farmers they'd come in there by night from all round the country, to
sell salt-fish and lumber and potatoes, and glad enough they were, I
tell ye. The rigging was put in order, and it wasn't long before she was
ready to sail, and it was all kept mighty quiet. She lay up to an old
wharf in a cove where she wouldn't be much noticed, and they took care
not to paint her any or to attract any attention.

"One day Cap'n Carew was over in Riverport dining out with some
gentlemen, and the revenue officer sat next to him, and by and by says
he, 'Why won't ye take a ride with me this afternoon? I've had warning
that there's a brig loading for the West Indies over beyond Deephaven
somewheres, and I'm going over to seize her.' And he laughed to himself
as if he expected fun, and something in his pocket beside. Well, the
first minute that Cap'n Carew dared, after dinner, he slipped out, and
he hired the swiftest horse in Riverport and rode for dear life, and
told the folks who were in the secret, and some who weren't, what was
the matter, and every soul turned to and helped finish loading her and
getting the rigging ready and the water aboard; but just as they were
leaving the cove--the wind was blowing just right--along came the
revenue officer with two or three men, and they come off in a boat and
boarded her as important as could be.

"'Won't ye step into the cabin, gentlemen, and take a glass o' wine?'
says Cap'n Carew, very polite; and the wind came in fresher,--something
like a squall for a few minutes,--and the men had the sails spread
before you could say Jack Robi'son, and before those fellows knew what
they were about the old brig was a standing out to sea, and the folks on
the wharves cheered and yelled. The Cap'n gave the officers a good scare
and offered 'em a free passage to the West Indies, and finally they said
they wouldn't report at headquarters if he'd let 'em go ashore; so he