“I suppose that there is a good deal of that going on.”

“Any amount of it, sir.  For every still that is captured I reckon there must be a hundred at work that no one dreams of, and will be as long as barley grows and there are bogs and hills all over the country, and safe hiding-places where no one not in the secret would dream of searching.  The boys know that we are not in their line of business, and mind our own affairs.  If it were not for that, I can tell you, I wouldn’t go along these cliffs at night for any pay the king would give me; for I know that before a week would be out my body would be found some morning down there on the rocks, and the coroner’s jury would bring in a verdict of tumbled over by accident, although there wouldn’t be a man of them but would know better.”

“Well, I am sure I don’t want to find out anything about them.  I belong to the detachment in Ballyporrit, and of course if the gauger calls upon us we must march out and aid him in seizing a still.  But beyond that it’s no affair of ours.”

And yet although he so seldom saw any one to speak to, Ralph had sometimes a sort of uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.  Once or twice he had caught a glimpse of what he thought was a man’s head among some rocks; but on walking carelessly to the spot he could see no signs of any one.  Another time, looking suddenly round, he saw a boy standing at the edge of some boggy ground where the land dipped suddenly away some two hundred yards from the edge of the cliff; but directly he saw that he was observed he took to his heels, and speedily disappeared down the valley.

Ralph did not trouble himself about these matters, nor did he see any reason why any one should interest himself in his movements.  Had he wandered about among the hills inland he might be taken for a spy trying to find out some of the hidden stills; but sitting here at the edge of the cliff watching the sea, surely no such absurd suspicion could fall upon him.  Had he been there at night the smugglers might have suspected him of keeping watch for them; but smugglers never attempted to run their cargoes in broad daylight, and he never came down there after dark.  One day a peasant came strolling along.  He was a powerful-looking man and carried a heavy stick.  Ralph was lying on his back looking up at the clouds and did not hear the man approach till he was close to him, then with a quick movement he sprang to his feet.

“I did not hear you coming,” he said.  “You have given me quite a start.”

“It’s a fine day, yer honor, for sleeping on the turf here,” the man said civilly.

“I was not asleep,” Ralph said; “though I own that I was getting on for it.”

“Is yer honor expecting to meet any one here?” the man asked.  “Sure, it’s a mighty lonesome sort of place.”

“No, I am not expecting any one.  I have only come out for a look at the sea.  I am never tired of looking at that.”