been sent ashore returned, the _Cameleon_ made sail, and stood out to
sea for a distance of eighteen miles. She had lost sight of the
_Diamond_ and her prize crew, and it was not till about breakfast time
the following day that the cruiser found the smack again. When at
length the two craft did come together, Lipscomb was called on board
the cruiser and summoned below to Gammon. What exactly the
conversation was never came out, but from subsequent events it is
fairly clear that Gammon asked what opinion Lipscomb had been able to
form of the _Diamond_, and that the latter had to admit she was a
genuine trawler; for soon after, the lieutenant sent the steward for
Field and one of his men to go below. The two men did as they were
ordered.

"Good morning," said the cruiser's commander as they came into the
cabin, "here are your papers, Field."

Field hesitated for a moment; then answered--

"I don't know, sir, as to taking them. I'm not altogether satisfied
about being detained so long. And had I been aboard the smack, and you
had refused to let me have the tiller," he continued, getting angrier
every moment, "I would have shot you as sure as you had been a man."

"You may do as you please," came the commander's cool reply, "about
taking them, but if you do not choose to take them, I shall take you
away to Portsmouth and give you up to the Port Admiral, and let him do
with you as he thinks proper."

Thinking therefore that it were better to be discreet and hold his
tongue, Field took the papers, went up again on deck, collected his
men, went back to his smack, and the incident ended--for the present.
But the Revenue men had clearly made an error this time, and had acted
_ultra vires_. About a year later Field, as a master and part-owner of
the _Diamond_, brought an action against Gammon for assault and
detention, and was awarded a verdict and L5 damages.

It is curious to find what sympathy the smugglers sometimes received
in a section of society where one would hardly have expected this to
exist. There are at least three instances of men of position and
wealth showing their feelings undisguisedly in favour of these lawless
men. There was a Lieut.-Colonel Chichester, who was called upon for
explanations as to his conduct in this respect; there was the case
also of the naval officer commanding H.M. sloop _Pylades_ being
convicted and dismissed the service for protecting smugglers, and,
most interesting of all, was t