wo or three who
stood on guard round the ill-fated gauger. He lay with his back resting
against the wall of the cave, and his arms crossed over his breast,
glancing round from time to time at the smugglers with menacing eyes, as
a staunch old hound might gaze at a pack of wolves who had overmatched
him. I was turning it over in my own mind whether aught could be done to
help him, when Murgatroyd came over, and dipping a tin pannikin into the
open rum tub, drained it to the success of my mission.

'I shall send Silas Bolitho with you,' said he, 'while I bide here to
meet Venables, who commands my consort. If there is aught that I can do
to repay you for your ill usage--'

'There is but one thing, Captain,' I broke in eagerly. 'It is as much,
or more, for your own sake than mine that I ask it. Do not allow this
unhappy man to be murdered.'

Murgatroyd's face flushed with anger. 'You are a plain speaker, Captain
Clarke,' said he. 'This is no murder. It is justice. What harm do we
here? There is not an old housewife over the whole countryside who does
not bless us. Where is she to buy her souchong, or her strong waters,
except from us! We charge little, and force our goods on no one. We are
peaceful traders. Yet this man and his fellows are ever yelping at our
heels, like so many dogfish on a cod bank. We have been harried, and
chivied, and shot at until we are driven into such dens as this. A month
ago, four of our men were bearing a keg up the hillside to Farmer Black,
who hath dealt with us these five years back. Of a sudden, down came
half a score of horse, led by this gauger, hacked and slashed with their
broad-swords, cut Long John's arm open, and took Cooper Dick prisoner.
Dick was haled to Ilchester Gaol, and hung up after the assizes like
a stoat on a gamekeeper's door. This night we had news that this very
gauger was coming this way, little knowing that we should be on the
look-out for him. Is it a wonder that we should lay a trap for him, and
that, having caught him, we should give him the same justice as he gave
our comrades?'

'He is but a servant, I argued. 'He hath not made the law. It is his
duty to enforce it. It is with the law itself that your quarrel is.'

'You are right,' said the smuggler gloomily. 'It is with Judge Moorcroft
that we have our chief account to square. He may pass this road upon his
circuit. Heaven send he does! But we shall hang the gauger too. He knows
our cave now, and it would b