"
"I suppose that there is a good deal of that going on."
"Any amount of it, sir. For every still that is captured I reckon
there must be a hundred at work that no one dreams of, and will be as
long as barley grows and there are bogs and hills all over the
country, and safe hiding-places where no one not in the secret would
dream of searching. The boys know that we are not in their line of
business, and mind our own affairs. If it were not for that, I can
tell you, I wouldn't go along these cliffs at night for any pay the
king would give me; for I know that before a week would be out my body
would be found some morning down there on the rocks, and the coroner's
jury would bring in a verdict of tumbled over by accident, although
there wouldn't be a man of them but would know better."
"Well, I am sure I don't want to find out anything about them. I
belong to the detachment in Ballyporrit, and of course if the gauger
calls upon us we must march out and aid him in seizing a still. But
beyond that it's no affair of ours."
And yet although he so seldom saw any one to speak to, Ralph had
sometimes a sort of uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.
Once or twice he had caught a glimpse of what he thought was a man's
head among some rocks; but on walking carelessly to the spot he could
see no signs of any one.
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