ve me still."

"His master cannot be far off," growled Mathews, jumping over the stile,
and confronting Anthony.

The cousins were only partially known to him, and their great personal
likeness made him mistake the one for the other.

A little ashamed of being caught in the act of listening to a
conversation never meant for his ear, Anthony would have left the spot;
but the menacing audacious air of the smuggler aroused his pride, and he
turned upon him with a haughty and enquiring glance.

"I would speak a few words with you, mister!"

"As many as you please. But let me first inform you that I am not the
person whom you seek."

"Humph!" said the ruffian, with a sarcastic sneer, "that dodge won't do.
You might as well attempt to cheat the devil as deceive Bill Mathews. I
know you too well. You and I have a heavy account to settle, and you
shall know me better before we part. Take that--and that--and that--as
an earnest of our further acquaintance."

And he struck Anthony several heavy blows with an oak cudgel he held in
his hand.

Forced to retaliate in self-defence, Anthony closed with his gigantic
opponent, and several blows had been given and received on either side,
when the combatants were separated by a third person--this was no other
than Captain Whitmore who, with his daughter, accidentally rode up to
the spot.

"Mr. Anthony Hurdlestone engaged in such a disgraceful fray! Can I
believe the evidence of my senses?"

"Not if you would judge truly, Captain Whitmore," said Anthony, striving
to keep a calm exterior, but still trembling with passion, while the
most bitter and humiliating feelings agitated his breast.

"I was striving to revenge the wrongs done to an injured sister by a
villain!" cried the enraged Mathews. "I appeal to you sir, as a man, a
father, a brave British officer, if you would suffer a sister or a
daughter to be trampled upon and betrayed without resenting the injury?"

"I am incapable of the crime laid to my charge by this man," said
Anthony, indignantly, when he saw the father and daughter exchange
glances of astonishment and contempt. "Miss Whitmore, I entreat you not
to give the least credit to this ruffian's accusation. He has uttered a
base falsehood!"

The only answer the tortured lover received was an indignant flash from
the hitherto dove-like eyes of Juliet Whitmore. She reined back her
horse, and turned her face proudly away from the imploring gaze of the
distracted A