’Who？’saidStockdale。
’Latimer，theriding-officer，andsomeassistantofhis。Wehadbettergoindoors。’
Theyenteredthehouse，andLizzyboltedthedoor。’Pleasedon’tgetalight，Mr。Stockdale，’shesaid。
’OfcourseIwillnot，’saidhe。
’Ithoughtyoumightbeonthesideoftheking，’saidLizzy，withfaintestsarcasm。
’Iam，’saidStockdale。’But，LizzyNewberry，Iloveyou，andyouknowitperfectlywell；andyououghttoknow，ifyoudonot，whatI
havesufferedinmyconscienceonyouraccounttheselastfewdays！’
’Iguessverywell，’shesaidhurriedly。’YetIdon’tseewhy。Ah，youarebetterthanI！’
Thetrottingofthehorsesseemedtohaveagaindiedaway，andthepairoflistenerstouchedeachother’sfingersinthecold’Good-
night’ofthosewhomsomethingseriouslydivided。Theywereonthelanding，butbeforetheyhadtakenthreestepsapart，thetrampofthehorsemensuddenlyrevived，almostclosetothehouse。Lizzyturnedtothestaircasewindow，openedthecasementaboutaninch，andputherfaceclosetotheaperture。’Yes，oneof’emisLatimer，’shewhispered。’Healwaysridesawhitehorse。Onewouldthinkitwasthelastcolourforamaninthatline。’
Stockdalelooked，andsawthewhiteshapeoftheanimalasitpassedby；butbeforetheridershadgoneanothertenyards，Latimerreinedinhishorse，andsaidsomethingtohiscompanionwhichneitherStockdalenorLizzycouldhear。Itsdriftwas，however，soonmadeevident，fortheothermanstoppedalso；andsharplyturningthehorses’headstheycautiouslyretracedtheirsteps。WhentheywereagainoppositeMrs。Newberry’sgarden，Latimerdismounted，andthemanonthedarkhorsedidthesame。
LizzyandStockdale，intentlylisteningandobservingtheproceedings，naturallyputtheirheadsascloseaspossibletotheslitformedbytheslightlyopenedcasement；andthusitoccurredthatatlasttheircheekscamepositivelyintocontact。Theywentonlistening，asiftheydidnotknowofthesingularincidentwhichhadhappenedtotheirfaces，andthepressureofeachtoeachratherincreasedthanlessenedwiththelapseoftime。
Theycouldheartheexcisemensniffingtheairlikehoundsastheypacedslowlyalong。Whentheyreachedthespotwherethetubhadburst，bothstoppedontheinstant。
’Ay，ay，’tisquitestronghere，’saidthesecondofficer。’Shallweknockatthedoor？’
’Well，no，’saidLatimer。’Maybethisisonlyatricktoputusoffthescent。Theywouldn’tkickupthisstinkanywhereneartheirhiding-place。Ihaveknownsuchthingsbefore。’
’Anyhow，thethings，orsomeof’em，musthavebeenbroughtthisway，’saidtheother。
’Yes，’saidLatimermusingly。’Unless’tisalldonetotoleusthewrongway。Ihaveamindthatwegohomeforto-nightwithoutsayingaword，andcomethefirstthinginthemorningwithmorehands。Iknowtheyhavestoragesabouthere，butwecandonothingbythisowl’slight。Wewilllookroundtheparishandseeifeverybodyisinbed，John；andifallisquiet，wewilldoasI
say。’
Theywenton，andthetwoinsidethewindowcouldhearthempassingleisurelythroughthewholevillage，thestreetofwhichcurvedroundatthebottomandenteredtheturnpikeroadatanotherjunction。Thiswaytheexcisemenfollowed，andtheambleoftheirhorsesdiedquiteaway。
’Whatwillyoudo？’saidStockdale，withdrawingfromhisposition。
Sheknewthathealludedtothecomingsearchbytheofficers，todivertherattentionfromtheirowntenderincidentbythecasement，whichhewishedtobepassedoverasathingratherdreamtofthandone。’O，nothing，’shereplied，withasmuchcoolnessasshecouldcommandunderherdisappointmentathismanner。’Weoftenhavesuchstormsasthis。Youwouldnotbefrightenedifyouknewwhatfoolstheyare。Fancyridingo’horsebackthroughtheplace:ofcoursetheywillhearandseenobodywhiletheymakethatnoise；buttheyarealwaysafraidtogetoff，incasesomeofourfellowsshouldburstoutupon’em，andtiethemuptothegate-post，astheyhavedonebeforenow。Good-night，Mr。Stockdale。’
Sheclosedthewindowandwenttoherroom，whereatearfellfromhereyes；andthatnotbecauseofthealertnessoftheriding-
officers。
Stockdalewassoexcitedbytheeventsoftheevening，andthedilemmathathewasplacedinbetweenconscienceandlove，thathedidnotsleep，orevendoze，butremainedasbroadlyawakeasatnoonday。Assoonasthegreylightbegantotoucheversofaintlythewhiterobjectsinhisbedroomhearose，dressedhimself，andwentdownstairsintotheroad。
Thevillagewasalreadyastir。Severalofthecarriershadheardthewell-knowntrampofLatimer’shorsewhiletheywereundressinginthedarkthatnight，andhadalreadycommunicatedwitheachotherandOwlettonthesubject。Theonlydoubtseemedtobeaboutthesafetyofthosetubswhichhadbeenleftunderthechurchgallery-
