The Cameleon went jogging along, and having arrived abreast of Hastings, Gammon sent one of his crew ashore in the cutter’s boat, and later on fetched him back.  The object, no doubt, was to send the Diamond’s papers ashore to be examined as to their veracity, though nothing was said to Field on the subject.  It is clear that the reply from the authorities came back that the papers were found in order, and that Field was not known as a smuggler; for after the man who had been sent ashore returned, the Cameleon made sail, and stood out to sea for a distance of eighteen miles.  She had lost sight of the Diamond and her prize crew, and it was not till about breakfast time the following day that the cruiser found the smack again.  When at length the two craft did come together, Lipscomb was called on board the cruiser and summoned below to Gammon.  What exactly the conversation was never came out, but from subsequent events it is fairly clear that Gammon asked what opinion Lipscomb had been able to form of the Diamond, and that the latter had to admit she was a genuine trawler; for soon after, the lieutenant sent the steward for Field and one of his men to go below.  The two men did as they were ordered.

“Good morning,” said the cruiser’s commander as they came into the cabin, “here are your papers, Field.”

Field hesitated for a moment; then answered—­

“I don’t know, sir, as to taking them.  I’m not altogether satisfied about being detained so long.  And had I been aboard the smack, and you had refused to let me have the tiller,” he continued, getting angrier every moment, “I would have shot you as sure as you had been a man.”

“You may do as you please,” came the commander’s cool reply, “about taking them, but if you do not choose to take them, I shall take you away to Portsmouth and give you up to the Port Admiral, and let him do with you as he thinks proper.”

Thinking therefore that it were better to be discreet and hold his tongue, Field took the papers, went up again on deck, collected his men, went back to his smack, and the incident ended—­for the present.  But the Revenue men had clearly made an error this time, and had acted ultra vires.  About a year later Field, as a master and part-owner of the Diamond, brought an action against Gammon for assault and detention, and was awarded a verdict and L5 damages.

It is curious to find what sympathy the smugglers sometimes received in a section of society where one would hardly have expected this to exist.  There are at least three instances of men of position and wealth showing their feelings undisguisedly in favour of these lawless men.  There was a Lieut.-Colonel Chichester, who was called upon for explanations as to his conduct in this respect; there was the case also of the naval officer commanding H.M. sloop Pylades being convicted and dismissed the service for protecting smugglers, and, most interesting of all, was the incident which centred round Sir William Courtenay.