The sun., 1861-12-27
The Revenue 0fiiosr's Story.

WAS on the chalk roai by this time, an my
feet were treadinE the cri'p horo 40 ol the
do,na was now ohlir, to- ndriucr with p-,
caution, for the erou d was irregular, aud | hu
20 climb up a step .l1pc or tuu to reach the
place Of rendezvous. cane 10 u at last; know
Il we'll q giant cliff becilinE high above tn,
chatting aca, aud Ia sh apo resompltrg mon
strous whosl plscoc edpcwisc on rs tire. a WE'LL
know landmark va, INA. 81 II over iniuy n
league Of GO; beacon liyh's bat blszed on IL a.
old times; a mi ,hty poet h,d described It's tow.
cripr steep ia words ~ giaudly simple As it,sll.
and thtCughout the lvneth ami uTcidh Of EIg.
land the ptccipise was kuoEn 10y ths poo. f.
name, For MON M ! fingered on the brow Of
the grim q a rlmpirt, and looked our into the
pail VI daIkuess, through which the waves mut.
INJURED with my ystoriods souni unseen q, they
we're. Far away over the waten coul catch,
through break ia the phtlanX Of cl ,uis. the
red glare ofa light to warn ships from place
ofpsti. A moment and the dark sky swallowed
il up. No trace Of man or his work was now
visible. A shuddur ran through me; an impulse
urged INC 10 lly, 10 hurry away h 'mer ards, a.
shut--Nha'2 Ishdw. what a pitiful coward |
should grow, were often thus. Was a child.
TO fear dark night and high wind push ,d
on, sneeTing al my own qulms. In a cldrie
Of minutes | could make cut Clump Of black
objects spocking tho hllsid and standing with
iu few ioct OF the verge itself-Bushes or
mon? Men, for hoar the mutterlng of their
vOioas. The superintendent and hls lparty. no
doubt h0tencd Up TO thrm.
Good night, gentlemen I"
They answered not a word, In silence they
opened their ranks TO receive me; my ptactlsod
eye made out, as passed in among thom, that
they numbeIel eighteen or twenty. A yhtstle
sharp and shrlll, roar Uf triumph, and was
seized and grAppl,d with by dozen strong
hands at once. SO sudden was the attack ~
complete the surprise, that, although neither =
feeble nor timii man, before | could strike ,
blow or draw a pistol, WIS pinloued, disaI med
ard borne down. The smugslcts? Quick a.
lightning itsslf the terrible thought lashoi u
on me that had fallen into Il cuuniu.y devils, d
snare, and was at the mercy of those lawin.
men who had cause 20 hate me.
"A rat in q trap "A rat in a trap" cried
several hoarse voices at once we've got IN,
gaugcr at lastl" And then followed storm o
abusive epitbots and coarse tAunts, mingled
with still feller curses.
"Murtor the scoundrel 20 "I3low his brain
out without moro palaver :" 'Cut him into hIt
for eels !" "Pitch the land shark over the cliffs,
Suoh were few Of the savage proposals Of
those who crowded around mo.
'Stop" called out voice, in tones Of au
thority; drag the fellow up; help him to his
feet, some OF you and you, BIZ, fash the glim
on his face, TO make sute he's tho right deyil's 8
chicken for us"
| was dragged to my feet my hands were by
this time securely bound with tho lanyard, aud
all resistance was impo sible. Iuvoiun,arly |
closed my eyee as the red bull eve Of a dark
lantern was flashed full in my face.
'Our bird! We've hotted the yillain him.
self!' was the unanimous exclamation. |
opened my eyes, and by the partial glare Of the
Lantern, daEIled as was, could see that wa
in the hands Of -several stOutly made men In
paIh Int Il.H .nH
They we're armed, fer could see the brass hlts
OF cutasees and tho bTass-bound stocks Of pis-
tsls peep here and there from under a peaCoat
or an oilskin wraprascIl but every mau wore n
Grape mask, or else had his face 70 besr, aared
with foJt and gunpowdcr as 10 present the
aspect d negro, and bail!5,i recognition. He
who was their chief ;,as taller and more slendot
OF hutid th.a the rest, though clad and armed
IN the same way, and he wore loose Grape be
fore his lace that tluttered with the action of
his breath. could sec only his eyes looking
out from the Sits In the veil his voice was less
gruf than the voices Of his comrades; I fell
that he alone was man of education, aad that
on his fiat hung my doom.
The same, said the leader after a pause,
"Alfred Harvey"
There was another roar.
XIII him !" "Drown the guager A youd
drown NANCY kiNen !" "Pitch him over I"
Shoot him " and other unpleasant proposi.
tons, were beloved forth on every hand. Nor
wore the marks Of ill-will entirely verbal.
was roughly shaken and struck by nv captors
and nothing but the crowd that pressed AROUND
saved me from strokes of clubs and cutlas ,es
which were aimed at my dsfsnseless head hv
some OF the more excited OF nv foes.
who boarded the Blue Bolli" growled one
husky voice; r,and grabbed twenty puncheons
oi Ng good Hollands as--,
who stopped the wagon by the ninth mile
stone, and seized the goods that would have
given a merry Christmas TO half Lingham par
ish p interrupted second person.
WHO made me poor man, along of tobac-
20 ?" feroely demanded a mariner, whose face
yainly scanned, go completely was it disguised
by its swart coloring.
This be he, snarled fourth accuser, "wben
we'd made D. boats crew AZ drunk as the RAJ
tic Ocean, must needs 60 and bring down the
cursed revenue cutter on our craft, BY token of
which had three years in man.o'. war, till |
gave leg ball, and sha'nt have my revenge
now Z"
'Thhk Of the Well I" bawled fifth and then
Tho rAge Of the ruflians became overpowering.
was buhetted, Overthrown, and thought |
should have boen trampled 10 death. Then |
was on my feet again, bruised and dizzy, and
felt something ike a cold metal ring pressing
my forehead, and shut my eyes mechanical Nv
hreathed an inward prayer TO heaven, and re-
signed myself 10 my fate.
"Pire, jack cried several Of the gang
"Hold!" cried the voice Of the leader of this
internal crow; "hold! would you cheat the gal
lows Of its due1 The eavasiroping rogue does
not deserve TO so out Of the world in 50 geutle-
manly a fashion
That's true, was the rejoinder; and then
followed some fresh comments.
Shooting Is TO good death for such as him.
Captains right
''liang the land shark
'Over the clifr-over the cliff"
And the pistol was Withdrawn. was almost
Bouy. Death had only left me for a moment IA
return In some more hideous shape.
"No hurry boys said the superior rnfIi,u
'lets hear If he has any thing " say in his owr
def, nee"
There was murmur, but the man had eyi
IDENTIFY much influence, and was arcordingl,
drawn up before him, and bidden to "speak mn
never shall forge. that scene. The storm,
night, the wild ciifi, the lantern flashing upo
the firm circle Of bllckened faces, the figure ,
the selfoOnstituted judge, tall and shallow,
with only his eyes cleaning through the fut
e,ing yeil-all these were the features rather
Anightmare than any thing belonging TO Il
real world. The whole was like some shockiI
dream, but II had ghastly truth in it.
Alfred Harvey" said the chief, and fVT Q