"'What schooner is that?'
"'Dis? Dis is my schooner. You know it.'
"We all held our breath in suspense, wondering what would be the result of this strange answer, when we distinctly heard the voice say:
"'It's that rascally Dutchman again.' Then, in a louder tone, came the question, 'Did you keep a good look-out for that smuggler, as we requested?'
"'Yah! But I haven't saw him.'
"'O, shiver your ugly figure-head,' was the answer. 'I've a good notion to put a six-pound shot into you, you wooden-headed sour-krout eater. This makes twice that we have been fooled by you. Now off you go, and don't you cross our hawse again.'
"Father made no reply, and the cutter put her helm down, and started off. We passed under her stern, and in a few moments she disappeared in the fog. The next night we entered the channel, and landed our goods in safety. We afterward learned that the cutter, which had been closely watching our movements, had boarded the Dutch schooner, (which I have before mentioned, and which sailed about two hours in advance of us,) and so certain were they that they had at last gobbled the smuggler, that they seized the vessel, and unceremoniously slapped the captain and his crew in double irons. The skipper was so terrified that he forgot his English, and jabbered away in Dutch; and it was not until the ship's papers had been overhauled, that the cutter discovered her mistake. When the revenue fellows ran foul of us, they were again deceived by the resemblance between the two vessels, and the manner in which father had imitated the Dutch skipper's language. About a year after that we had a stopper put on our operations, by one of our own men.
"The cave had two entrances—one by a rope ladder from the basin below, which we could draw up in times of danger, and the other by a path through the mountains, which was known only to a few of the band whom father thought he could trust. But his confidence was abused. There is a black sheep in every flock, and we had one among us—a man who, tempted by the offer of reward that was held out for our apprehension, betrayed us, and broke up our harboring-place.
"It was this man's business to go to Bath, a small town about two miles from the cave, to dispose of our goods to the merchants in that place, and receive the funds. Young as I was, I almost knew that the fellow would one day get us into trouble. He was a short, powerfully-built man, with a most villainous countenance. He was always silent and morose; could not bear to have you look him in the eye; in short, he was just the man that I would have picked out from among a hundred as a traitor. Father seemed to repose entire confidence in him, and always asked his advice in times of danger; but, as much as I respected his judgment, I could not conquer the feeling with which I had always regarded the man, and I was constantly on the watch.
"One night the schooner sailed as usual, but this man, under pretense of sickness, remained behind, with instructions from father, in case he got better, to go to the village and collect some money due him for goods.