It was about dusk, for the days were now short, and the cutter was eight miles off the land.  By the directions of the informer, for we have no other name to give him, they now bore up and ran along the island until they were, by his calculations, for it then was dark, abreast of a certain point close to the Black Gang Chyne.  Here they hove-to, hoisted out their boats, three in number, and the men were sent in, well armed with pistols and cutlasses.  Short had the charge of one, Coble of the second, the stern-sheets of the third was occupied by Vanslyperken and the informer.  As soon as all was ready, Jemmy Ducks, who, much against Vanslyperken’s wish, was left in charge of the cutter, received his orders to lie-to where he was, and when the tide made flood, to stand close in-shore; and all was prepared for a start, when it occurred to Vanslyperken that to leave Snarleyyow, after the threat of Jemmy’s wife, and the known animosity of Smallbones, would be his death-warrant.  He determined, therefore, to take him in the boat.  The informer protested against it, but Vanslyperken would not listen to his protestations.  The dog was handed into the boat, and they shoved off.  After they had pulled a quarter of an hour in-shore, they altered their course, and continued along the coast until the informer had made out exactly where he was.  He then desired the other two boats to come alongside, told the crews that they must keep the greatest silence, as where they were about to proceed was directly under where the smugglers would have a party to receive the goods, and that the least alarm would prevent them from making the capture.  The boats then pulled in to some large rocks, against which the waves hoarsely murmured, although the sea was still smooth, and passing between them, found themselves in a very small cove, where the water was still, and in which there was deep water.

The cove was not defended so much by the rocks above water, for the mouth of it was wide; but there appeared to be a ridge below, which broke off the swell of the ocean.  Neither was it deep, the beach not being more than perhaps fifty feet from the entrance.  The boats, which had pulled in with muffled oars, here lay quietly for nearly an hour, when a fog came on and obscured the view of the offing, which otherwise was extensive, as the moon was at her full, and had shone bright.

“This is all the better,” whispered the informer, “they will fall into the trap at once.  Hark! hist!  I hear oars.”

They all listened; it was true, the sound of oars was heard, and the men prepared their arms.

The splash of the oars was now more plain.  “Be silent and ready,” whispered the informer, and the whisper was passed round.  In another minute a large lugger-built boat, evidently intended for sailing as well as pulling, was seen through the fog looming still larger from the mist, pulling into the cove.

“Silence, and not a word.  Let her pass us,” whispered the informer.