Through Russian Snows (4 page)

"That is how it is, you know, that we get most of our cargoes run. One
of the chaps on the cliff may make us out, but you see it takes a long
time to send along the line and get enough of them together to interfere
with us. Unless they have got a pretty good strong force together, they
ain't such fools as to risk their lives by meddling with a hundred men
or more, with a lot of valuable goods to land, and the knowledge that if
they are caught it is a long term in jail. The men know well enough that
if there is anything on, there will be a watch kept over them, and that
if they were to fire a pistol as a signal, there would be news of it
sent to the smugglers in no time. Sometimes, too, the coast-guards
nearest the point where the landing is to be, are pounced on suddenly
and tied up. I reckon, too, that a good many of them keep an eye shut as
long as they can, and then go off pretty leisurely to pass the word
along that they have heard oars or have seen signals, especially if they
have got a hot-headed boatswain in charge of their station, a sort of
chap who would want to go down to meddle with a hundred men, with only
five or six at his back. A man with a wife and some children, perhaps,
don't relish the thought of going into a bad scrimmage like that if he
can keep out of it; why should he? He gets a bit of money if they make a
good seizure, but he knows well enough that he ain't going to make a
seizure unless he has got a pretty strong party; and you take my word
for it, four times out of five when we make a clear run, it is because
the coast-guard keep an eye closed as long as they dare. They know well
enough that it ain't such an uncommon thing for a man to be found at the
bottom of the cliff, without anything to show how he got there, and the
coroner's jury finds as it was a dark night and he tumbled over, and
they brings in a verdict according. But it ain't every man as cares
about taking the risk of accidents of that kind, and, somehow or other,
they happens to just the chaps as is wonderful sharp and active. They
have all been sailors, you know, and are ready enough for a fight when
they are strong enough to have a chance, but that is a very different
thing from walking backwards and forwards on a dark night close to the
edge of a cliff, three or four hundred feet high, without a comrade
within a quarter of a mile, and the idea that an accident of this kind
might occur any time."

BEFORE THE JUSTICES

One morning when Frank was dressing, the servant came up and told him
that a fisherman, who said his name was Bill Bostock, wanted to speak to
him. As he had often been out with Julian in the man's boat, he put on
his jacket and ran to the door.

"Good morning, Bill!" he said; "what is it?"

"I will talk with you outside, sir, if you don't mind."

A good deal surprised Frank put on his cap and went out with him.

"There has been a bad business, Master Frank, a mighty bad job."

"What sort of a job, Bill?"

"A smuggling affair, Master Frank. There was a fight. I hears one of the
revenue men was killed. I don't know as that is so, but some of them
have been knocked about, and have got some pistol wounds, no doubt. But
that ain't the worst part of the business. Mr. Julian is among those as
has been caught."

"Julian!" Frank exclaimed in astonishment. "Why, what in the world had
Julian got to do with it?"

"Well, sir," the sailor said apologetically, "you see it was like this.
Mr. Julian is a young gentleman as loves a bit of a spree, and he has
been out many a night with some of us to see a cargo run."

Frank uttered an exclamation of surprise and consternation.

"I thought perhaps as you knowed it, sir."

"I never dreamt of such a thing, Bill. How could Julian have been so mad
as to mix himself up in such a business? I suppose this is your doing;
you must have led him into this mischief."

"No, sir," the sailor said in an aggrieved voice. "How was I to lead a
young gentleman like your brother into a thing as he didn't choose to
do? I don't say as I didn't mention to him, promiscuous like, that I
lent a hand some times in running a cargo; but how was I to know as he
would up and say, 'I will go with you some night, Bill.' Well, I argues
with him, and I points out to him as he might get into a scrape; 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 had been took, and, in course, all the loads the men
were carrying up. Among those who was took was Mr. Julian. He was
standing close to me when they came up, and I expect he was collared
immediate. Faulkner, he sat down on a tub by the side of the fire and
takes out a book, and the prisoners was brought up one by one and
questions asked them. Mr. Julian was one of the last. Faulkner got up
from his seat and rowed him tremendous. What he said my mate could not
catch, but he could hear his voice, and he was going on at him cruel;
then I suppose Mr. Julian lost his temper, and my mate says he could see
that he was giving it him back hot. I expect it was something wonderful
hard and nasty he said, for Faulkner jumped at him and hit him in the
face. Then your brother threw himself on him. My mate says he would have
thrown him backwards into the fire, if some of the revenue men had not
seized him and dragged him off.

"After that there was a row between Faulkner and Captain Downes, who had
come up just before with half a dozen sailors. I expect Downes was
telling him that he ought to be ashamed of himself. Anyhow they got to
high words, as was easy to be heard. Half an hour later most of them
started with the prisoners, leaving half a dozen of the officers to look
after the things they had taken. When they had gone, my mate went down
close to the water, and was able to make out the cutter and the lugger
anchored close together—so she has been caught. There was nothing else
to wait for, so he tramped off home and had only been in a few minutes
before I came to him."

"This is awful," Frank said, in dismay. "The only thing I see that can
be done is for me to go and have a talk with Captain Downes. He was a
friend of my father's; and I think he is a kind-hearted man, though, of
course, he has to be sharp in carrying out his duty of trying to put
down smuggling. Well, I will run in for breakfast now, or my aunt will
wonder what has become of me; then I will go straight on board the
Boxer
.

