but,
says he, 'I am not going to take no share in it, but just want to look
on and see the fun,' as he calls it. I points out to him as it was not
always fun, but he puts that aside, and, says he, it would not be fun
unless there was a little excitement about it. He promised me faithful
that he would always cut and run as soon as he heard there was any talk
of the revenue men a-coming, and what was I to do? I don't say, sir, as
how if it had been you I would have taken you with me, 'cause you are
young, you see, and I should have felt as I was 'sponsible for you. But
Mr. Julian is a man now, and when he says, 'I mean to go with you
anyhow, Bill,' it was not for me to say, you sha'n't go. Mr. Julian, he
is a sort of gent that gets over one somehow, and there ain't no saying
'no' to him."

"Well, it is of no use talking about that now," Frank said impatiently.
"First tell me all about it, and then we will see what had best be
done."

"Well, Master Frank, it was eight miles to the west. The chaps concerned
in it thought they had managed to throw dust into the eyes of Captain
Downes, and to get the _Boxer_ away to Swanage, and how he got wind of
the affair, and where it was to be, is more nor I can tell. Everything
was going on smooth enough, and half the cargo was in the carts, when
all of a sudden there was a shout 'Surrender, you scoundrels!' and that
fellow Faulkner dashed up with a pistol in his hand, and behind him came
a score of revenue men. I dodged under a cart and bolted. I heard some
pistol shots fired, for just at that time a lot of the smugglers had
come up to the carts with kegs. As if the firing on shore had been a
signal, I heard directly after some guns down by the water, and knew
that Downes and the _Boxer_ had come on the lugger. I made straight
back, but I could not sleep all night for wondering whether Mr. Julian
had got off too, and I was up afore it was light, and went round to one
or two of the other chaps as was there. One had not come back; the other
had only been in half an hour. He had hid up, close to where we was
surprised.

"After it was over the revenue chaps lit a lot of lanterns and then made
a big fire, and by its light my mate could see pretty well what was
going on. They had got about twenty prisoners. Most of the country
people and carts had, luckily enough for them, gone off with their loads
a few minutes afore the revenue men came up. A dozen pack-horses and
three or four carts h