e threat of Jemmy's wife,
and the known animosity of Smallbones, would be his death-warrant. He
determined, therefore, to take him in the boat. The informer protested
against it, but Vanslyperken would not listen to his protestations. The
dog was handed into the boat, and they shoved off. After they had pulled
a quarter of an hour in-shore, they altered their course, and continued
along the coast until the informer had made out exactly where he was. He
then desired the other two boats to come alongside, told the crews that
they must keep the greatest silence, as where they were about to proceed
was directly under where the smugglers would have a party to receive the
goods, and that the least alarm would prevent them from making the
capture. The boats then pulled in to some large rocks, against which the
waves hoarsely murmured, although the sea was still smooth, and passing
between them, found themselves in a very small cove, where the water was
still, and in which there was deep water.

The cove was not defended so much by the rocks above water, for the
mouth of it was wide; but there appeared to be a ridge below, which
broke off the swell of the ocean. Neither was it deep, the beach not
being more than perhaps fifty feet from the entrance. The boats, which
had pulled in with muffled oars, here lay quietly for nearly an hour,
when a fog came on and obscured the view of the offing, which otherwise
was extensive, as the moon was at her full, and had shone bright.

"This is all the better," whispered the informer, "they will fall into
the trap at once. Hark! hist! I hear oars."

They all listened; it was true, the sound of oars was heard, and the men
prepared their arms.

The splash of the oars was now more plain. "Be silent and ready,"
whispered the informer, and the whisper was passed round. In another
minute a large lugger-built boat, evidently intended for sailing as well
as pulling, was seen through the fog looming still larger from the mist,
pulling into the cove.

"Silence, and not a word. Let her pass us," whispered the informer.

The boat approached rapidly--she was within ten fathoms of the entrance,
when Snarleyyow, hearing the sound, darted forward under the thwarts,
and jumping on the bow of the boat, commenced a most unusual and
prolonged baying of Bow wow, bow wow wow wow!

At the barking of the dog the smugglers backed water to stop their way.
They knew that there was no dog with those they expected