Evening star., 1924-09-27

though he challenged and cIutchcd
and smote with the flat of his sword
he met with nothinG-nothing but
thin air. II was like playing blind
mans buff with ghosts. lie heard
two or three ragged volIeys in the
direction of the sea and gdlloped to-
ward it, galloped into a cul-de-sac
between two cottages, nearly split
ting his head against wall. Hr
was three minutes fumbiing his WAY
out of that. blubbering with rage. bB'
this time he came out on the sea
front
Gun flashes on the slip-hcad showed
him where his men were tfring at :
boat or something). and he ran to-
ward them cneering. Iripped across
spar and fell head1ong over the elm.
1t was only A miniature cliff. banf
OF earth merely. not iJ feet high
with mixed sand and bouldcrs be
meath.
The cornet landed wallop on the
sand and lay there for some minutes
thinking he was dead and wonder
ing what style of monument tif any
his parents would erect 10 his mem
ory:-
"Hic jacet william Shine Car
michael cornet of His Majesty's
leading an attack on smugglers
Militant non sine gloria. Aged
IL
Aged only Il; how sad He shed
a tear to think how young he was
when he died and then slowly came
to the conclusion that perhaps he
wasn't quite dead-only stunned =
only half-stunned = hardly stunneG
at all.
A stray shot went Wailing eerily on
to sea His men were in action: ha
must go to them. He tried to get up
but found his left leg was jammcd
between two bowlders. and. tug "a
he might, he could not dislodge 1t.
He shouted for help. Nobody took
any notice. Again and again he
shouted. No response. He laid his
curly head down on the wet sand
and with his tears wetted it still
further. When at length q couple
of hours later) he was liberated il
was by two of the smuggler ladies
They were most sympathetic.
bandaged his sprained ankle, CAV
him a hot drink to revive his circu-
alton and vowed il was a shame 1"
send pretty boys of his age ou' -
late.
Poor Mr.. Carmichael
Eli and Bohemia were the first 1"
load and consequently led the pack
train which was strung out for T.
quarter of a mile up the VALLEY
waiting for Ortho. When they heard
the shots go off in the cove they re-
membered King Nick's standing
orders and scattered helter-skelter
I'D the western slope. There wer"
only three side-tracks and 50 horses
to be got up. This caused jammin1
and delay.
The sergeant at the track head
heard the volleys as we'll. and, not
having the least regard for Mr.. Car
michael's commandments. pushed on
to see the fun. Fortunately for the
leaders the chaotic state of the trach
prevented him from pushing fast. As
1t was he very nearly biundered into
the tail end of the train. mule
had jibbed and stuck in the bushes.
refusing to move either way. III
and two young Hernes tugged. pushed
and whacked at it. Suddenly, close
beside. they heard the wild slfther
of iron on stone. a splash and th@
voice of a man calling on heaven
to condemn various portions OF his
anatomy IT was tn sergeant: his
horse had slipped up, depositing him
in a puddle. He Temounted and
foundered on with his squad, little
knowing that in the bushes that
actually brushed his knee was stand
ing a loaded mule with three tense
boys clingins to its ears, nose ana
tail to keep it quiet. 1t was d close
call.
Eli took charge of the pack train.
He was terribly anxious about orth"
but hanging about and letting thr
train be taken would only make bad
worse and Ortho had an uncann>
knack of Shipping out of trouble IL
felt sure that if anybody was Sr
rested 1t would not be his brother,
King Nick had thought of ever!
thing In case of d raid by mount'4
men who could pursue 1t would b.
folly to go on to st. Just they Wer'
to hide their goods at some PR
ordained spot. hasten home and lie
doggo.
The pre-ordained spot was the "FoH-
gou." an ancient British dwelling
hidden in a tangle of bracken mile
to the northwest, subterranean
passage rooted with massive SLABS OF
granite. lined with moss and dripping
with damp. the haunt of bad gers.
foxes and bats BY midnight Eli had
his cargo slowed away IN tina, oarN
receptable thoughtfully provided by
the rude architects of the stone age
and by O'Clock he was at home
in bed prepared to prove he had
never left it. But he did not sleep
tired as he was. Two horses had
not materialized, and where WAS
Ortho? If he had escaped he should
have been home by no" lohS
ago. The gale made a terrific noise.
moaning and huffeting round the
house: it must be awful at sea
Where was orthoE
Eli might just as well have taken
his goods through to St Just LOT a
the dragons cared. Had the French
landed that night they would NAY"
made no protest. They would haV'
drunk their very good heaiths.
When the sergeant and his detach-
nent. the snow at their backs. finally
stumbled into Monks Cove il was
very far from scene of battle and
carnage that met their gaze. Home
"" would better describe II. inc cot
tages were lit up, and in them lounged
the troopers. attended by the genial
fisherfolk in artistic deshabille, IN
the clothes in which they at that mo-
ment had arisen from bed $50 they
declared) The warriors toasted Their
spurs at the hearths and drank I"
everybody's everlasting prosperity.
The sergeant made inquiries. What
luck?
None to speak of F'our-ffths of
the train was up the valley when
they broke in and got away easily.
That little whelp Carmichael had
uueered the show. charging and yap-
ping. Where was he now: Oh. iy-
ing bleating under the cliff some
where. Pshaw. Let him lie BIZ
and learn wisdom, plaguy little lo'
Have drink, God bless us.
They caught nothing them
Why, yes. certainly they had. -Four
prisoners and two horses. Two of
the prisoners had since escaped, but
no matter. the horses hadn't, and
they carried the right old stuff-gin
and brandy That was what they