Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-07-20
SAVED BY FIRE.

"But caution, Ritchie, caution Dinna
Let Draw trade slip ava from yc fol
the sake o single cargo
"Slip ava from yourSel, you mean, 20
auld skinnint," said the first speaker, q
short, burly man IN the dress OF Il fisher
man,
"Awcel, | wuss yc would change
places wi me, Richie Forbister," re-
spondcd his companion in bitter tone.
",rhc profits o. the trade are handsome
cnoug h--ye ken that-but the loss o
peace, an the dread that hangs upon
me night an clay lest my bonny mithcr'
less baim Maggie should learn her
fathers disgncefu' calling--'
"Thcro she isW interrupted the fisher.
man, in tone of subdued excitement.
"NIercy What MaggioY' exclaimed
George Hepburn, springing from the
bowldcr on which he sat, and looking
around eagerly, "Wherc do ye spy the
lass y
"Na, no, ye auld idiot-the lugger.
Hi Davic, man, bear u hand wi the
light"
II was wild scene. Five or six
fishermen were clustered in the mouth
of small cave looking out upon the
sullen waves of the German ocean.
Above them rose black and almost
perpendicular cliil for distance of two
hundred feet and more, whose summit
on dark night, such as this, seemed To
one glancing up, to gradually melt away
into the lowering clouds 70 the left
hand, looking northward along the
coast, clear day would reflect occasion
ally the outlines of the stately buildings
of granite Aberdeen. Southward from
the point where these fishermen were
gathered, the cliff gradually tapered
down to the shore, and there could he
seca illc HtraCgling '''nges of the fish
ing village from which they, with .",
exception, came. What their object
might be, gazing seward so anxiously
at midnight in glsty March, was not at
first apparent; but as one or another
lit his pipe stealthily, the momentary
flash of the match would reveal pair
of pistols stuck in the waist.
They were smugglers.
"There it is again." said Richie
Forbister, pointing ont to sea.
A sudden spark of light had shown
itself for barely IN instant as he spoke.
"Mynheer Rozelaar is in n hurry to.
night" remarked George Hepburn, in
the same tone of anxiety and dread that
had marked his previous conversation.
81 wadna be prophet O i'll, Ritchie,
but I've mair than doubt that yon
Dutchman has scented the revenue
chaps somewhere aaf the coast Caution,
man."
eye are timid gowk," was all that
the fisherman deigned to say, as he
twisted his head to look up the cliff.
In small recess scooped out of the
face of the rock by wind and rain, five
or six yards above, man held lantern
which he flashed at regular intervals,
in response to the signal from the
sea.
"Ony danger, Davie?" whispered
Forbister, who was clearly the leader OF
the smugglers. "Auld Geordie here
is a in sweat for fear O the revenue
BARNS, bless their sharp eyes!"
"Na, there's the third light. Wark
ava, my hearties"
With this, the man descended from
his perch and began to take Oft his
jacket, at the same time muttering an
imprecatiOn as the moon suddenly
beamed forth between the scuddine
clouds.
About quarter of mile from the
shore lay the Dutch lugger, her brown
sail tapping idly against the mast. AL
most in the track of the moonbeams one
of her boats was being pulled rapidly
towards the shore. A second was al
ready humping heavily upon the beach,
half pebble, half rock, where the fisher.
men, with the assistance of the boats
crew, were eagerly rolling casks OF
goods up towards the spot where Hep
burn strood.
An imprecation from Ritchie Forbis
ter, who had now reached him, and was
about to push cask through the mar
row aperture which formed the caves
mouth.
"Whats wrang, Ritchie?' said the
other
"Canna We tell what's wang?"
Before he could reply, shower O
sand fell from the top of the cliff, and
then another.
This was signal from one of the
smugglers stationed at the top of the
cliff. 1t meant that the revenue officers
were seen by him. The last shower o
sand indicated that they wele not onl,
seen but were dangerously near.
Richie stood up, and took in thu
whole situation at glance.
The smugglers, Dutch and English
were hard at work, all unconscious
plainly, of the approach OF danger.
And stealthily creeping toward then
along the shore, so as to take advantage
of any shadow which the precipict
might cast, was large boat full o
armed men.
It was yet half a mile distant from
the spot where the contraband good'
were being landed.
n III a