, the Revenue men got
on board the smuggler and seized her, when she was found to contain a
cargo of 665 casks of brandy, 118 casks of rum, and 237 casks of
Geneva. Besides these, she had four casks, one case and one basket of
wine, 119 bags of tobacco, and 43 lbs. of tea--truly a very fine and
valuable cargo. But the officers had not been in possession of the
lugger and her cargo more than three-quarters of an hour before a
great crowd of infuriated people came down to the beach, armed with
firearms and wicked-looking bludgeons. For the lugger's crew had
evidently rushed to their shore friends and told them of their bad
luck. Some members of this mob were on horseback, others on foot, but
on they came with oaths and threats to where the lugger and her
captors were remaining. "We're going to rescue the lugger and her
goods," exclaimed the smugglers, as they stood round the bows of the
_Diana_ in the darkness of the night. The Revenue men warned them that
they had better keep off, or violence would have to be used to prevent
such threats being carried out.

[Illustration: "A great crowd of infuriated people came down to the
beach."]

But it was impossible to expect reason from an uncontrolled mob raging
with fury and indignation. Soon the smugglers had opened fire, and
ball was whistling through the night air. The _Diana_ was now lying on
her side, and several muskets were levelled at the Revenue men. One of
the latter was a man named Dawkins, and the smugglers had got so close
that one villainous ruffian presented a piece at Dawkins' breast,
though the latter smartly wrested it from him before any injury had
been received. But equally quickly, another smuggler armed with a
cutlass brought the blade down and wounded Dawkins on the thumb. A
general engagement now proceeded as the smugglers continued to fire,
but unfortunately the powder of the Revenue men had become wet, so
only one of their crew was able to return the fire. Finding at length
that they were no match for their aggressors, the crews were compelled
to leave the lugger and retreat to some neighbouring barracks where
the Lancashire Militia happened to be quartered, and a sergeant and
his guard were requisitioned to strengthen them. With this squad the
firing was more evenly returned and one of the smugglers was shot, but
before long, unable to resist the military, the smugglers ceased
firing and the beach was cleared of the mob.

The matter was in due cour