As Paine frequently happened at the house of Smith, he soon began to suspect that all was not right. However he said nothing on the subject, until one evening he happened to be passing by Smith’s house rather late, and seeing, as he thought, an uncommon stir going on at that late hour, he determined to go in and satisfy his doubts as to what he before suspected, and there he found Smith and two or three more of his gang secreting goods, which he knew must have been either smuggled or stolen. He therefore at once threatened to expose them immediately. Smith then tried every means of persuasion in his power to induce Paine to join in his unlawful pursuits, but all in vain, as Paine said that his duty to his God and his country would be the instant exposure of their misdoings.--Smith finding that he could not induce him to join at any rate, then had recourse to stratagem. He begged of Paine to allow but three days to settle up his affairs and leave the country, swearing in the most solemn manner, and calling upon his God to witness that if he would grant him this request he would immediately leave off his dishonest course of living, and forever after become an honest man. All this he said in such an earnest manner, that Paine, seeing that it would be the utter ruin of Smith’s whole family, as well as himself, at length yielded to his request, after the most solemn assurance that Smith would do as he swore. But we will see how well he regarded his promise; for no sooner than Paine had left the house, he called in his companions, and held a consultation as to what should be done. Meanwhile the bottle was circulated freely so as to steel their hearts, and fit them for any fiendish purpose that should suggest itself to their maddened brain; and they determined, before they separated, as the only chance of escaping and avoiding the law, to murder Paine. They then separated for the night, resolving to meet early the next day and lay the plan for their diabolical and fiendish purpose, which was as follows:--