Suddenly, as I peered through the deepening shadow, a long dark boat shot out from it, like a trout from under a stone, making straight in our direction.
'A guard boat!' cried one of the seamen.
'Bill, boy, we're done!' said the other, and began to stuff something into his sea boot.
But the boat swerved at the sight of us, like a shying horse, and was off in another direction as fast as eight frantic oars could drive her.
The seamen stared after her and wiped their brows.

'Her conscience don't seem much easier than our own,' said one of them.

'I made sure it was the preventives.' 'Looks to me as if you weren't the only queer cargo on the coast to-night, mister,' remarked his comrade.

'What could she be ?' 'Cursed if I know what she was.

I rammed a cake of good Trinidad tobacco into my boot when I saw her.