fetting of the wind choked her timid sprang upwards at the response, cry. The halloo was repeated; Susan listened with her very eyes. Her distended fingers seemed grasping to catch at sound. A sound did rise above the roar of the breakers and the rushing of the wind: it was the report of a volley of carbines fired on the beach. Susan screamed, and sunk on the edge of the cliff, overpowered with terror and anxiety. Quickly there was seen a flashing of lights along the coast, and men running from the Martello-towers to the beach in disorder. Then was heard the curse for curse, the clashing of cutlasses and discharge of arms, and the hoarse shout of some of the smugglers, who had succeeded in putting their boat off from the shore with part of her cargo, which it appeared they had been attempting to work. Susan well understood the import of these dreadful sounds, and recovering from her fright, was striving to ascertain from her station the position of the parties, when a hard breathing of some one, apparently exhausted, arrested her attention. It seemed to issue from beneath, and, looking over the summit of the cliff, she perceived the shadow of a man cautiously ascending. He had almost accomplished his task, and was grasping a jutting fragment of stone, to enable him to rest a moment from the fatigue of his attempt. Susan heard him panting for breath, and, in endeavoring to discover whether he wore the jacket or the smock-frock (the latter being the usual working attire of the smugglers), heard him sigh heavily. She thought it was a form she knew she bent over the edge, and held her breath in the very agony of hope and fear. The figure stood with his back to the cliff, and looking down on the beach, ejaculated, "Oh, God!" It was in one of those moans which betray the most acute suffering of mind, which thrill through the hearer, and create that kindred overflowing of the heart's tears which makes the sorrow of the afflicted more than our own. Susan heard the sound, and breathlessly answered-"Who is it?" The figure exclaimed- and "James! James!" she cried. He caught a large tuft of grass to assist him in darting into her expanded arms, when the weed broke by the roots from the light sand in which it had grown; a faint cry, and the fall of a body, with the rattling of earth and stones, down the steep, were the sounds that struck terror, and madness, and dismay through the brain of poor Susan. She attempted to call for assistance, but her voice obeyed not the effort, and, in the delirium of the moment, she sprang down the cliff; but, fortunately, alighting on a projection, and at the same time instinctively catching the long weeds, was saved from the danger her perilous situation had threatened: but still she continued her descent, stepping from tuft to stone, reckless whether she found a footing, or was precipitated to the base; which the darkness concealing, all below looked like a black abyss. Susan alighted in safety on the beach: an indistinct form lying on the shingle met her view. "James! James!" she cried," speak! let me hear your voice-for mercy's sake tell me, are you hurt?" No answer was returned; she grasped his hand, and felt his brow; but, on the instant, started from the form in horror-the hand was stiff, and the brow was deadly cold; and then, as if all her powers of utterance had become suddenly re-organized, she broke forth into such a cry of anguish, that it pierced through the noises of the night like the scream of a wounded eagle. A pistol-shot was heard; the ball whizzed past the ear of Susan, and harmlessly buried itself in the sand of the cliff. A party of the blockade rushed toward the spot, and, by the light of a torch, discovered the poor girl stretched on the body of a smuggler. They raised her in their arms she was quite senseless; and holding the light in the face of the man, they saw that he was dead. "She's a pretty young creature!" menced a practical argument for the said one of the men; it's a pity she couldn't let her sweetheart come to the beach alone, for she seems almost as far gone as he is ;-what shall we do with her, Sir?" This was addressed to a young man of the group, wearing the uniform of a midshipman, and whose flushed and disordered countenance proved that he had taken a considerable share in the late desperate encounter. "Take her to the tower, Thomas," said he; "she may assist with her evidence the investigation of this affair. The body of the man must also be carried to our station, for I dare say we shall grapple some of the rascals before the night's work is over. Our lieutenant has ordered the boat to be pursued that put off in the scuffle; and, as some of the cargo is now lying about the rocks here, we must look out for another squall." One of the sailors sustained the still senseless Susan in his arms, while the corpse followed, borne by four others on their carbines. "This fun was not expected, Infant Joe," said one of the men to the gigantic figure who carried Susan in one of his arms, with as much ease as he would have conveyed a child, and who, in mockery of his immense bulk, had been so nicknamed. "No," was the laconic reply. "I think," continued the other, "'twas your pistol settled that poor fellow, for he lay in the very point of the woman's scream when you fired." Yes," said Joe, with a grin, "mayhap it was; and I wish each of my bullets could search twenty of 'em at once as surely and as quickly." "Halt!" cried the officer who was conducting the party; "if I mistake not, I perceive a body of men, creeping on their hands and knees, at the foot of the cliff. Out with your torches, or we may be fair marks for a bullet." The men instantly obeyed, and at the same moment discovered that their progress was interrupted by a gang of armed smugglers, who instantly com right of way by furiously attacking the blockade. At the first fire, the ponderous bulk