an inn about
thirty miles from London. A long line of horses, with packs on their
backs, were collected in front of the stables to be watered. Twenty men
or so were lounging about, apparently belonging to them. Presently
there was a cry of, "The Custom-house officers! the Custom-house
officers!" The men ran up from all directions, unloosed the halters,
leaped on the backs of some saddle-horses standing ready, and the whole
party began to move along the road. They had not gone many yards when
another party of horsemen were seen galloping up from the direction in
which they were going. The smugglers--for such the guard told us they
were--turned round and dashed by us, but they were again met by another
party of Custom-house officers. Swords were drawn, pistols were fired,
the bullets came flying about the coach, greatly to the alarm of some of
the passengers, who cried out and begged the combatants to desist. Our
horses kicked and plunged, and nearly upset the coach. Tom and I could
not help wishing to join the skirmish, and had jumped off for the
purpose, though I had scarcely made up my mind with which party to side,
when some of the smugglers threw down their arms and cried peccavi,
while the rest tried to escape across the country over the hedges and
ditches. Some were caught, but several effected their escape. I was
well satisfied, when I had time to reflect on the matter, that I had not
had time to mix in the affray. Altogether, thirty horses were captured,
as were several of the smugglers, some of whom were wounded, as were
five or six of the horses. We were, when passing through Devonshire,
attacked by a party of highwaymen, but they, finding several armed men
on the top of the coach who did not look as if we would stand any
nonsense, thought it was wiser not to make any further attempt at
robbing us. These trifling circumstances were the only events which
occurred to us worthy of notice till we reached Falmouth. Tom
accompanied me to my father's house, for I wanted to show him to them
all, and also to ascertain whether his mother was living before I let
him go home. We had been so long without hearing that I could not tell
what might have occurred during our absence; my knees positively
trembled as I approached the dear old red-brick house, and I felt as if
I could scarcely walk up the flight of stone steps in front of it. The
door was open. A little child was playing on the steps, and when he saw