No doubt the revenue men would be lying
in wait, a short distance off, and would allow the friends of the
smugglers to go down to the water, without letting them know of their
presence.
He kept his eyes fixed on the water to the east, watching anxiously for
the appearance of a light. Presently he started. Immediately in front
of him, about a mile at sea, a bright light was shown. In a second, it
disappeared. Three times it flashed out, and then all was dark. The
night was a very dark one. There was no moon, and the stars were
obscured, and although he strained his eyes to the utmost, he could not
make out the vessel from which the light had been shown.
"How foolish to show such a bright light!" he said to himself. "It
would have been almost sure to attract the attention of anyone on the
watch."
He made his way to the path, and descended to the edge of the water,
and waited, expecting momentarily to be joined by people from above.
But no one came. He strained his ears listening for the fall of
approaching oars; but all was silent.
Half an hour passed, and then it flashed across him that the signal
must have been made to deceive the revenue men, and to cause them to
assemble at that spot, and so leave the point really determined upon
free for operations.
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