THE WENDY HUT

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE WENDY HUT

BOYS OF LONG AGOTOBY. i . Toby was watching the coastguard. It was a fine, light evening; there was no sign of rain, not a ship to be seen, so the coastguard toddled away to the inn for a mug of ale. • “Half an hour to get there, and half an hour back,” chuckled Toby. “W .n work by daylight!” He was a big, strong boy of fifteen. He sang' as he raced along the top of the cliffs, and his voice readied the smugglers waiting in the cave for this signal. The previous night they had landed wine, linen, coffee, and lace from France, and they did not want a pitched battle in the streets with the coastguards and their men, so they had waited for a good opportunity to run their cargo into the town. There they would easily dispose of it, for they had friends among the rich and poor. ' 1 Toby, built castles in the air as he ran. 1 “One day I shall be a rich man,” he thought. “I shall be chief of the smugglers. Then I shall become the Mayor of the town, and wear a gold chain, and build myself a fine house, and turn the blind eye on smugglers—which will be a great help to them.” He arrived at the cave in time to take his place in the. armed guard which escorted the heavily laden carts, and off they set. At the cross roads the company divided; half going with Toby to the poor quarter of the town, the other to the lonely mansion of a nobleman who disposed of the goods in London. • While Toby was helping to stow boxes of tea in a cellar, the revenue officers came upon the party, and the Smugglers were obliged to run, and leave their cargo. Then it was Toby’s duty to warn their friends, and that night a strong body of armed men and boys attacked the custom house, overpowered the officials, and rescued the cargo. The whole town seemed to be in the streets, the noise was terrible, but Toby enjoyed it all, for he seemed to 'have a charmed life. Neither shot nor stone touched him, and -the cargo disappeared mysteriously into cellars, through narrow doorways, and up haylofts. But in the shadow of the Church a strange band of men stood watching, and they marked out Toby and one or two strong fishermen. Suddenly the strange men rushed forward, knocked down their victims, and protected themselves with cutlasses. ' “Press-gang!” shouted the people. And in two minutes the streets were clear. The sailors acting as the press-gang carried Toby to the man-o’-war in the bay, for his Majesty required men for the French War of 1793. When the boy was taken out of chains, and saw there was no escape, ha thought he might as well do his duty—and a very good sailor he became in time.