Luckham
of the Excise, and with Captain Henning, who commanded the troopers then
in quarters on the Nothe. And by degrees it got about, but how I do not
know, that he had persuaded the Revenue to strike hard at the smugglers,
and that a strong posse was to be held in readiness to take the landers
in the act the next time they should try to run a cargo. Why Maskew
should so put himself about to help the Revenue I cannot tell, nor did
anyone ever certainly find out; but some said 'twas out of sheer
wantonness, and a desire to hurt his neighbours; and others, that he saw
what an apt place this was for landing cargoes, and wished first to make
a brave show of zeal for the Excise, and afterwards to get the whole of
the contraband trade into his own hands. However that may be, I think he
was certainly in league with the Revenue men, and more than once I saw
him on the Manor terrace with a spy glass in his hand, and guessed that
he was looking for the lugger in the offing. Now, word was mostly given
to the lander, by safe hands, of the night on which a cargo should be
run, and then in the morning or afternoon, the lugger would come just
near enough the land to be made out with glasses, and afterwards lie off
again out of sight till nightfall. The nights chosen for such work were
without moon, but as still as might be, so long as there was wind enough
to fill the sails; and often the lugger could be made out from the beach,
but sometimes 'twas necessary to signal with flares, though they were
used as little as might be.
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