light.
Wasp, Wasp, whisht, hinny; whisht, my bonnie man, and let's hear what
they're doing. Deil's in ye, will ye whisht?'

They sought in vain among the embers the means of lighting their candle,
and the noise without still continued. Dinmont in his turn had recourse
to the window--'Lordsake, Captain! come here. Od, they hae broken the
custom-house!'

Bertram hastened to the window, and plainly saw a miscellaneous crowd of
smugglers, and blackguards of different descriptions, some carrying
lighted torches, others bearing packages and barrels down the lane to the
boat that was lying at the quay, to which two or three other fisher-boats
were now brought round. They were loading each of these in their turn,
and one or two had already put off to seaward. 'This speaks for itself,'
said Bertram; 'but I fear something worse has happened. Do you perceive a
strong smell of smoke, or is it my fancy?'

'Fancy?' answered Dinmont, 'there's a reek like a killogie. Od, if they
burn the custom-house it will catch here, and we'll lunt like a
tar-barrel a' thegither. Eh! it wad be fearsome to be burnt alive for
naething, like as if ane had been a warlock! Mac-Guffog, hear ye!'
roaring at the top of his voice; 'an ye wad ever hae a haill bane in your
skin, let's out, man, let's out!'

The fire began now to rise high, and thick clouds of smoke rolled past
the window at which Bertram and Dinmont were stationed. Sometimes, as the
wind pleased, the dim shroud of vapour hid everything from their sight;
sometimes a red glare illuminated both land and sea, and shone full on
the stern and fierce figures who, wild with ferocious activity, were
engaged in loading the boats. The fire was at length triumphant, and
spouted in jets of flame out at each window of the burning building,
while huge flakes of flaming materials came driving on the wind against
the adjoining prison, and rolling a dark canopy of smoke over all the
neighbourhood. The shouts of a furious mob resounded far and wide; for
the smugglers in their triumph were joined by all the rabble of the
little town and neighbourhood, now aroused and in complete agitation,
notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, some from interest in the free
trade, and most from the general love of mischief and tumult natural to a
vulgar populace.

Bertram began to be seriously anxious for their fate. There was no stir
in the house; it seemed as if the jailor had deserted his charge, and
left the prison