Lady Graeme did not finish, but gave her husband a piercing look.
“Don’t ask me,” he said sadly. “Many of the men engaged in the smuggling are desperate wretches, and if they feared betrayal they would not scruple, I’m afraid, to strike down any one in the way of their escape.”
Lady Graeme shuddered, and they went together into the house, just as Celia came across the wood at the back, in company with the dog.
Chapter Seventeen.
Gurr continued his search till it was quite dark, and then tramped his men back to the cove, where the boat-keeper was summoned, and the boat with her crew, saving Dick, were sent back to the cutter, one of the men bearing a message from Gurr to say that he was going to stay ashore till he had found Mr Raystoke, and asking the lieutenant to send the boat back for him if he did not approve.
It was a very dark row back to the cutter, but her lights shone out clearly over the smooth sea, forming good beacons for the men to follow till the boat was run alongside.
“Got them, Mr Gurr?” came from the deck.
“No sir, and Mr Gurr’s stopping at one of the fishermen’s cottages ashore to keep on the search.”