The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-02-25

hanging about her like great clumsy lap-dog.
Dolly snubbed him when her father was away,
but in his presence treated her swain, if not with
cordiality, at least with toleration Charlwood
puzzled his brains to find out how so incongruous
being could have obtained footing in the Cliff
House, but could arrive at no satisfactory con-
clusions To cheer the solitude Of his long even
ings the lieutenant often asked the parson, or
the doctor, or old Van der Meulin to- dine with
him, and upon these occasians would ask them
about Dan Pearee, but was never able to get any
direct information about him.
Meanwhile he had been so active and assiduous
that the contraband trade of Tregannion dwin-
died to nothing-but, of course though this was
gratifying to his selt-esteem, it brought him and
his men into very bad odor. On more than one
occasion individual preventive men were very
Soughly handled on the quay of Tregannion, and
he himself was the recipient of many an il-spelt,
ill-written epistle, threatening him with death.
But ne treated the feeling with contemporary
one thing annoyed him. and that was that he had
not received single reply to his very satisfactory
dispatches to Plymouth, the local head-centre of
the coastguard.
Hang it" he would say many man in
rated for doing less than | have. I'm condemned
to pass the best years of my life in this hole, as
sort of human rat catcher, when | might be tack
ling the French, and ] don't even get compli-
ment, much less a step or an increase of pay"
AS rule he sent his dispatches to Fowey-the
nearest post town. some twelve miles away, under
the care of a boy who was employed in the gar
den of the Cliff House. 1t suddenly occurred to
the lieutenant that this boy might not be entire
ly trustworthy, so one evening he posted himself
behind a clump of trees bordering the road by
which the boy must pass, some five or six miles
on the way. He waited for three or four hours,
but the boy did not appear at all. Luckily the
dispatches were dummies. Here was the sOlu
ton of the question Of replies to his budgets;
now he had to discover the delinquent So one
night, instead Of trusting the bag to the boy, he
took it himself He started at the same hour
that the boy usually did, and even, through
Dolly borrowed the old Dutchmans pony The
night was very dark, and the ruse was successful.
Not more than half mile on the road, a figure
with lantern sprang out, crying, why the
devil are you going so fast tonight boy? Pull
up"
The lieutenant made himself as small as posi-
BILE behind the pony's head allowed the speaker
to approach him, and suddenly seized him by
the collar. 1t was Dan Pearce. When Pearce
saw how he had been deceived, with terrible
oath he shook himself clear and vanished in the
darkness.
"There1l be trouble with that youth, can
see" said the lieutenant to himself as he rode
back. For the future he sent his dispatches by
one of his men, and consequently received from
time to time very iattering notices Of his ser
vices from the powers at Pl lvmOuth. Still he was
uneasy in his mind. Apparently nothing could
be more absolute than the check given to the
smuggling trade at Tregannion scarcely boat
put to sea, the quay was always deserted, and
The Brig always full He had been at the sta
tion now nearly three months, and only two runs
had been attempted. But there were indications,
familiar only to the practised eye, that behind
the scenes something was going on One hazy
morning large schooner was observed off Quelley
Point; then the fog hid her from view, and when
it finally dissipated> there was no schooner to be
seen. coast-guard outpost met Dan Pearce one
dark night riding furiously along the Fowey
Road upon another occasion he was observed
on the beach at Quelley Bay talking earnestly
to the doctor for several Sundays in succession
the parson held no service in the little church;
several strangers had arrived in Tregannion, and
meetings with closed doors were held at The
Brig; there was great deal of earnest converse
tion going on between knots of men-knots which
dispersed at the approach Of a preventive man
altogether Charlwood deemed it necessary to be
on his guard and to trust nobody.
One evening old Van der Meulen came to see
FTlo ell IL,
the young lieutenant and would spend hours
yarning with him, smoking pipe with bowl
like the hull of one of his native galliots, and
drinking the strongest of schnapps.
"Vell, mine lewtenant" he said as they drew
their chairs round the fire" vell-ant vot nOosh
have you of our friends the runners? l think
you have frightened dem. In course l hears
great deal about dem"
YES" thought Charlwood, glancing keenly at
the old man. /" expect you do"
Utterly unconcerned at the look which the
lieutenant meant to be piercing, Van der Meulen
went on: But l must say dat l have never
known dem so quiet as since you have been
here"
You pay me great compliment" said Charl-
wood "but I tell you frankly, I don't think it's
over yet. Now, for instance, am sure you will
pardon me if | say / cannot understand how you
can admit such a man as Dan Pearce to such in
timacy as you do OF course it is no business of