The vessel, he declared, was a craft built in Baltimore for Cuba, where she was to act as a coast guard boat, and that she was on her way to that island.

This seemed very plausible, but the commander of the cruiser noticed that the VISION was heading eastward. The pilot, however,-who it transpired later was in collusion with the smugglers,explained this by stating that he had heard the schooner's captain speak of sending a message back by an incoming ship and that, doubtless, he was laying a course to meet one.

Although these ready explanations served somewhat to allay the officers suspicions, for it accounted for the arms and large crew of the schooner, still they felt sure that there was something not altogether open and above board about the speedy craft which had now vanished below the horizon, and once more they started in chase.

Meanwhile the VISION had sighted the JOHANNA, and realizing she was being followed by the revenue cutter, her commander had altered his plans to meet conditions. Hoisting the United States revenue flag, he ran down to the incoming merchantman, and hailing the captain, ordered him to lay to. Then, the red flag with the white cross was run up, and the skipper of the JOHANNA realized for the first time that the ostensible cruiser was the smuggling craft he was expecting. Be

ing a quick-witted fellow he grasped the fact that there was a reason for this behavior on the part of the smuggler, and as the latter reached his decks, where curious passengers and members of the crew were gathered about, he greeted him as if he were a revenue officer.

"I understand that you have goods abroad which are not on the manifest," said the smuggler, so that all could hear. "It is my duty to seize these and place them aboard the schooner."

Then, entering the cabin with the captain, he explained in a few words that a real cutter was following in his wake, and that he had adopted this ruse of posing as a government officer in order to provide an alibi for the skipper of the JOHANNA when, as most certainly would happen, the revenue cutter overhauled him and asked questions. Very rapidly the "silkes and boxes of cigars, linen and wynes" on board were transferred to the VISION, and the latter's commander duly handed the JOHANNA'S captain a receipt for the "confiscated" goods. By the time this was done the cruiser was in plain sight and under a cloud of canvas was surging towards the two vessels.

Through their glasses, the revenue officers could clearly see that cargo was being transferred from the ship to the schooner, and efforts were redoubled to reach the scene before the schooner could get away. But before they were within can

non shot, the VISION'S yards were swung, her immense sails filled, and like a racing yacht she darted seaward. For an instant the officers on the cutter hesitated. Should they chase the schooner or overhaul the ship which, they now felt assured, was in league with the smugglers? Then to their amazement a signal of distress fluttered to the JOHANNA'S masthead, and the merchantman headed for the cruiser. Scarcely knowing what to expect at this unlooked for manoeuvre the cutter ran alongside the JOHANNA and hailed her.

"We have just been boarded by that cutter running out," bellowed the ship's skipper to the officers on the government craft. "They claimed I had goods not on my manifest and confiscated them. I wish to ask if that is customary or legal?"

"It certainly is not," shouted back the officer of the cutter. "You have been robbed."

A volley of oaths came across the narrow stretch of intervening water from the skipper of the JOHANNA. But the revenue officers scarcely heard the righteously wrathful expletives of the supposed victim of the daring holdup. That he was an innocent dupe they never doubted, and under full sail the cutter went tearing after the rapidly disappearing schooner. More intent than ever were the officials on capturing her, for they were now convinced that instead of a smuggler she was nothing less than a pirate. But had not Fate intervened it

is doubtful if the VISION ever would have been overhauled or its smuggling days ended. Realizing that it was hopeless to attempt to return to the bay and reach his destination without being captured, now that his true character was known, the smuggler again altered his plans, and as darkness fell, hauled his schooner into the wind and headed for Cape Henry with the intention of putting into Hampton Roads, expecting, as duly happened, that the cutter would continue on, when the VISION could double on her tracks and return to York and land the contraband in safety.

In utter darkness, showing no lights, the schooner worked in towards the Roads, until with a jar and crash that threw men from their feet and carried the foremast with spars and rigging over the bows, the VISION ran hard and fast upon a treacherous shoal.

When day dawned the people ashore looked forth to see a waterlogged, pathetic looking wreck of what had been a speedy clipper, but not a soul was on board. The smugglers had lost no time in taking to their boats, and though her commander, as well as the pilot and the skipper of the JOHANNA, were eventually brought to justice through the evidence of the officers of the revenue cutter, it was a kinked lead-line and a faulty compass that should have been given all the credit for their capture.

Of course such organized smuggling bands with large vessels at their disposal and with agents abroad and confederates everywhere, were not numerous. Large sums of money were necessary to buy and operate such craft and to bribe ship masters and officials, and while the returns from smuggling on a wholesale scale were enormous, still it was far safer to smuggle in a small way and the bulk of the bay and sound smuggling was carried on by fishermen, coasters, bumboatmen and other humble seamen. These fellows would run alongside of incoming ships, receive goods that had not been entered on manifests or bill-of-lading, and which the captains intended for the smugglers, and with their contraband concealed under loads of hay, fish, lumber or what-not, would put into obscure ports or harbors and land their goods. Just as it is impossible to overhaul and search every small launch or fishing or pleasure boat today and thus put an effective end to liquor smuggling, so, with a far smaller force of men and fewer vessels, the government of a century ago found it impossible to stop this petty smuggling along our coasts.

And no matter how strong suspicion and circumstantial evidence might be, a man could not be convicted of smuggling or a ship seized as a smuggler unless taken red-handed or unless contraband was found aboard a vessel.

Many a smuggler escaped by destroying the evi