An Episode of Smuggling Days.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 17, Issue 17, 9 November 1894, Page 2

An Episode of Smuggling Days.

I can just mind my grandfather, and only just, for the old man died somewhere iv the twenties, and I was no more than a small boy then. But I shall never forget the tale of how the tuba were found in his barn, and of how he escaped the fine. I seem to fancy that I heard him tell it when I was a small boy; I heard my father tell it once a week for thirty years ; and I've told it more than once myself. Well, in the year '4 my grandfather was living at Tregundy Farm, whioh lies a mile this side of Pentreath, to the, right of the high road. 'Twas a email place, but tbere was plenty of business ( doing tbere that you'd hardly find in Farmer's Almanacs, and so grandfather was reckoned pretty well off. To tell the truth, ha had pretty much J;o do j with the smuggling ; and, indeed, 'twould have been hard for any man to keep out of it considering the number of Pentreath boats that made the voyage over to Rusco'a every month, and tho profits of the traffic. Grandfather was churchwarden, I be _eve, and a big man in tbe place ; but, nevertheless, on a certain Saturday, hue iv the yßar % he left more than a score of tubs of good liquor hidden under the straw in his barn, when he set forth upon the ten-mile- ride in to market. Well, he rode in as usual, and put up his horse at the * Godolphin.' Then ho took up his stand upon the causeway in front of the ' Godolphin ' door, along with half a hundred other farmers. He had dinner along with the rest, at the ordinary, and afterwards took his drop of toddy. Then he came forth from the inn again and stood upon the step, looking up and down the street to see what was doing, before going across to see old Lawyer Syinona upon Bonie small matter of business. The cleverness of that old man is not forgotten yet, though he's dead this sixcy year. 'Twas well known that no case was too desperate for him to pull a man through. In the end he fell away through he would sifc in the ' Godolphin ' on market days watching till soma farmer came in for whom ho had done business in bygone years. ' Well, Mr Thomas,' he would SAy, 'let me -03 — whcse turn is it to stand treat to-day 1 ?' course the farmer could take a bint like that. ' Gla»s of the same,' the lawyer would say ; and sometimes he'd half-a-dozen drops of gin standing ia a line upon tbe mantle-piece. He was never known to refuse a drink — oc to refrain from asking for one — because he hadn't fioished the last. Aye, he fell away sadiy, but he was a wonderfal good lawyer in his time. My grandfather stood upon the doorstep looking up the steep street, and medilating as to what he should say to the lawyer. Suddenly there was a noise far up the street. From the * Godolphin ' step it waß not possible to see much, for the road was lined on both sides with the standings of ■butchers, swpet.sellers, and so on. But in another minute my grandfather saw a horse come tearing down the street, and a little bit of a boy, bareheaded and (as you might say) all blown to pieces, upon the back of it. As soon as he saw the horse and the boy, my grandfather's heart stood still: for 'twas his old grey mare, which had been on the farm for fifteen yesr3, and the boy was the son of a neighbor who h-d had no small share in his smuggling ventures. When the boy saw him he drew rein, and tried to speak ; but he couldn't i fetch his breath. ' What is it V cried my grandfather, stepping through the crowd that began to gather. ' What's the matter 1 Thee's been and killed the old mare !' At last the boy found breath to speak. ' iTou was hardly gone out of sight when the riding-officers came, and made straight for the barn. They must have been told, for they found the kegs just" as if a guide was with them i Missus sent me off at ones upon the old mare to give 'cc warning, but you may depend the officers is after mp, and not far off. Tou must do what you cao, ; Missus said.' Grandfather heaved a great groan. 1 I'm a ruined man !' he said. ' Clean ruined !' There was a buzz of talk among the crowd which had gathered round him. ' Isa T said someone. ''Twould puzzle Lawyer Symons to save 'cc now.' Grandfather heard that, and he minded where he bad been meaning to go before this news reached him ; at least, he thought, he might as well go still. If there wa3 a loop-hole, Lawyer Symons was the man to find it. Lawyer was a little small man, with a pink luce, keen little blue even, and a regular whirlwind of silver hair. Grandfather broke forth at onee — ' Mr Symont>,' he said, ' I'm a ruined man 1 All the savings of fifty y< ara are gone. I shall end my days upon the parish.' The lawyer looked at him with a sign of surprise. 'It must be bad trouble that can't be mitigated,' 1 c said. ' What is gone wrong ?' ' What V cried my grandfather. ' Why, everything ! I'm a ruined man. There was a f,w tuba of c ignac in my barn this morning when I C:>.me away. I wai no woner out; of night, than the riding-officers came and found the lot of it, " I bhall be exchequer^ in thrt'.e times more than I'm wor h, and tho e^d of it will be et<*rk ruin.' Still old Symons showed no signs of being disturbed. 'Mr Jeffrey,' he said, 'I did your father more than one good service in hia time. I fancy I've already bet-n of use, in one or two matters, to you. But do you know what you have been doing this afternoon ? Do you know the offices I have the honor to fi'l V My grandfather stared at him in a he'pless sort of way. Tha lawyer rose nnd bowed across hia table. ' I havt) the honor to be one of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Exchequer,' he said, and waited to see the effect of hia words.

' Why, Good Lord,' said my grandfathe, ' I'm a ruined man. I've been and given information against myself. 1 Then he laughed bitterly. 'Atanyrote,' he said, 'I ought to have the reward.' Mr Symona slapped his thigh. ' Exactly 1' he said. ' You take my meanJ ing exactly. And why should you talk of ruin 1 I take it, Mr Jeffreys, that you are clearly entitled to the reward offered to those who give information as to the whereabouts of smuggled goods. You find that people have been making unlawful übo of your piemises j you hold your peace until business bringejyou here at the week's '' end ; then you come and acquaint me with tbe affair. Why should you talk of ruin V All this he said quite seriously, aDd talking rather more plainly than usual, as if he were teaching a lesson to a child. But my graudfath?r fell back in a chair and stared at him dumb; then be buret into a laugh, ai)d th 9 lawyer's face chnnged. ' That is all right, then,' he said. ' Come into my parlor, and we'll talk tbe matter out over a glass of something hot.' An hour later tbe riding - officers camn. The chief of them was shown into the room, and stood stiff and dumb with amazement when he saw the company he was in. ' And what vexes mo, Mr Symons,' my grandfather was saying, as he stirred up the eu'jjar in hia glass, c is tbat the villains may have been using my barn for years,' Tbe riding-officer did not even try to tell his tale. My grandfather lost the spirits, and, of course, the reward never came his way. But to the end of his life he always had the greatest respect for Lawyet Symons. — H. D. Lowry, in ' Black and White.'