In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster BoyHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction; Historical fiction
"Get ready the signal lanterns," the captain ordered. And a few
minutes later three lanterns were hoisted, one above the other.
Almost immediately two lights were shown in a line on top of the
cliff.
"There is our answer," the captain said. "There is nothing to be
done to-night. That means 'The revenue men are on the look-out;
come back to-morrow night."'
"But they are always on the look-out, are they not?" Harry asked.
"Yes," the captain said; "but when our friends on shore know we are
coming they try to throw them off the scent. It will be whispered
about to-morrow that a run is likely to be made ten miles along
the coast, and they will take care that this comes to the ears of
the revenue officer. Then to-morrow evening after dusk a fishing-boat
will go out and show some lights two miles off shore at the point
named, and a rocket will be sent up from the cliff. That will
convince them that the news is true, and the revenue officers will
hurry away in that direction with every man they can get together.
Then we shall run here and land our cargo. There will be plenty of
carts waiting for us, and before the revenue men are back the kegs
will be stowed safely away miles inland. Of course things go wrong
sometimes and the revenue officers are not to be fooled, but in
nine cases out of ten we manage to run our cargoes without a shot
being fired. Now I must get off shore again."
The orders were given, and the Trois Freres was soon running out
to sea. They stood far out and then lowered the sails and drifted
until late in the afternoon, when they again made sail for the
land. At ten o'clock the signal lights were again exhibited, and
this time the answer was made by one light low down by the water's
edge.
"The coast is clear," the captain said, rubbing his hands. "We'll
take her in as close as she will go, the less distance there is to
row the better."
The Trois Freres was run on until within a hundred yards of the
shore, then a light anchor was dropped. The two boats had already
been lowered and were towed alongside, and the work of transferring
the cargo at once began.
"Do you go in the first boat, monsieur, with the ladies," the
captain said. "The sooner you are ashore the better. There is no
saying whether we may not be disturbed and obliged to run out to
sea again at a moment's notice."
"Thank God!" he exclaimed, as after wading through the shallow
water he stood on the shore, while two of the sailors carried the
girls and put them beside him. "Thank God, I have got you safe on
English soil at last. I began to despair at one time."
"Thank God indeed," Jeanne said reverently; "but I never quite
despaired, Harry. It seemed to me He had protected us through so
many dangers, that He must mean that we should go safely through
them all, and yet it did seem hopeless at one time."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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