Immediately after breakfast, Mrs. Turnbull bade farewell to the family, and was soon in the thick of domestic matters in her own home.  That night’s experience at the Dean Farm settled the destiny of several families.  The information unwittingly gleaned and discreetly used, led to far-reaching consequences to the district, and to all those involved.

It was well known that the smugglers had places of concealment other than the accommodation gratuitously given them by certain farmers.  The secret of the real cave’s whereabouts was successfully kept, but one of those accidents that often come to disturb the current of human affairs led to an important discovery.

* * * * *

Softly the night wind blew over a glassy sea.  The sound of the rippling water on the reef of rocks and on the sandy beach had a weird, melancholy effect.  Then came the dull noise of muffled oars commingling with the cawing of the gull and hollow surging of the waters into the Fairy Rocks.  There was neither moon nor stars visible, but in the bay the experienced eye could discern the mysterious lugger.  There she lay, hove to, or anchored below the Dean House, which could be seen peeping out between two sandy hills.  A dim light—­which, to the uninformed, would have conveyed the impression of a light in a cottage window, but which was really a signal to the smugglers that the coast was clear—­flickered in a line with the sandy valley; and, in truth, the quietude of the night betokened all was well.  The landing was successfully made without interruption, and the men gaily entered on the task of transporting the cargo to its destination, believing, as they had a right to believe, that a big haul would be stored without a single hitch in the process.  The accomplices scattered after their work was done, and the sailors returned to their vessel, no doubt well satisfied with the night’s enterprise.  But notwithstanding the many scouts they sent out, they were quite oblivious of the fact that their movements had been closely watched.  Sail was set, and the sneaking craft crept out into the illimitable darkness, having apparently completed its work unseen by unfriendly eyes.  There was not a little talk round the countryside about the landing that had taken place without any one in authority to check its progress.  Wise, knowing people said it was timidity, and others attributed it to indifference to the public service; the truth being, it was neither the one nor the other.  It was, in fact, a carefully-planned scheme to discover exactly where the mysterious cave was situated; and although in spite of exhaustive search the entrance to it could not be found, they had got a clue to its locality.  A vigorous policy of exploration was inaugurated, but after many weeks of toil the operations were abandoned without the mystery having been penetrated.  It was thought that time and opportunity would solve the problem, but how it was to be solved no one knew.