He slowly placed his hand to his head and felt a bandage around it.
"Ah, I remember now. I fell in the hurling game, but I still have the ball." Ande gazed around and found himself in what appeared an ordinary fisherman's cabin, rough and uncouth, but still comfortable. Fishing tackle hung here and there and there was an odd, fishy smell. A few cheap prints hung on the wall and there was a window through which a glimpse of the sea was visible.
"Why, bless 'ee, young sir, I thought 'ee would never come round, so Ah did; Ah was holding my breath to see whether 'ee was mazed by the fall or 'ad come round, and I'm glad 'tez the latter. But, bless 'ee, what a fall! Damme, it was worse than a blow of a cutlass."
It was the voice of the attendant who had been bending over him; he was to all appearances a simple fisherman, clad in rough fisherman's clothes, and with a shaggy crop of hair that needed much the barber's art.
"This es Prussia Cove."
A revelation dawned upon the mind of the captain of the Helston hurlers. He had often heard of Prussia Cove and its famous smuggling hero, Captain Carter, who, on account of his great resemblance to Frederick the Great, was named the "King of Prussia." Many a keg of brandy and bale of silk and lace found its way into the neighbourhood of Helston through him. Many a landlord and poor peasant profited by this illicit trade. But smuggling was not esteemed a crime by the people. The government, by imposing duties on imports, was viewed partly in the light of a tyrant and justly to be opposed and hoodwinked. The people loved the smuggler better than the king. Even rectors of the church considered smuggling an honourable occupation and the smuggler a brave citizen seeking a livelihood. The government itself was not bitterly opposed to it, at least such was its position until after the Napoleonic wars, for by smuggling a hardy race of seamen was bred that laid, primarily, England's prestige on the sea.
The lad, like many others, felt a kindly interest in them and looked for their welfare.
"And you are the King of Prussia?"
"Not 'zackly," said the man with a smile; "I'm just 'is prime minister on land."