bearing the light form of Susan reeled and fell with its burthen on the earth; and a smuggler was seen to rush wildly through the chaos of contending beings, hewing his passage with a short broad cutlass, and apparently having but one object in view. A retreat of the smugglers, and the consequent advance of their antagonists, brought him to the spot where Susan, still senseless, lay wound in the sinewy arm of the prostrate man-of-war's man. He endeavored to disengage her from his grasp; and, on placing his hand on her neck, he felt that his fingers were straying in warm and still oozing blood. He trembled, and gasped for breath:there were two beings senseless before him-one must be seriously wounded, perhaps dying or dead. He dragged Susan from her thrall: the action was followed by a groan from the man, who faintly rose upon his knees, and made a grasp towards the female with one hand, and drawing a pistol from his belt with the other, discharged it at random, and again fell exhausted. The report was heard by some of the still contending party, and forms were seen hastening to the spot; but the smuggler had safely ascended the cliff with Susan, and sitting on the summit, wiped the drops of agony and toil from his brow, and placed his trembling hand upon her heart. At the first he could discover no pulsation; he pressed his hand firmer against her side, and with a cry of joy sprang upon his feet-he felt the principle of life beat against his palm. He again clasped her in his arms, and, with the speed of a hound, ran across the fields leading from the edge of the cliffs, darted through the church-yard, and his quick step was soon heard on the stones of the paved street. habitants were at their doors and windows, anxious to catch the slightest word that might give them some intelligence of the conflict; for the reports of the fire-arms had been The in heard in the town, and all there was anxiety and agitation: but the quick questions were unanswered, the salutes were unnoticed-the form that rushed by them was heard to gasp hardly for breath, and they were satisfied that something desperate had taken place. The smuggler gained the street Susan had set out from; the women, and others who had joined them, were gathered round the door of the house, waiting with breathless impatience her return, and various were the conjectures of the night's events; when a voice, whose tones all knew, was heard to exclaim-"Stand o' one side there; a chair! a chair!" They made way for him in an instant; he darted into the house, placed Susan in the arm-chair, and dropped on the floor, with his forehead resting on his arm. "James!" the women cried, "are you hurt?" They received no reply; but his convulsive panting alarmed them they raised him from the ground, while one of the women lighted a candle. At that moment a scream of dismay escaped from all those who had stood listening at the door rushed in, and were horror-struck on beholding poor Susan lying apparently lifeless in the chair, her face and neck dabbled with blood; but she breathed, and not a moment was to be lost. Restoratives were applied to both, the blood was cleansed from Susan, and, to the joy of all, not a wound could be perceived. James had now sufficiently recovered to stand and bathe her temples: he kissed her cold quivering lips-she slowly opened her eyes-the first object they rested upon was her husband! She started from the chair, and gazed at him with a mingled expression of terror and delight. James, seeing the effect his appearance produced, pressed her in his arms, where she lay laughing and crying, and clasping him round the neck, till the shock had subsided, when she sat like a quiet child on his knee, reposing her head upon his shoulder. None had as yet ventured to ask a question, but all impatiently 53 ATHENEUM, VOL. 1, 3d series. waited till Susan should break the silence that had now followed the confusion of cries, tears, and wonder. But she seemed to have no other wish on earth-she was in her husband's arms-beneath their own roof-and that was question, and answer, and everything to her. James appeared restless, and attempted to rise; but the motion was followed by the close winding of Susan's arms round his neck. Then, as if suddenly resolved, and chiding himself for some neglect, he started from his seat. Susan," said he, "you are better now; keep yourself still till I returnI shall be gone but a few minutes." "No, no," cried Susan, grasping his arm with both her hands-" not again-go not again. I shall be able to speak to you presently; don't leave me now, James." "You mus❜n't persuade me to stay," replied he; "I left the crew fighting with the blockade when I saw you in that fellow's arms; but I must go back again, for life and death are in this night's business. One of us has been shot, poor Peter Cullen drowned he would drink in spite of our orders, and fell overboard. I tried to save him; but I'm afraid he lies dead under the cliff, just where I first saw you, Susan, when I lost my footing. But I must go back, and see the end of it-now don't gripe me so hard, Susan-I must go. I dare say all's lost but I must go." He struggled to release himself from Susan, when a smuggler rushed into the house, pale and exhausted; he flung himself into a chair, and throwing a brace of pistols on the ground, exclaimed "The boat's taken-the tubs we had worked to the foot of the cliffs are seized too: we fought hard for it, but it was of no use ;" and then he breathed a bitter curse in that low, withering tone, which seems to recoil upon the head of the curser, and clings only to him that utters it. "Well, it can't be helped," said James, calmly seating himself; "it's no use repining now-words and sighs won't better it; though it is somewhat worked part of it, and had hid the hard, after cruising about for three months, to lose our cargo at sea, and when we