exciseman
and the free-traders, who had, however, looked upon him with a sort of
contemptuous tolerance until Mr. Mildmay came.  The old man had been
harmless enough in the days of Mr. Curgenven; not that he was remiss in
his duty, but that his efforts had been rendered nugatory by his
superior's apathy.  The advent of Mr. Mildmay acted as a stimulus;
Penwarden was in truth fearful of being thought too old for his work,
and seemed to set himself deliberately to prove the contrary to the
officer.  More than once in the previous winter he had prevented a run
by his timely warnings; and though the checks were only temporary, the
smugglers were annoyed with him for the difficulties he threw in their
way.  It was therefore strange that young Tonkin should have gonesealskin for
his mother, made him resolve to try his luck in the cave, and he laid
his plans in consultation with the ever-ready Sam.

He guessed that the seals left the cave at low tide to find food in the
deep, and returned when the sea flowed in.  Since the cave was at such
times inaccessible from the sea, he decided that it must be approached
from the well, of which neither he nor Sam had now any remaining dread.
One evening they sallied towards it, carrying a well-made rope-ladder, a
musket apiece, a large hammer, and several torches, which would give
more light than the ancient candle-lantern they had formerly carried.
To one end of the rope-ladder they had attached a series of stout
meat-hooks borrowed from old Reuben: they could more confidently trust
their safety to