a few moments elapsed, and then it was lance who had turned quite cold. for his brain was wonderfully active now, as he seemed to grasp as facts that his cousin had not been watching him on the cliff, but had found out something about the smugglers and was watching them. then, too, he recalled how friendly he had been with the captain of the revenue cutter, and how they had talked together.
this, then, was the meaning of the signal: alf had found out something—of course; a long low chasse-marée had been lying off that day, he recalled, and the signal lights had been meant for the cutter, which must have crept in at dusk, and for aught he knew the king's men might be landing, in answer to the signals, to catch the fishermen and smugglers in the very act of landing a cargo.
right or wrong, lance paused to think no more. it was a time to act and try and warn his old friends. how could alf be such a sneak?
quickly and silently he stepped out and back to his own room, put on his boots, opened the window and lowered himself down the heavy trellis, reached the lawn, and ran to get to the zigzag and reach old poltree's cottage on the ledge.
"i'll tell hezz," he said to himself—"just say the king's men are out, and then get back."
it is easier to make plans than to carry them out.
when lance reached the long whitewashed cottage, meaning to knock till hezz came to his window, he was caught by a strong hand, wrenched round, and a hoarse voice said in a whisper—
"who's this?"
"i—lance, mother poltree. i came to tell you i'm afraid the king's men are coming to-night."
"whish!" she said, as she clapped another great hand over his mouth. "who told tales—you?"
"no, no, i wouldn't."
"whish! they're coming," she cried, as she stood listening. "they came after you."
"i—i didn't know," whispered lance, as he made out steps descending the zigzag, showing that he was only just in time, for whoever it was had been close behind.
"this way," said the old woman sternly, and all thought of retreat was cut off, for she held the boy's arm firmly and hurried him to the end of the cottage and across the patch of garden.
"for there below him, lit up by a few lanterns, he could make out the hull of a great lugger."
the way was new to lance, and thoroughly excited now, he allowed the sturdy old woman to half guide, half thrust him along, till the way was so narrow along the steep cliff slope that at her bidding he went on first, with the consequence that more than once he lost his footing, and would have fallen from the narrow track but for the help he received.
at one time they were ascending as if to climb to the cliff top, then down, and up again, till at the end of a few hundred yards a rift was reached, down which the old woman hurried the lad, uttering a peculiar hissing sound the while, which quite changed the aspect of the scene which had unfolded itself to lance's astonished gaze. for there below him, lit up by a few lanterns, he could make out the hull of a great lugger, lying in the jaws of the rift down which they were hurrying, while men were wading waist-deep to and fro—those going out to the lugger's side empty-handed, these coming bearing bales and kegs, which they carried to a low rocky archway, so low that it must have been covered when the tide was up, while now they stooped and passed in their loads to other hands, which seized them and bore them away.
at the warning hiss uttered by the old fisherwoman the work ceased, and as a man, evidently the captain, swung himself down into the water, old poltree, his sons, and another man crept out from beneath the rugged archway.
few words were spoken. the captain of the lugger gave an order or two, splashed through the water with his men, and climbed on board, where the lanterns were extinguished, hitchers and sweeps thrust forth on either side, and the english fishermen waded out to put their shoulders to the stern of the boat and help to thrust her out into the open water.
their help did not last, for the water deepened rapidly and the great lugger was well on the move, and unless the boats of the revenue cutter were waiting for them her safety was assured. the danger was from the shore for those who had been breaking the laws.
"this your doing, young gen'leman?" growled old poltree fiercely, approaching lance.
"no!" cried the boy eagerly.
"nay, no lies, my lad. the french skipper saw three lights, and he thought it was our doing. you did it to bring 'em on."
"indeed, no!" cried lance. "i saw them too, and as soon as i guessed what it meant i ran down to warn you; didn't i, mother poltree?"
"iss, my son.—you're wrong, old man, it was t'other youngster. i told you he was after no good."
"then it warn't you, master lance?" squeaked a voice. "hooroar!"
"you hold your row, hezzerer," growled his father; and then quickly, "look, they've found the way down. someun's showing 'em with a light."
his gruff voice was evidently heard, for from where the dull yellow light of a horn lantern shone at the top of the gash in the massive cliff a stern voice shouted—
"surrender, in the king's name, or we fire."
"fire away, then," muttered old poltree. "tide'll be up soon. in with you, my lads. in with you, missus, for you can't get back now."
"come along, master lance," whispered hezz, who had crept close to his old companion.
"no, no!" cried lance, aghast. "i'm not coming with you; i must go back."
"nay, my son; you can't now," growled old poltree. "in with you;" and he dragged the boy down into the water and gave him a thrust, while as lance indignantly raised his head again to rush back, he saw by the light of a single lantern held by one of the men that he was in a spacious water-floored cavern which evidently extended for some distance; but what interested him most in his awkward position was the sight of the big old man on one side of the exit, his eldest son on the other, each armed with a piece of broken oar, ready to defend the natural door against all comers.
"right away with that light," growled the old man, and its bearer splashed through the water farther and farther away.
