in a brace of shakes,' he remarked. 'Let us go
below and load your ground tier, for there is nothing like starting well
trimmed with plenty of ballast in the hold.'

Following the sailor's advice I went down with him and enjoyed a rude
but plentiful meal. By the time that we had finished, the lugger had
been run into a narrow creek, with shelving sandy banks on either side.
The district was wild and marshy, with few signs of any inhabitants.
With much coaxing and pushing Covenant was induced to take to the water,
and swam easily ashore, while I followed in the smuggler's dinghy. A
few words of rough, kindly leave-taking were shouted after me; I saw the
dinghy return, and the beautiful craft glided out to sea and faded away
once more into the mists which still hung over the face of the waters.

Truly Providence works in strange ways, my children, and until a
man comes to the autumn of his days he can scarce say what hath been
ill-luck and what hath been good. For of all the seeming misfortunes
which have befallen me during my wandering life, there is not one which
I have not come to look upon as a blessing. And if you once take this
into your hearts, it is a mighty help in enabling you to meet all
troubles with a stiff lip; for why should a man grieve when he hath not
yet determined whether what hath chanced may not prove to be a cause of
rejoicing. Now here ye will perceive that I began by being dashed upon
a stony road, beaten, kicked, and finally well-nigh put to death in
mistake for another. Yet it ended in my being safely carried to my
journey's end, whereas, had I gone by land, it is more than likely that
I should have been cut off at Weston; for, as I heard afterwards, a
troop of horse were making themselves very active in those parts by
blocking the roads and seizing all who came that way.

Being now alone, my first care was to bathe my face and hands in a
stream which ran down to the sea, and to wipe away any trace of my
adventures of the night before. My cut was but a small one, and was
concealed by my hair. Having reduced myself to some sort of order I next
rubbed down my horse as best I could, and rearranged his girth and his
saddle. I then led him by the bridle to the top of a sandhill hard by,
whence I might gain some idea as to my position.

The fog lay thick upon the Channel, but all inland was very clear and
bright. Along the coast the country was dreary and marshy, but at the
other side a goodly ext