The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1875-06-11
A sMCGGLER FOE ONCE,

a SMCGGLER FOR ONCE.
One bitterly cold morning in Decem
her, i, John Cannon, stood leaning upor
the gate Of my little garden, gloomil,
thinking over the badness of trade.
was what they called in our parts "jous
teri" that is, I kept a horse and cart
and went about the country "jousting,
or selling fish.
For several weeks there had been moth
ing doing; indeed, so bad a season had
not been known for years, and my wife
Mary, the old horse and myself wert
getting unpleasantly near starvation.
could have borne this, IL I'd had to beal
II alone; but Mary had been q valued
servant in the parsons family, and moi
used to roughing il, and it cut me ID
the heart to see how pale and thin she
was getting for want Of the necessarie,
oflife, which ! did not know how to get
Poor gisli weak Is she was, she wa.
the bravest Of the two. Many time,
when I was almost IN despair, her loving
arms would Be thrpwn around my neck
and she would bid me cheer up and bear
my troubles Ikea man and / have an.
swered that if. ] could bear them as
patiently as woman it would be better
still.
While standing at the gate, puzzling
myself what TO try that I hadn't tried
already, saw Tom Davies, a cousin Of
mine, coming along the lane, looking as
sleek and comfortable as well-groomed
horse.
1t had always been a mystery to me
how Tom lived; for, let trade be ever 80
bad, he never seemed to suffer, but was
always well dressed and looked jolly and
happy.
He was always civil but as he stopped
to give me the time of day, he noticed
how queer looked.
Though I'm not given to talking Of
my troubles, his sympathy loosened my
tongue, and told him how that there
wasn't even a morsel of bread in the
cupboard, and / didn't know how to put
any there.
He took few whifTs of the short pipe
he was smoking, eying me hard the
while, and then told me that il could
keep secret, he could put me in the way
Of earning triAe.
was ready 70 promise anything when
heard that and when / assured him
that l would be as secret as the grave,
he babe me bring my old horse to Riders
Cave on the next night at twelve, pune
tually.
He would be there to meet me, but |
was To ask no questions. There might
be trihe Of risk in what / should have
to do, but nothing wrong; at least, Tom
saw no harm ia it.
"lts smuggling w said to myself, and
thought of Mary, who would sooner
die than know me to do anything that
was not Just right
was about to say "no !" TO Toms Of
fer, but Mary's wan face rose up before
me, and, as | remembered how want was
dragging her down to her grave, / grew
desperate.
I'm your man, Tom, risk or no risk"
said !. "Pll be there to my time, never
fearp
lie grasped the hand held out, left a
shilling in it, and, with n nod, walked
on, leaving me with a weight upon my
conscience that had never rested upon il
before.
All that day could not meet Mary's
eye without feeling as If | were hiding a
crime from her.
When evening came, told her was
wanted for little job Of moving at the
next village, and should not be home till
late.
She never doubted the tale, but smiled
and kissed me when went away, lead
ing old Bob by the bride, aud fancying
that had never seen darker night,
nor heard the wind moan so dismally
before.
Riders Cave is situated in one of the
most lonely parts Of the Cornish coast,
and therc'is not house within couple
of miles of the spot.
After riding for about half an hour, |
came out Of the lane ON TO the beach, and
another mile or so along the foot of the
cliffs brought me to the cave.
As J rode into il | heard voice say
cautiously, "All right, John, the boat
will be here directly" and was not sor-
ny 10 find Tom mounted on a cob be-
side me.
Handing me flask with some brandy
In II, he babe me take nip; at the same
time telling me, with no little glee that
the "coasties' were mapping, and we
should do them jolly.
After waiting for some minutes, we
heard the regular click of oars in the
rowlocks, followed by the grating Of a
boats keel ON the single.
We rode out, and soon had several
parcels strapped to either side Of the
horses; then, with scarcely word spo-
ken, we set OH, Tom giving me instruc-
tions where 10 leave my bundles, and
adding that il would be as well 10 part
as soon as We got of the beach.
Away We went, but only TO find out
Just as we quilted the shore-that the