Everything seemed to be done as quietly as if the men were well accustomed to the task.
Not a word was spoken, except by one who seemed to be leader, and the only sounds we heard were the tramping upon the slate-sprinkled sand and the splashing as they waded in to reach the vessel's side.
It was evident enough that they were landing quite a store of something of another from the vessel, and I knew enough of such matters to be sure that it was a smuggler running a cargo.

For the first few minutes I felt that it must be the French coming to take us unawares; but the French would have landed men, not packages and little barrels.
It was a smuggler sure enough, and hence my father's strict order to be silent, for the smugglers had not a very good character in our parts, and ugly tales were told of how they had not scrupled to kill people who had interfered with them when busy over their dangerous work.
I was watching them eagerly, when, all at once, I turned cold and shivered, for it had suddenly struck me that old Jonas was away with his lugger, and that this must be it landing its cargo, while all the time, so close to me that I could have stretched out my hand and touched him, there lay my school-fellow--the old smuggler's son.
"He must suspect him," I said to myself; and then, "What must he feel ?" And all the while there below us was the busy scene--the men coming and going and the cargo being landed, till all at once there was a cessation.

Those who returned from the cave stayed about the vessel, and seemed, as far as we could make out, to be climbing on board, and as I suddenly seemed to be making out their figures a little more clearly, my father whispered, "Lie down, boys, or you will be seen.

The day is beginning to dawn." We obeyed him silently, and lay watching, seeing every minute more clearly that the dark-looking vessel, which loomed up very big, was being thrust out with long oars, and beginning to glide slowly away in a thick mist which hung over the sea a hundred yards or so from shore.
Then as it reached and began to fade, as it were, into the mist, first one then another dark patch rose from the deck.
"Hoisting sail," I said to myself.

"Two big lug-sails.