"come on, master lance," whispered hezz, catching him by the arm.
"let go," cried the boy angrily. "i will not be taken with you."
"nay, you shan't be, young master lance," whispered the old woman. "my hezz'll show you the way out, while my old man keeps the sailors back till the tide's up and they can't get in."
"yes, that's right, master lance," whispered hezz, and the boy unwillingly followed the lantern-bearer till at the end of a hundred yards the water had ceased and they were walking over the dry rocky bottom of the rapidly-contracting cave, where lance noticed that a heap of casks and bales had been hurriedly piled up.
and now from behind him there came the shouts of men and the noise of heavy blows and splashing; but neither of those with him seemed in the least disturbed, hezz even chuckling and saying—
"it's all right, old mother; father won't let no one pass. i say, we shall have to haul you up."
"'fraid so, my son," said the old woman. "i'm too heavy to clamber now."
a wild feeling of excitement pervaded lance all this time, mingled with indignation at what he mentally called his cousin's treachery. but he felt better at the thought that he was to escape, for the idea of being captured with the smugglers was horrible.
and now his attention was taken up by the movements of hezz, who, while the man held the lantern up, took a coil of rope from where it rested on a big stone, thrust his head and one arm through it, and began to climb up a rugged narrow crack at the end of the cavern—climbing as if he had been up there before, and soon disappearing from their view.
but they could hear him plainly enough, his boots grating on the rock, and his heavy breathing coming whispering down for some minutes before all was still, but only for the silence to be broken by a curious rustling sound, and lance caught sight of the rope uncoiling as it fell.
"up with you," said the man with the lantern, and old poltree's second son seized the rope, and by its help climbed up in much less time than his brother; while lance longed for his turn to come that he might hurry away, but felt an unwillingness to go before the woman with them was saved.
"come on," was whispered, and the other man gave the lantern to mother poltree, while the shouting and splashing at the cavern entrance grew fainter.
in a very short time there was another summons from above, but at this moment they were joined by big billy poltree.
"all right, mother," he said. "mouth's pretty well covered. i'll go next, so as to help pull you up. they can't get in now."
the man seized the rope, and as he disappeared in the dark crack lance thought of the consequences if the king's men came now and seized them, so that he started round guiltily when he heard a sound behind him; but it was only the old fisherman.
"hullo, young squire," he said; "not gone? well, i'll go next, and then i can help with you both."
with a display of agility that was wonderful in so old and heavy a man, he directly after seized the rope and climbed up, leaving lance with the old woman, who stood silently holding the lantern and gazing back.
"tide's right over the mouth now," she said.
"is it?" replied lance; and anxiously, "pray tell them all, mother poltree, that i didn't betray them. i wouldn't do such a thing."
"needn't tell 'em, my son," said the old woman. "no one would believe it of you. but it's a bad job for us if they catch my folk. it means sending 'em across the seas. now, then, up with you, quick; and then i'll dowse the light."
"no, you first," said lance.
"nay, my son, you. don't waste time. they ought to be making for the moors by now."
lance seized the rope and climbed actively, finding plenty of foothold, and soon after reaching the open air in the spot which he felt sure was where he had heard the splashing and thrown down the stone.
"now quick, boys," whispered old poltree. "she's got the rope fast round her i can feel. haul steady; give her time; and then we must make for the hills. they won't hurt the women."
"quick! this way; i can hear them," cried a familiar voice out of the darkness, and from two ways there was a rush of footsteps and a scrambling sound.
lance made a dart to dash away, but some one flung his arms about him, lifted him from the ground, and rolled with him over and over amongst the furze and brambles.
"keep still," whispered a voice in his ear; and he lay quiet, for it was hezz listening to the sounds of struggling and pursuit till they died away, and then he rose.
"don't say naught to me, master lance—i'm too bad; but you keep close to me and i'll show you how to get back to the big house without the king's men ketching of you. quick! here's one of 'em."
this on hearing a hoarse panting, but a voice whispered—
"hezz!"
"you, mother! got up?"
"yes, my son, with all the skin off my hands. have they got away?"
"i think so, mother. what are you going to do?"
"get home to tell the girls. and you?"
"see master lance safe, and then get hid somewheres till they're all gone. i shall be all right, and they won't hurt you. come on, master lance."
no more was said, lance having his work to do in climbing after his companion, who led him by what by daylight he would have considered to be an impossible path; but it ended at the stone wall which bordered the cliff part of the home grounds, and when he began to thank his companion he was gone, only a faint rustling as of a rabbit telling of which way.
ten minutes later lance had climbed back to his bedroom window, closed it, and after regaining his breath he stole out into the passage to make his way to his cousin's room.
but all was silent there. alf had not returned.
lance crept back to his own bedroom, undressed, and lay down to listen for his cousin's return, undecided as to what he should do.
nature decided it for him, sending him off fast asleep, wearied out by his exertions; but before dawn his door was opened and a light step crossed the floor and paused by his bedside, a low ejaculation as of astonishment being heard, and then the steps were directed to the door, which was softly closed.
