--- and Mr Stewart perceived that they were in an awkward
predicament.

"You may do what you please," observed Mr Stewart, "but the revenue
boats are coming up, recollect."

"Look you, sir, do you see the revenue-cutter?" said Pickersgill.

Stewart looked in that direction and saw that she was hidden in the fog.

"In five minutes, sir, the boats will be out of sight also, and so will
your vessel; we have nothing to fear from them."

"Indeed, my lord, we had better return," said Mr Stewart, who perceived
that Pickersgill was right.

"I beg your pardon, you will not go on board your yacht so soon as you
expect. Take the oars out of the boat; my lads, two or three of you,
and throw in a couple of our pad