Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-02-23

low, sullen sound, at regular intervals dying
and rising again, to die away in long, low
reverberatons. It was the ocean surf, which
beat upon the shore not far away for Cam
den was fishing village, and the gibbet stood
upon high cliff which overhung the beach,
The moaning of the wind, the low, sulien roar
Of the surf, and the clank of the chains, were
sufficient to inspire dread in the boldest heart.
The young man, however, seemed quite un-
affected by any superstitious terrors. He
quietly dismountcd, flung tho horses bride
over his arm, drew his cloak about him, and
waited.
For about an hour he waited patiently,
keeping a wary look about him, so as not to
be surprised in that gloom. The light, how
ever was sufficient to prevent any one from
coming near uuobserved, aud the watcher felt
satisfied 80 long as he had his pistols at his
belt.
At length he felt conscious of low moan,
which was entirely different from any of the
sounds which he had hitherto heard.
1t seemed to arise from the ground behind
him. II was a moan of peculiar nature and
Of penetrating power.
The watcher grasped his pistols and turned
toward the direction from which the sound
came.
Then followed heavy sigh. He waited.
Then came a deep groan. A smile Of con-
tempt passed over the watchers face.
"Very clumsy trickery," he thought. "If
| had the management Of it, would act diff
lerontlyn
suddenly there was grating overhead
Tie looked up. The skeletons in chains were
descending They we're moving down slow
! ly. As they descended they swung in the
wind aud were knocked together and dashed
against the gallows-tree. Still they were
suspended, and were not coming down with
out being lowered down.
The watcher stepped back and cooly wait
ed with grim smile on his face. The skel-
etons came down slowly, till at last they
touched the ground The watcher coolly
took one Of them aud gave a violent pull
1t fell down, dragging rope after it. which
creaked as it ran through pulley overheard.
The watcher pulled away at it, and dragged
down a line which was at least a hundred
feet in length. Meantimethe other skeletons
kept rising and falling. He caught one of
them with the same peculiar jerk, and pulled
the rope in the same way. Suddenly the
other skeleton began to ascend.
No, no, my fine fellow" muttered the
watcher catching the chains Of its feet before
it got out Of reach, aud pulling with all his
force 1t was a sudden and violent pull, and
the skeleton yielded. Down IL fell, along
with the watcher, who fell with it to the
ground But in moment he arose, and,
with an audible chuckle, he pulled this rope
down also.
Then he stood waiting cautiously as before
Some time now passed, during which nothing
was seen or heard The skeletons lay around
on the heath. The watcher waited.
AT last bright light flashed up from the
ground about twenty yards in front of him.
1t was close by the edge of the cliff, and
looked like a crevice In the midst Of the
light three figures appeared, each wrapped in
long white sheet
This spectacle however, inspired no terror
in the watcher, who held his pistols in his
hands and waited.
The three figures, with low groans, marched
slowly up toward the gibbet. The watcher
moved to one side Suddenly, as they came
near, they made a rush at him. He fired.
One of them dropped.
Instantly he sprang toward the opening
from which they had emerged, and pulling out
boatswain's whistle, he blew three times
shrill penetrating blast. ltwas quickly done,
and then he waited with his pistols extended.
Two out of the three figures stood motion
less close by the one who had fallen. Groans
of pain came from the fallen figure.
But now other figures appeared upon the
scene. At the sound of the shrill whistle, six
or eight men, all armed, sprang up from be-
hind hillock where they had lain in conceal
ment, and rushed up to the two figures. Ina
moment they had surrounded them and seized
them. The watcher then advanced toward
them.
"Whos this fellow !" said he, STOPPING
over the wounded man, and tearing away the
sheet with which he was enveloped. "Ah,
ha my fine fellow" said he +" it's you, is
il? SO you've lost your bet"
II was the man with whom he had made
the bet. He gave deep groan.
The watcher then tore away the sheets from
the others. One was Brown-the man that
held the stakes; the other was one of the
company who had been at the inn.
"I'm going down there into your place. So
lead on" said he.
"Who are you,n cried Brown, savagely,
seizng and shooting innocent persons like
highwayman ?"
"Well, if you want to know, I'm Captain
Sinclair, United States Custcm-house officer.
You were playful enough to bet with me, and
| think I've won it. But come," he con-
tinued, sternly, "Ive suspected that you
were up to mischief here. l only came here
yesterday My predecessor could never trace
the extensive smuggling operations that went
on just about here but thought that per-
haps the gibbet had something to do with it.
You see I've caught you"
Brown uttered something between curse
and an entreaty.
"Tie his hands, lads. Tie up both Of
them"
The men obeyed.
Now two of you fellows stay here. Has
any body got lantern ?"
One Of the men handed one to him.
He lighted it, and then descended by the
orifce through which the three figures had
emerged.
After short distance, he found himself in
a passage-way which went down on the side
Of cliff that had been severed in twain. The
path sloped steeply for a hundred yards or so,
and ended in cavern. Here there were bar
rels and boxes in great numbers, all filed with
contraband articles. The cavern itself was
just underneath the gibbet. 1t was evident
that these smuggers had made use of the
gibbet to frighten people away from their
haunt.
An examination afterward showed that
these three men alone had conducted vast
smuggling business by means of this convent
opt cavern. They had been completely en-
trapped by Captain Sinclair. As he said, he
had suspected some trickery about the gibbet
He had made the bet, and caused some of his
men 10 follow him and conceal themselves.
The result was as has been described. The
three smugglers found themselves suddenly
east do,vn fron tbeir dreams of wealth and