San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-10

are some 100 men employed in the London
custom house, most of whom are on river
duty as watchmen; thirty Of these people are
clapped aboard an East Indiaman, five or six
on West India ships, and like proportion in
other vessels. So strange a craft as ours
would be visited, depend ont, and smartly,
too. Dye see the danger, lads' What do
you say, then, to my scheme|
The negroes Immediately answered that
they left it to mel knew best; they would
be satisfied with whatever / did
Wilkinson unused while, and then said:
Smuggling was risky work How would
it be if we represented that we had found
the schooner washing about with nobody
aboardm
"The tale wouldn't be credited" said l.
"The age of the vessel would tell against
such a story, even if you removed all other
evidence by throwing the clothes and small
arms overheard, and whatever else might go
to prove that the schooner must have been
floating about abandoned since the year
1750!'
Mustn't lose de clothes, massa, on no &C
count" cried Pitt.
''Well, SIR" says Wilkinson, after another
spell of reflection, II reckon you're right.
If so be the law would seize the vessel and
goods on the grounds that she had been a
pirate and all that's in her was plumber, why,
then, certainly, don't see nothin' else but
to make smuggling job of it, as you say,
SIR"
This being settled (Wilkinson's concurrence
being rendered the easier by my telling him
that, providing the lading was safely run,
would adhere to my undertaking to give
them 81 900 each for their share), l went
below and spent half an hour over letter to
Mr.. Jeremiah Mason. There was no ink,
but I found pencil, and for paper l used
the fly leaves of the books in my cabin.
opened with a sketch Of my adventures, and
then went on to relate that the Boca was a
rich ship; that, as she had been a pirate, 1
risked her seizure by carrying her to London:
that stood grievously in need of his counsel
and help, and begged him not to lose a
moment in returning with the messenger to
Deal, and there hiring boat and coming to
me, whom he would find cruising off Beachy
Head. That l might know his boat, l babe
him fly jack a little below the masthead.
"As for the Boca del Dragon" l added,
wilkinson would know her if she were in
the middle of thousand sail, and indeed q
farmers boy would be able to distinguish her
for her uncommon oddness of figure" was
satisfied to underscore the words "a rich
ship" quite certain his Imagination would
be sufficiently fired by the expression. At
anything further l burst not hint, as the
letter would be open for Wilkinson to read.
When | had finished | took lantern and
the keys of the chest and went very secretly
and expeditiously to the run, and, removing
the layers of small arms from the top of the
case that held the money, picked out some
English pieces, quickly returned the small
arms, locked the chest, and returned.
All this time we were running up channel
before a fresh westerly wind. 1t was true
December weather, very raw, and the horizon
thick but l knew my road well, and while
the loom of the land showed desired nothing
better than this thickness.
But wary sailing delayed us, and it was
not till 10 o'clock on the night of the 18th that
we hove the schooner to off the shingly beach
of Lydd, within sound of the wash of the
sea upon it. The bay sheltered us; we got
the boat over | gave Wilkinson the letter
and ten guineas, bidding him keep them
hidden, and to use them cautiously, with the
silver change he would receive, for they were
all guineaS of the first George, and might
excite comment if he, poor sailer, ill clad,
should pull them out and exhibit them.
Happily, in the hurry of the time, he did
not think to ask me how had come by them.
He thrust them into his pocket, shook my
hand and dropped into the boat, and the
negroes Immediately rowed him ashore.
l stood holding lantern upon the rail to
serve them as guide, waiting for the boat to
return, and never breathed more freely in my
life than when l heard the sound of oars
The two negroes came alongside, and, clap
ping the tackles on to the boat, we hoisted her
with the capstan, and then, under very small
canvas, stood out to sea again.