to take the _Diamond_ and to
bring her alongside the _Cameleon_ and then to order Field and his
crew to go aboard the cruiser as prisoners.

This, of course, did not lead to harmony on board. Lipscomb attempted
to seize hold of the tiller, so as to steer the vessel back to
Hastings Roads, where the cruiser was lying. But Field turned to him
and said--

"I don't know about your having the helm. You don't know where the
cutter is any more than I do."

With that, Field pushed the man aside, grasped hold of the tiller, and
shoved it hard up, and bearing away, ran the vessel out seawards. But
after keeping on this course for twenty minutes they fell in with the
_Cameleon_, and the two vessels came near to each other. The cruiser's
commander shouted to Lipscomb, and ordered him to get into the
cruiser's galley, which had been towing astern of the _Diamond_ all
this time, and to row to the cruiser. This was done, and then Lipscomb
received his orders. He was to return to the trawler and seize the
hands and bring them to the _Cameleon_. So the galley returned again
and brought the _Diamond's_ crew as ordered. It was now 7 A.M., and
they were kept as prisoners on the cutter till 9 A.M. the following
day. Lipscomb and his boat's crew of four now took charge of the
_Diamond_, and began to trim sheets, and before long the two craft got
separated.

When Field proceeded on board the _Cameleon_ he took with him his
ship's papers at the lieutenant's orders. He then ventured to ask how
it was that his smack had been detained, to which Gammon replied that
he had received information from the Collector of Customs at Rye.
Field, however, was incredulous. "I rather doubt your word," he said,
whereupon the officer took out of his pocket a letter, doubled the
page down one or two lines, and showed the doubting skipper that it
was as the lieutenant had stated. Gammon then went below and took
Field's papers with him, and there they remained till the following
morning.

The _Cameleon_ went jogging along, and having arrived abreast of
Hastings, Gammon sent one of his crew ashore in the cutter's boat, and
later on fetched him back. The object, no doubt, was to send the
_Diamond's_ papers ashore to be examined as to their veracity, though
nothing was said to Field on the subject. It is clear that the reply
from the authorities came back that the papers were found in order,
and that Field was not known as a smuggler; for after the man who had