"Confound his impudence!" growled Turley, as the officer rode on. "One of us is worth three of his landsharks, anyway."
When Jack arrived at the Dolphin Mr. Goodman was just leaving.
"Oh, Hardy!" cried Lieutenant Blake, as he entered, "Mr. Goodman tells me you've found nothing."
"Not a ghost of a thing, sir. Gumley's as honest as a judge, in my opinion. Some one has played a scurvy trick on him and us."
"Well, look at this."
He handed Jack a dirty, crumpled piece of paper, on which he read:
"Mr. Goodman, sir, a runn will be made at binsey cove tonite.—From a frend."
"Another trick for certain, sir," said Jack.
"Very likely. Goodman says 'tis a sure sign the run will be made somewhere else, if made at all, and in the opposite direction. He wants the cutter to cruise off Totley Point to-night after dark. His idea is that if we stand away in the afternoon as if for Luscombe, we shall lead the smugglers off the scent; then if we return after nightfall we shall take 'em unawares. He'll have a strong force in hiding at Totley Point; that's where he thinks the run will actually be made, right under his nose. It would be like the villains. Only a year ago, just after he came into this district, he got a similar letter, and the cargo was run miles away."
"Well, sir, if he's been caught that way once, the smugglers will hardly expect him to fall into the trap a second time."