I was half-asleep, and took little heed of what he said, putting him off with, ’That need not keep you, Master; they will find others to fill your place.’  Yet he would not let me be, but went on talking for the pleasure of hearing his own voice.

’Nay, child, you know not what you say.  They may find men to dig a grave, and perhaps to fill it, but who shall toss the mould when Parson Glennie gives the “earth to earth”; it takes a mort of knowledge to make it rattle kindly on the coffin-lid.’

I felt sleep heavy on my eyelids, and was for begging him to let me rest, when there came a whistle from below, and in a moment all were on their feet.  The drivers went to the packhorses’ heads, and so we walked down to the strand, a silent moving group of men and horses mixed; and before we came to the bottom, heard the first boat’s nose grind on the beach, and the feet of the seamen crunching in the pebbles.  Then all fell to the business of landing, and a strange enough scene it was, what with the medley of men, the lanthorns swinging, and a frothy Upper from the sea running up till sometimes it was over our boots; and all the time there was a patter of French and Dutch, for most of the Bonaventure’s men were foreigners.  But I shall not speak more of this; for, after all, one landing is very like another, and kegs come ashore in much the same way, whether they are to pay excise or not.

It must have been three o’clock before the lugger’s boats were off again to sea, and by that time the horses were well laden, and most of the men had a keg or two to carry beside.  Then Elzevir, who was in command, gave the word, and we began to file away from the beach up to the under-cliff.  Now, what with the cargo being heavy, we were longer than usual in getting away; and though there was no sign of sunrise, yet the night was greyer, and not so blue as it had been.

We reached the under-cliff, and were moving across it to address ourselves to the bridle-path, and so wind sideways up the steep; when I saw something moving behind one of the plumbs of brambles with which the place is beset.  It was only a glimpse of motion that I had perceived, and could not say whether ’twas man or animal, or even frightened bird behind the bushes.  But others had seen it as well; there was some shouting, half a dozen flung down their kegs and started in pursuit.

All eyes were turned to the bridle-path, and in a twinkling hunters and hunted were in view.  The greyhounds were Damen and Garrett, with some others, and the hare was an older man, who leapt and bounded forward, faster than I should have thought any but a youth could run; but then he knew what men were after him, and that ’twas a race for life.  For though it was but a moment before all were lost in the night, yet this was long enough to show me that the man was none other than Maskew, and I knew that his life was not worth ten minutes’ purchase.