The sympathies of the population were wholly
with the smugglers, and the cheating of the revenue was not at all
considered in the light of a crime.
Many of the fishermen, from time to time, took a hand in smuggling
cruises, and the country people were always ready to lend assistance in
landing and carrying the cargoes.
When out in their boats at night, James had often heard the fishermen
tell stories of their smuggling adventures, and more than once he had
been with them, when they had boarded a lugger laden with contraband,
to warn them that the revenue cutter was on the cruising ground, and it
would not be safe to attempt to run cargo at present. He now
determined, at once, that he would warn the smugglers of their danger.
The question was, where was the cargo to be run? The officer had not
mentioned the spot, but, as the force from the next station to the east
was to cooperate, it must be somewhere between the two.
Waiting till the speakers must have gone well along the cliff, he rose
to his feet, and returned to Sidmouth. He thought, at first, of telling
some of the fishermen what he had heard, but as, in the event of an
affray, it might come out how the smugglers had been warned of the
intention of the revenue officers, he thought there would be less risk
in giving them warning himself.
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