The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-11-16

edge of the ledge and looked up. HI
could not catch a glimpse Of dang
ling cord Of any kind. and hundred
feet below the white waves of the
channel dashed against the foot Of
the wall.
His situation wasterribe.
"If this is your, work. Sid Sloper
may Heaven forgive YOU" exclaimed
the young egg-hunter. 1--WE caught
you following me before now, for YOU
don't want anybody to make few
shilings but Yourself"
AS far us his vision could reach
Brant Burton saw nothing but the
tumbling white caps of the ocean
The sun had gone down, and the sur.
face of the water was fast losing
RI it's brilliant hues in>the shadows OF
descending night.
The roar of he breakers came uy
10 the boy on the narrow rock and
filled his heart with terrAr. A few
late guls whirled before his eyes, as
il TO mock his t'ec'ing hopes, and
darkness came down over the scene
The young egg-hunter of Cornwall
was terribly imprisoned.
II was some time before he ven.
tured to Investigate the hole in the
cliff. The loss of his rope had taken
his mind from everything else.
When he did turn into the dark
place and struck a match along the
rough wall. II most astonishing dis
covery rewarded him. He seemed 10
have been suddenly transported into
a veri1ablr SmugeIcrs' paradise
On every side were the fruits of
many II nights fnray along the coast
boxes containing silks and laces,
and contra band merchandise of every
description.
THE cave was provided with natural
shelves, which were stored with
goods. and costly furniture existed
everywhere in prnfu>ion.
II the Cornish boy had found the
smugglers' cave with his, good rope
waiting for him over the cliff. he
would have rrjoiced. but he was i'm
priSonfd where his life was in INN!
nent danger.
y return of the smugglers. luckily
for the young hunter at that time all
sent. would pretty soon put an end
to his career Of clitf-clmbing, and the
little home behind the waters would
never know his fate.
Rrant Burton had no doubt that he
had discovered the cave of the very
men for whose detection be govern
mrnt had offered a large reward. No
person had dreamed that il had ex-
listed in that vicinity. and the interior
of the cavern in the cliff told the boy
that it had been used for evil pur-
poses Il long time.
After awhile the modr-rame IN and
silv'red the rolling waves of he chan
mel. Its light fell against the foot
of the cliff. and showed the boy ut
intervals the srant pathway between
tho sea and The rock.
Armed with a,roil of rope which
he had found among he smugglcrs'
goods, he leaned over the ledge and
tried to measure the distance between
him and the water. 1t was uncertain
work in the moonlight, but he did
the best he could
There was but one hope of esc:rpe,
and that hay along the foot of the
cliff. which was slippery and washed
by the tide.
The Cornish boy dropped the rope
and saw it reach the rocks. below.
A thrill of cXmltation took posses
sion of his heart.
He fastened the other end of the
rope to an iron staple in the cavern.
and thrust into his bosom Il piece of
peculiar lace which he took from one
of the boxes. He remembered hay
ing heard coast guardsman say that
a certain kind of lace was being
struggled into Cornwall, and he be-
levcd he had found it.
When all was ready, The Young gull
hunter again trusted his fortunes to-
a swaying rope--this time to one he
had never before tested.
The following moment he was
swinging between the cliff and The
sea, going down hand over hand to.
ward the surging dc. /
When he touched he rocks beneath, !
he was forced to hug the wall. for
the waves were at his very feet.
He shuddcred when he thought that
he would have to follow the narrow
pain for more than a mile before
there was break in the cliffs, but
he ner>ed himself for the task and
started Off
1t proved to he the most periIous
journey Of his life. All the way he
was compelled to hug the wall Of
rock. with the roaring surf leapins
at him. More than once he was
caught, and barely saved himself by
rlinEing to rocks that cut like knives
AT last Brant burton reached the
break in the Cornish wall 1t was to
him II gate Of safety.
Springiag forward, after a brief
rest, he ran to the village and told
his story I" the constable of the coast
guard 1t was hard to believe, but
his hands and the lace were proof
enough. .
That night half dozen men went
down over the cliff to the smuggers'
cave, aud when the thieves came back
with more booty, every one fell into ,
the hands of the law. T.:
Sid Sloper had no idea when he cut I
the Cornish boys rope that he WAS on.
riching Rrant with L 300. aud when
he found that his young rival had i;
escaped, he left the country before j.,
the law could deal with him. and the