THE SMUGGLER BAND.

"THAT remains for him to learn, and the sooner the better," said the captain, "for some of us must be out of this before daylight. But first we must make up our minds what to do with these boys.

"To keep them with us," he continued, "is, of course, a dangerous experiment, but to let them go might be ruin; for if they set out to explain the ghostly noises of Hoyle's Mouth, we should have the Preventive men down on us in no time. We were fools to lay ourselves open to surprise by not blocking up this cavern entrance completely with stones, since the other is all we use. But it seemed safe enough, such a long, winding way as it is from the big outer cave! Who'd have thought of spies coming? And after such a noise, too, as we'd been making, quite as much as we ever make at any time we're here, to frighten people away."

"Well, captain, and what think you to do with these lads?" asked Red Beard.

"I'd like to hear what any of you may have to say," replied the captain.

"Boys is a terrible nuisance," said Ben, feelingly; "they're always more bother to look after than any other living crittur. Still, letting these go is too great a risk to run. So I vote we keep the lads, captain, and bind them fast by the promises and threats we're all bound by."

"Yes," said the pale-faced youth called Johnnie, "I don't see that we can help ourselves."

Red Beard and the others seeming to be of the same mind, it was settled that the boys should join the band.

"Now, Ben Rait, fetch in that Tom," said the captain, "and I'll tell him what he's got to do, and this boy here can attend to all that's said, and take his turn later."

So Tom was fetched in, looking somewhat subdued. His native impudence had yielded a little to fear, and he had, for him, almost a pensive expression, which sat awkwardly upon his misshapen features.

"P'raps, after a little quiet thought in the safe," remarked the captain, pleasantly, "you may have guessed what our business is, as I can see you're a knowing card enough. But in case you don't yet quite understand, I'll just tell you, Tom. What's your name?"

"Hughes—Thomas Hughes, sir."

"Well, look here, Thomas Hughes, we're smugglers—free traders, if that's a better name. We've got a tidy craft of our own, and a hold for right goods, and a false bottom for the contraband, such as spirits, and lace, and scents, and tobacco."

"Good lack!" exclaimed Tom. "What fun!"

"Not always, young man; not always, by a long way!" replied the captain, drily. "There's hardship in it, and there's danger in it too, but you'll learn all that by experience soon enough. Well, to make things plain in a few words, we don't all live here in this cave when we come back from our voyages. Two of us stay in the cave sometimes, but the rest go to our homes and families, while we're on land, except those nights when we've goods to store; then we come here—as to-night.

"You see, Tom Hughes," he continued, "I make no secret of our business, for, as you're one of us, you're bound to know what we're about. I don't ever buy a pig in a poke myself, nor I won't let others do it neither. So now it's clear to you how matters stand, and you must solemnly promise me three things. First, that you will obey orders, and do, without question, anything that is required of you; secondly, that you will not try to escape; and thirdly, that you will never turn informer and traitor, and betray us or the secrets of the cave. We have a rule as to certain penalties and punishments for anyone who breaks his solemn promise and vow, but I won't mention it now, and I hope, for your own sake, you will never come to know anything about it through any fault of your own. Now, Tom Hughes, if you engage to do all I've said, sign your name here," and then the captain produced a book, a quill, and an inkhorn, and pushed the rough deal table from a corner where it was standing, to the centre of the cave.

So Tom signed, binding himself without a compunction, without a scruple, to this new life from which he might well have shrunk, even at first sight. He then laid down the quill, and turned away with his chin in the air, and a complacent smirk on his face, as if to say, "Here am I! Look at me! I belong to a band of bold men, and there's not one of them that's braver and cleverer than me. Dear me, yes, Tom Hughes will make his mark yet!"

"Here, Ben," called the captain, "you've shown yourself a good nabber of spies and a good jailor. Now, I want you to be lady's maid to that dirty young rascal. Take him to the spring cave and give him a thorough scrub, and cut off all his hair, and find him some clean clothes. He can't be one of us and go round looking as dirty as he does now. If we're poor," and here the captain grinned—"at least, as the little story-books say, we're scrupulously clean."

"All right, sir," said Ben, and laying his iron grasp on the shoulder of the reluctant Tom, he led him away protesting wildly against this hard condition of his captivity.

"And now, Davey Coleman, it's your turn!" said the big man.

And Davey, who had been listening and making up his mind, felt that his turn had come indeed.