stairs，andafterashortdiscussionatthecornerofthemill，itwasagreedthattheseshouldberemovedbeforeitgotlighter，andhiddeninthemiddleofadoublehedgeborderingtheadjoiningfield。However，beforeanythingcouldbecarriedintoeffect，thefootstepsofmanymenwereheardcomingdownthelanefromthehighway。
’Damnit，heretheybe，’saidOwlett，who，havingalreadydrawnthehatchandstartedhismillfortheday，stoodstolidlyatthemill-
doorcoveredwithflour，asiftheinterestofhiswholesoulwasboundupintheshakingwallsaroundhim。
Thetwoorthreewithwhomhehadbeentalkingdispersedtotheirusualwork，andwhentheexciseofficers，andtheformidablebodyofmentheyhadhired，reachedthevillagecross，betweenthemillandMrs。Newberry’shouse，thevillageworethenaturalaspectofaplacebeginningitsmorninglabours。
’Now，’saidLatimertohisassociates，whonumberedthirteenmeninall，’whatIknowisthatthethingsaresomewhereinthishereplace。Wehavegotthedaybeforeus，and’tishardifwecan’tlightupon’emandget’emtoBudmouthCustom-housebeforenight。
Firstwewilltrythefuel-houses，andthenwe’llworkourwayintothechimmers，andthentothericksandstables，andsocreepround。
Youhavenothingbutyournosestoguideye，mind，souse’emto-dayifyouneverdidinyourlivesbefore。’
Thenthesearchbegan。Owlett，duringtheearlypart，watchedfromhismill-window，Lizzyfromthedoorofherhouse，withthegreatestself-possession。Afarmerdownbelow，whoalsohadashareintherun，rodeaboutwithoneeyeonhisfieldsandtheotheronLatimerandhismyrmidons，preparedtoputthemoffthescentifheshouldbeaskedaquestion。Stockdale，whowasnosmuggleratall，feltmoreanxietythantheworstofthem，andwentabouthisstudieswithaheavyheart，comingfrequentlytothedoortoaskLizzysomequestionorotherontheconsequencestoherofthetubsbeingfound。
’Theconsequences，’shesaidquietly，’aresimplythatIshalllose’em。AsIhavenoneinthehouseorgarden，theycan’ttouchmepersonally。’
’Butyouhavesomeintheorchard？’
’Owlettrentsthatofme，andhelendsittoothers。Soitwillbehardtosaywhoputanytubsthereiftheyshouldbefound。’
TherewasneversuchatremendoussniffingknownasthatwhichtookplaceinNether-Moyntonparishanditsvicinitythisday。Allwasdonemethodically，andmostlyonhandsandknees。Atdifferenthoursofthedaytheyhaddifferentplans。Fromdaybreaktobreakfast-timetheofficersusedtheirsenseofsmellinadirectandstraightforwardmanneronly，pausingnowherebutatsuchplacesasthetubsmightbesupposedtobesecretedinatthatverymoment，pendingtheirremovalonthefollowingnight。AmongtheplacestestedandexaminedwereHollowtreesCupboardsCulvertsPotato-gravesClock-casesHedgerowsFuel-housesChimney-fluesFaggot-ricksBedroomsRainwater-buttsHaystacksApple-loftsPigstiesCoppersandovens。
Afterbreakfasttheyrecommencedwithrenewedvigour，takinganewline；thatistosay，directingtheirattentiontoclothesthatmightbesupposedtohavecomeincontactwiththetubsintheirremovalfromtheshore，suchgarmentsbeingusuallytaintedwiththespirit，owingtoitsoozingbetweenthestaves。Theynowsniffedat-
Smock-frocksSmiths’andshoemakers’apronsOldshirtsandwaistcoatsKnee-napsandhedging-glovesCoatsandhatsTarpaulinsBreechesandleggingsMarket-cloaksWomen’sshawlsandgownsScarecrowsAndassoonasthemid-daymealwasover，theypushedtheirsearchintoplaceswherethespiritsmighthavebeenthrownawayinalarm:-
Horse-pondsMixensSinksinyardsStable-drainsWetditchesRoad-scrapings，andCinder-heapsCesspoolsBack-doorgutters。
Butstilltheseindefatigableexcisemendiscoverednothingmorethantheoriginaltell-talesmellintheroadoppositeLizzy’shouse，whichevenyethadnotpassedoff。
’I’lltellyewhatitis，men，’saidLatimer，aboutthreeo’clockintheafternoon，’wemustbeginoveragain。FindthemtubsIwill。’
Themen，whohadbeenhiredfortheday，lookedattheirhandsandknees，muddywithcreepingonallfourssofrequently，andrubbedtheirnoses，asiftheyhadalmosthadenoughofit；forthequantityofbadairwhichhadpassedintoeachone’snostrilhadrendereditnearlyasinsensibleasaflue。However，afteramoment’shesitation，theypreparedtostartanew，exceptthree，whosepowerofsmellhadquitesuccumbedundertheexcessivewearandtearoftheday。