"She is not in yet," Bill said. "She would not start until daylight; and
I don't suppose she will be round for another two hours. You see she is
not clear of Portland Bill yet."

"That is unfortunate. However, I hope I shall see him before the
magistrates sit. What time do they meet?"

"They generally sit at eleven o'clock; but it ain't their day, and they
will have to be summoned special. I should not wonder if they don't meet
till two o'clock; because they could not be sure what time the
Boxer
will get round, and, as he will have taken some prisoners in the lugger,
they would not begin until he arrived."

"Very well; I will go round to the court-house after breakfast, and
inquire what time the sitting will be. Anyhow, I hope to be able to see
the lieutenant before they meet. I don't know that any good can come of
it; for, as he had nothing to do with Julian's capture, he certainly
would not be able to save him from appearing, especially after that row
with Faulkner."

"He's a bad un that, Master Frank, and I wish your brother had chucked
him into that fire. A bit of burning might have done him good; and, if
ever a chap deserved it, he did."

Frank went back into the house.

"My dear Frank," Mrs. Troutbeck exclaimed, "where have you been? I have
never known you keep breakfast waiting before. Why, what is the matter,
dear? Nothing about Julian, I hope; hasn't he come home yet?"

"No, Aunt; and I am sorry to say that he has got into an awkward scrape.
It seems that he went out, for the fun of the thing, to see a cargo run.
The revenue people came up, and he was one of those who were caught. Of
course he had nothing to do with the smuggling part of the business, nor
with a bit of a fight there was. Still, as he was there, I am afraid
there is no doubt that he will have to appear before the magistrates
with the others."

Mrs. Troutbeck sat in speechless consternation.

"Oh, dear! oh, dear!" she exclaimed at last. "How could he have been so
silly? It is dreadful, my dear, and it will be such a disgrace. What
shall we do?"

"There is nothing to do, Aunt, that I can see. As to the disgrace, that
is nothing very dreadful. No end of people are mixed up in smuggling;
and I have heard that many of the gentry wink at it, and are glad enough
to buy a keg of brandy cheap without asking any questions where it comes
from. So the mere fact that Julian went to have a look at a cargo being
run is not anything very serious. I suppose it was against the law even
to be present, but there was nothing disgraceful about it. It is lucky
my holidays began last week, and if there is anything to be done I can
do it."

"Could not Mr. Downes get him off? He used often to be here in your
father's time, though I have not seen much of him since; but I am sure
he would do anything he could."

"I have been thinking of that, Aunt. The
Boxer
was there last night
and captured the smuggler, but her crew had nothing to do with the fight
on shore; and, therefore, I don't think there is any chance of his being
able to interfere in the matter. Still, I will see him as soon as the
cutter comes in."

On going down to the court-house, Frank found that the magistrates would
meet at two o'clock. Then, as the
Boxer
had only just appeared round
Portland, he went and saw the chief officer of the coast-guard to
endeavour to obtain permission to have an interview with Julian.

"I am sorry I can do nothing in the matter, lad," he replied. "It is out
of my hands, owing to a magistrate being present at the capture. It was,
indeed, his business more than ours; for it was he who obtained
information of the affair, and called upon us to aid him in the capture
of men engaged in unlawful practices. Therefore, you see, the prisoners
are in the hands of the civil authorities. I hear he has given strict
orders that no one is, on any pretence, to speak to the prisoners."

"I hear that he struck my brother."

"I don't know how you heard it, lad, but it is true. However, I do not
feel at liberty to say anything about it. I am very sorry for your
brother, who is a fine young fellow. However, I hope that as he was
unarmed, and was not, I suppose, actually concerned in the smuggling
business, the matter will be passed over lightly, even if he is not
discharged at once. At any rate, we shall in no way press the case
against him."

Frank, indeed, afterwards learned that the officer dropped a hint to the
men to make as little as possible of Julian's capture, and of the
vigorous resistance he had made when first seized.

The
Boxer
dropped anchor off the town at twelve o'clock, and the
lieutenant landed at once. The officer of the coast-guard went down to
meet him on the quay, and for half an hour they walked up and down the
parade together, in earnest conversation. Frank remained on the opposite
side of the road until they stopped, and the commander of the
Boxer
beckoned to him.

"Well, lad," he said, as Frank came up, "this is a nasty scrape that
your brother has got into; but I don't think they can do anything to
him. Mr. Moorsby has been telling me that you have been to him; but
neither he nor I can do anything in the matter—it is in the civil
hands. If it had been anyone else but Faulkner who had been in charge, I
have no doubt it could have been managed. Of course, your brother ought
not to have been there, but as he was only looking on, and taking no
active part in the affair, he might have been released without any
difficulty. However, I don't think you need worry yourself. Certainly,
we shall not press the case against him. It is unfortunate that he used
his tongue as sharply as he did to Mr. Faulkner, though I don't say but
that he had great provocation, or that what he said was not perfectly
true; still, it would have been much better left unsaid. However, I
question if before the hearing is over Faulkner will not have cause to
regret that he did not let your brother go home as soon as they got back
here."