Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-12-13
CHAPTER X.
the WISDOM or ruE srRoya NAN.

that for the present. ct least. we need not
fear anything from Mathew OF this ]
was quite certain My assurance that
would appeal to my cousin. the doubt
where 1.-THE boy" might be-there was nc
reason, for instance. why he should not
DO at Newcastle. or at Rothbury, or al
Hcxham. or at Carlisle--to say nothing OF
my charge of fraud. went homo to his
guilty conscience These things were
sure. thought. to deter man not nat
urally courageous. although his con
science might be hardened. from tempt.
ing the vengeance of his injured cousin.
So far was ! right, that for the whole
of the spring and summer VIC had no fur.
ther molestation from him. but continued
In our quiet course. spending as little
money as we could yet looking forward
to the time, now growing very near. when
there would be no more left to spend AS
for myself. may truly declare that my
faith was strong-l mean not the faith OF
a Christian, such as ! ought to have held
but faith in my lover so far away. He
would send me an answer. The answer,
whatever it might be. would surely set
all right.
Mathew not only ceased to prosecute us,
but he ceased TO desire the conversation
and company of my father He came nc
more even to church as if conscious of his
wickedness, aud ashamed to face honest
people He was rarely seen even in town.
and he left me quito alone; SO that be
gan to think that repentance had perhaps
seized upon his soul Alasl Repentance
knocks in vain at Tho heart Of such as
Mathew
Though. however, We saw him not.
heard. through my faithful fugleman,
certain intelligence about him. Thus, lac
drank harder, he neglected his business;
he quaTeled daily with his sister, who
reproached him for his drunken ways, and
the neglect Of his worldly affairs: also,
sho continually urged him to recover the
goo owed him. as she thought, by my
father She hungered and thirsted after
this money. which it seemed, she did not
know that her brother possessed. Why
had he concealed from her, she asked him
with anger. that he had so much as goo,
when he would not give her even money
TO buy things wanted for the house? Let
him get the money back. Was he mad 10
let interest and all go2 She let him have
no peace; she longed to have this money;
perhaps she louged for our ruin as we'll.
Then she constantly threw in her brother
teeth the fact thetif the boy was not dead
and should return. IL, in fact, my story
was true. he would find the books and &c.
counts in such confusion as might lead to
their ruin Sho wanted 10 know what truth
there was in the reports, once 50 industri-
ously spread, about a second will In
fact. she led the wretched man dogs
life, having a tongue sharper than a
sword and more dreadful than fiery SER
pent, But, as concerning the things she
said OF Ralph could have desired moth
ing better. because it kept alive in
Mathews breast the wholesome fear Of
his cousins return So long as that lasted
we were safe We should have continued
in safety. because that fear did not die
away. but rather increased day by day
save for the instigation, as ! cannot but
believe of the evil one, and the concuc
tion of design even moro wicked than
that Of the mortgage suppose the plot
was conceived in the spring or summer,
but it was not until the late autumn that
it was attempted The way of it was as
follows q do no harm, trust, by speak
ing openly Of traffic which. as everybody
knows. is conducted almost openly all
over the northern counties of England
and the southern counties of Scotland)
have mentioned one Daniel, or Dan
Gedge. always called the Strong Man, be
cause he was like Hercules, the tabled
Greek. for bodily strength, who lodged
with Sailor Nan. lie professed to make
living out of his strong arms and legs
He went to fairs. and was seen on market
days in all the towns of Northumberland
Durham and Carlisle. performing great
feats for wagers, or for money laid down
He was man standing over six feet. with
legs and arms of surprising stoutness, a
square red face and kindly eye Despite
his strength he was peaceful and the soft
est hearted of mankind. Now, though he
pretended to live by the exhibition of his
strength, which believe was the reason
why the vicar called him Milo. it was
very we'll known everywhere that be had
another and a more important source of
profit This was in the running of "stuff"
across the Border. a business which de
mands, as everybody knows, much eau
ton, with knowledge Of the country and
powers of endurance. The "stuff" CON
sists generally of brandy. lace. silk
and Geneva. Salt is also smuggled
across, but better profit is made
out of the former articles. which
ere less in bulk and more easily
concealed. There are many reasons why
WarllwoIth should be a convenient spot
for the Illicit trade. First, Il lies two
miles up the river, aud has many safe hid
ing places, so that cargo once landed at
the mouth of the Coquet may be safely
and speedily carried up the river and be-
slowed where it is judged safe; for all
along the steep banks there are spots
clearly designed by Nature for the conye.
nient storage of valuable packages. Not
to speak Of the thick hanging woods be-
side the banks. where enough Geneva and
Hollands may be stored to supply London
Tor year, there is the Hermitage, whose
double chamber | have myself seen
packed full of silk in bales waiting for an
opportunity. while in the castle Itself
there are vaults. dungeons. passages and
secret chambers, known only to the fugle-
man Here. little suspected by my Lord
Of Northumberland enough brandy might
be stored to supply the county (which is
a thirsty one) for dozen years The
Border is not, to be sure, so near as 1t is
higher up the coast but, on the other
hand, the lookout and watch kept by the
gaugers cannot be by any means SO vigi-
liant and close as where the county mar
rows to the north while more than half
the run takes place over the wild moors
and painless slopes of the Cheviots,
place In which the excise people find it
difficult indeed to discover or 10 stop
rum made by men who know the country.
They have a service Of ponies for the
work, little, hardy, sure footed creatures,
who carry the ankers. kegs and bales
slung across their backs, and can be
trusted to make the whole thirty five
miles from Warkworth to the Border in a
single night, that is, in seven or eight
hours, the drivers walking or riding be-
side them.
Most of the farmers and craftsmen of
Warlxworth take share in these risks
and profits; one or two Of them-of whom
Mathew was one-often accompany and
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