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

smugglers iumbled IN themselves,
Meanwhile fOrbister and ueorlie
Hepburn, tho receiver, had reached the
waters edge, bearing between them the
cask which was abOnt 10 be concealed
in tho cave. when the signal was
given, ,
iiiiehie scrambled into the boat, and
was about to pull his companion In,
when tho latter exclaimed, In tone ol
alarm -
"The siane, man the stanel We
hao not closed the mouth Of tho cave"
Then he turned and glided swiftly mp
the beach,
"Ay, trust GeOrlic TO look after his
part o. the trade" muttered the SNUG
gler 10 hiS impatient companions, ~ lac
threw himself from the boat aud follow
ed,
'1ioar aaf, britheE," he added, "Geor'
die and myael must max u run fort
whan our warks done, fe should draw
the revenue looms ava while We close
the cave, Fire at them, or onything,
Swift TO obey, the two boats made
for the lugger, which had now set sail,
and was bearing down upon them IN
order to lessen the distance they would
have 10 cover,
Then he ran up the beach to assist
his companion in closing the caves
mouth. There ho found u third person
awaiting him,
II was Maggie, George Hepburn's
daughter, q girl Of about fourteen
"Whar in the warld did 20 spring
from, lass9" exclaimed the Ostonished
smugglor
al spccrcd the ithcr end o the tunnel
that comes doom to the cave one day, and
| was curious, and father had ganged
ont, and / came ava doom"
Here sobs interrupted her story.
San yell run back the way yc came
this very instant, ycdisobcdient hmssy,"
exclaimed her father, in IN angry
tone.
"Whist wi your clavering, Gcorlie,"
intcrposed Richie, "Noo tell us mair,
hinny-quick T.
"Weel, didna think my ain father
was u smugglor till saw him doom here
wi We, an then called to mind what |
heard tell up in the village this morn. ]
| heard twa strange men say TINT there
was no doubt Geordie Hepburn the
souter had mony tub in his cottage,
and they'd u mind to search for them
before long"
Hepburn turned deadly pale, while his
companion muttcred an oath.
can ] wad hae called out and told
We, but was aieared,' resumed Maggie,
with fresh outburst Of sobs,
"Weel might ye be afeared, puir lass"
said her father, his parental anxiety
getting the better Of his dread of cap
ture or discovery by the revenue
officers. T'll gang back wi ye, Mag
gie."
"Na, ye will not" replied the Snug.
gler, pushing him on one side. Then
he said, coaxingly, addressing the
trembling girl: aye are bold, Draw
lassie get ye back the wayye came, and
put a straight in the cottage. Your
fathers life depends on it, or ony
way his freedom, Ye hae lantern
run back"
Evidently, Ritchie Forbister had
much stronger will than his companion,
for the latter made no further remon-
STRANGE, but proceeded mechanically to
assist in concealing the mouth of the
cavern, which they did in very artful
manner, and then, not moment too
soon, they crept swiftly away.
Yes, it had all flashed upon the keen
brain of Maggie Hepburn but half an
hour before. She half understood now,
what had long puzzled her, why carts
used to stop at the door at the dead OF
night, and why her father so often had
the company of fishermen (smugglers
they were, of course), who used to sit
up and whisper at hours when
they supposed she was fast asleep.
George Hepburn had yielded to the
temptation of unlawful gain. He wished
to see his only and motherless child
possessed of something like wealth
when he died, and he had risked
honesty and perhaps life for this doubt
full stake,
But his child would save him. Keen
beyond her years when she bent her
mind to anything, that bright-eyed.
gentle lass who is hurying along the
dark passages which lead through the
cliff to her fathers dwelling has already
devised q plan as she scrambles along.
After much toll, Maggie arrived at the
hollow which lay just beneath her
fathers cottage. Here she paused and
looked around In various recesses
were piled those tubs and casks of spirit
which were only too likely to bring
ruin upon her misguided parent She
had not perceived them before, not
having occasion to suspect their
presence.
Maggie softly climbs the ladder which
reaches to the floor of the cottage, and
listens. Not sound is to be heard.
Then she cautiously lifts the trapdoor,
and enters the room which she left but
an hour ago, prompted by girlish curl
osity.
After gathering over the trapdoor the
earth which formed the cottage flooring
and carefully stamping it down to that
it may seem like the st of the floor,
Maggie sits and thinks.
Suddenly bright idea strikes her,
and she jumps up and runs to a corner
for spade. What will she do nowy
Let us watch her. The peat fire
shoulders but yard or two from that
fatal trapdoor. With eager care Maggie
lifts the peats and places them over the
trap-the earth between will prevent its
igniting. Then she throws on fresh
peats, and soon there is glowing fire
on the spot which marks the entrance
to that secret cave. This done, the in
genious girl oblterates as we'll as she