Dan Hooligan, the landlord, sat at the top--a fit president for such an assembly.

He was partly a smuggler, partly a publican, and wholly a sinner.

I should say that the liquor consumed at that table did not much good to the revenue.
How Dan contrived to escape the laws, was a mystery perhaps best known to the police." "So you are a pal of One-eyed Dick's, are you ?' said he.
"'Rather,' said I, adopting the slang of the place.
"'Well,' said he, 'Dick has been a good customer of mine, and all his pals are welcome at the 'Molly.' I have not seen him lately, however--how goes it with him now ?' "'Right as a trivet,' said I, 'and making lots of rhino.' "'Glad to hear it; and what latitude does he hail in now ?' "'That,' said I, 'is private and confidential.' "'Oh,' said he, 'there are no outsiders here, we are all sworn friends of Dick's, every mother's son of us.' "'Then,' said I, 'Dick is off the Cove in the schooner _Nancy_, of Brest,'" "Holloa, Willis," cried Jack, "there was a fib!" "Well, I told you to look out for something of that sort when I began." "'What!' cried the landlord, 'Dick in a schooner off the Irish coast ?' "'Yes,' said I; 'and aboard that schooner there is as tight a cargo of brandy and tobacco as ever you set eyes upon.' "Here the landlord pricked up his ears, and the rest of the company began to listen attentively.

The fellow that sat next me coolly told me that both he and Dick had been lagged for horse-stealing, and had subsequently broken out of prison and escaped.

He further told me that most of the gentlemen present had been all, one way or another, mixed up with Dick's doings; from which I concluded they were a rare parcel of scamps, and resolved, within myself, to try and bag the whole squad.