lieve it, and shouldn't if they took their Bible oath to it, it
bain't in reason.

"One of them waves would ha' broaked this cottage up loike a eggshell.
Oi do believes as it would ha' smashed Marsden church, and it doan't
stand to reason as a ship, which is built, they tells me, of wood and
plank, would stand agin waves as would knock doon a church. Arter
the storm oi should ha' coom back next morning, vor I felt fairly
frightened. There didn't seem no saying as to what t' water moight do
next toime. We should ha' gone there and then, only Sally's husband told
us as a vessel war expected in two or three days wi' a cargo of tubs and
she was to run them in a creek a few miles away.

"He said as loike as not there moight be a foight wi' the officers, and
that being so we naterally made up our moinds vor to stop and lend un a
hand. One night arter it got dark we started, and arter a tramp of two
or three hours cam' to the place. It were a dark noight, and how the
ship as was bringing the liquor was to foind oot the place was more
nor oi could make oot. Jack he tried to explain how they did it, but oi
couldn't make head nor tails on it except that when they got close they
war to show a loight twice, and we war to show a loight twice if it war
all roight for landing.

"Oi asked what had becoom of the revenue men, and was told as a false
letter had been writ saying a landing was to be made fifteen mile away.
We went vorward to a place whar there war a break in the rocks, and
a sort of valley ran down to the sea. There war a lot of men standing
aboot, and just as we coom up thar war a movement and we hears as the
loights had been shown and the vessel war running in close. Down we goes
wi' the others, and soon a boat cooms ashore. As soon as she gets close
the men runs out to her; the sailors hands out barrels and each man
shoulders one and trudges off. We does the same and takes the kegs up to
t' top, whar carts and horses was waiting for 'em. Oi went oop and down
three toimes and began to think as there war moor hard work nor fun
aboot it. Oi war a-going to knock off when some one says as one more
trip would finish the cargo, so down oi goes again: Just when oi gets to
t' bottom there war a great shouting oop at top.

"'They're just too late,' a man says; 'the kegs be all safe away except
this lot,' for the horses and carts had gone off the instant as they
got their loads. 'Now we must run for it, for the revenue men will