massa
like drink, why you no gib massa some tub, and den he never say noting,
only make fuss some time, 'cause of Admirality.' Den dey say, 'You sure
of dat?' and I say, 'Quite sure massa nebber say one word.' Den dey talk
long while; last, dey come and say, 'You come wid us and show massa
house.' So two men come wid me, and when dey come to gate I say, 'Dis
massa house when he live at Ryde, and dere you see massa;'--and I point
to Massa Cockle, but dey see Massa Farren--so dey say, 'All very good;
tree, four hour more, you find six tub here; tell you massa dat every
time run tub, he alway hab six;' den dey go way, den dey come back,
leave tub; dat all, massa."

"You rascal!" exclaimed I, rising up, "so you have compromised me; why I
shall lose my commission if found out."

"No, sar; nobody wrong but de smuggler; dey make a lilly mistake; case
you brought to court-martial, I gib evidence, and den I clear you."

"But what must we do with these tubs, Cockle?" said I, appealing to him.

"Do, Bob?--why, they are a present--a very welcome one, and a very
handsome one into the bargain. I shall not _keep_ them, I pledge you my
word; let that satisfy you--they shall all be _fairly entered_."

"Upon that condition, Cockle," I replied, "I shall of course not give
information against you." (I knew full well what he meant by saying he
would not _keep_ them.)

"How I do, Massa Cockle," said Moonshine, with a grave face; "I take um
to the custom-house to-night or to-morrow marning."

"To-morrow, Moonshine," replied Cockle; "at present just put them out of
sight."

I did not think it prudent to make any further inquiries; but I
afterwards discovered that the smugglers, true to their word, and still
in error, continued to leave six tubs in old Cockle's garden whenever
they succeeded in running a cargo, which, notwithstanding all our
endeavours, they constantly did. One piece of information I gained from
this affair, which was, the numbers of cargoes which were run compared
to those which were seized during the remainder of the time I was on
that station, and found it to be in the proportion of ten to one. The
cargoes run were calculated by the observations of old Cockle, who, when
I called upon him, used to say very quietly, "I shouldn't wonder if they
did not run a cargo last night, Bob, in spite of all your vigilance--was
it very dark?"

"On the contrary," replied I, looking at the demure face of the negro;
"I suspect it w