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dlemas-but, speaking of Frank Kennedy, I dare say he'll be here the day, for he was away round to Wigton to warn a king's ship that's lying in the bay about Dirk Hatteraick's lugger being on the coast again, and he'll be back this day; so we'll have a bottle of claret, and drink little Harry's health."

"I wish," replied the lady, "Frank Ken nedy would let Dirk Hatteraick alonewhat needs he make himself more busy than other folk?-cannot he sing his sang, and take his drink, and draw his salary like Collector Snail, honest man, that never fashes ony body? And I wonder at you, Laird, for meddling and makingDid we ever want to send for tea or brandy frae the Borough-town, when Dirk Hatteraick used to come quietly into the bay?"

"Mrs Bertram, you know nothing of these matters. Do ye think it becomes a magistrate to let his own house be made a receptacle for smuggled goods? Frank Kennedy will shew you the penalties in

the act, and

ye ken yoursell they used to put their run goods into the auld Place of Ellangowan up bye there."

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"Oh dear, Mr Bertram, and what the waur were the wa's and the vault o' the auld castle for having a whin kegs o' brandy in them at an orra time? I am sure ye were not obliged to ken ony thing about it; or what the waur was the King that the lairds here got a soup o' drink, and the ladies their drap o' tea at a rea sonable rate?—it's a shame to them to pit such taxes on them!-and was na I much the better of these Flanders head and pinners, that Dirk Hatteraick sent me all the way frae Antwerp? It will be lang or the King sends me ony thing, or Frank Kennedy either. And then ye would quarrel with these gypsies too. I expect every day to hear the barn yard's in a low."

"I tell you once more, my dear, you don't understand these things-and there's Frank Kennedy coming galloping up the avenue.",

"A weel! a weel! Ellangowan," said the lady, raising her voice as the Laird left the room, "I wish ye may understand them yoursell, that's a'."

From this nuptial dialogue the Laird joyfully escaped to meet his faithful friend; Mr Kennedy, who arrived in high spirits. "For the love of life, Ellangowan," he said, "get up to the castle! you'll see that old fox Dirk Hatteraick, and his ma jesty's hounds in full cry after him." So saying, he flung his horse's bridle to a boy, and ran up the ascent to the old castle, followed by the Laird, and indeed by several others of the family, alarmed by the sound of guns from the sea, now distinctly heard.

On gaining that part of the ruins which commanded the most extensive outlook, they saw a lugger, with all her canvass crowded, standing across the bay, closely pursued by a sloop of war, that kept firing upon the chase from her bows, which the lugger returned with her stern

chasers. "They're but at long bowls yet," cried Kennedy in great exultation, "but they will be closer bye and bye.-D-n him, he's starting his cargo! I see the good Nantz pitching overboard, keg after keg !—that's a d-d ungenteel thing of Mr Hatteraick, as I shall let him know bye and bye. Now, now! they've got the wind of him!-that's it, that's it!-hark to him! hark to him!-now, my dogs! now, my dogs!-hark to Ranger, hark !".

"I think," said the old gardener to one of the maids, "the gauger's fie;" by which word the common people express those violent spirits which they think a presage of death.

Meantime the chase continued. The lugger, being pilotted with great ability, and using every nautical shift to make her escape, had now reached, and was about to double, the head-land which formed the extreme point of land on the left side of the bay, when a ball having hit the yard in the slings, the main-sail

fell upon the deck. The consequence of this accident appeared inevitable, but could not be seen by the spectators; for the vessel, which had just doubled the headland, lost steerage, and fell out of their sight behind the promontory. The sloop of war crowded all sail to pursue, but she had stood too close upon the cape, so that they were obliged to wear the vessel for fear of going ashore, and to make a large tack back into the bay, in order to recover sea-room enough to double the headland.

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They'll lose her by, cargo and lugger, one or both," said Kennedy; "I must gallop away to the Point of Warroch (this was the head-land so often mentioned,) and make them a signal where she has drifted to on the other side. Good bye for an hour, Ellangowan-get out the gallon punch-bowl, and plenty of lemons. I'll stand for the French article by the time I come back, and we'll drink the young Laird's health in a bowl that would swim

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