thought ourselves lucky that we escaped Cork gaol, and got back to Holland with an empty hold, and tried to do a little business at home, to make such a finish to all as we have done to-night. Poor Peter's drowned too, Tom-d'ye know that?" "Ah!" said the other, "I thought it was all over with him when I saw him go; but how did you manage with him?" "Now it's all over," said James, "I'll tell you the whole affair. When I plunged in after him, I popped a tub under my arm, thinking we were opposite a point where there was no watch; for, thinks I, if I can work a tub and save a man's life at the same time, I shall do a clever thing: but it was some seconds before I could find Peter, it being so pitch dark. At last I saw something bob up to the top of the water, close to me-it was him, sure enough; I made a grasp, and caught him by the hair-kept his head above the surface, and got ashore with him. At that moment, a blockademan 'spied me, and fired a pistol: I heard some of them coming towards me, so I dragged Peter under the cliff, and made for the town; but the meno'-wars-men followed me up so closely, that I was obliged to drop my tub, and crowd all sail. I got near home, and thought I could manage to drop in without being seen; but they had so gained upon me that I was obliged to run again right through the town, where I dodged them, till I found myself back again at the place where I had left Peter. I felt him, but he was stiff and dead, poor fellow. I then thought I'd try if I could hail you; but the only answer I got was a report of fire-arms on the beach then I knew that you must be working the boat slap in the teeth of the blockade. I listened a minute or two, and all was silent; so, thinks I, they have either put out to sea again, or have succeeded in working the cargo." "Yes," interrupted Tom, "we had tubs under the cliff, when we were discovered and attacked; and three or four suddenly put off the boat, while we who were left had to fight it out, and get away as we could." my footing, Well," continued James, "I thought I'd mount the cliff and look out, and had got near the top-but what with wondering how you had managed, and thinking about poor Peter and our unlucky cruise, I felt very melancholy, and was pulling-up to take fresh wind, when what should I hear but my Susan's voice! That so astonished me, that I lost and was capsized plump down again on the shingle. There was no bones broke, however; and I was just about to hail Susan on the cliff, when I thought I saw some of the blockade coming; and, says I to myself, 'you mus'n't see me, my masters!'—so I crept close under the cliff, and passed them safe enough. Then, thinks I, I may as well find out where the lads are;' and thinking Susan would be up to the rig, and wait where she was, or go home again, I contrived to rus along the bottom of the cliff, till I found myself tumbling among a lot of tubs. Oho!' thinks I, all's right yet;' and, while looking about, I perceived all of you creeping down the cliffs. You recognized me, if you recollect; and we were just preparing to clear the tubs snugly away, when the enemy's lanterns issued from a projecting part of the cliff. Douse they went in one moment, and, in the other, there we were with the blockade, yard-arm and yard-arm; but, when I first saw the light from their torches, what should I see but my Susan stowed in the arms of Infant Joe. In the surprise, I opened a fire upon him, but took a good aim notwithstanding; I saw him fall, and laying about me right manfully, I seized upon my little brig, carried her away from the grappling-irons of the huge pirate, and towed her right into harbor-and here she is, safe and sound-there's some comfort in that, ar'n't there, my girl?”—and a hearty kiss, with a murmured bless : ing, escaped from the lips of the rough young smuggler, as he again pressed the now happy Susan in his arms. Two of his companions now entered the house they were cordially received by their acquaintances and neighbors assembled; but the hanging of their heads, the ill-stifled sighs, and the languid manner of taking the hands outstretched to welcome them, proved how severely their bold hearts felt their chilling disappointments and unrewarded toil. A dead silence followed their entrance; for what could be said? The journal of their cruise and misfortunes was recorded in every line of their brows. It was a sad meeting; and sadness and silence love to be together. At length one of them, looking at James, said, "We heard that you had brought down Infant Joe; but, just as we came into the town, we were told that he was only wounded, and had been carried to the tower, with a pistolbullet in his right shoulder." "In his right shoulder, eh?" said James, as he gave a loud whistle, and looked at Susan; "it was close chance for you, my girl. Well, I've no wish for his death; but, if we ever should meet again, I am just as likely to snap my trigger, and perhaps with better success.-But, Susan, my lass, I've been waiting all along to know how you came on the cliff at such a time; and I'm somewhat jealous, too, at that same Infant Joe, and the manner he was convoying you so snugly.” Susan smiled, and related her share in the events of the night, and concluded by entreating James to relinquish his desperate and unprofitable pursuit to forego all thoughts of again embarking in a Winter Cruise-and, when the employment of the coast failed to procure them a quiet subsistence, to remove to some happier land, where industry may reap its reward, and the strong arm and sweating brow know their hours of comfort and repose. THE SPIDER AND THE FLY, A NEW VERSION OF AN OLD STORY. BY MRS. HOWITT. [The following is a lesson for all folks-great and small-from the infant in the nursery to the emperor of Russia, the grand signior of Turkey, and the queen of Portugal-or from those who play with toy-cannons to such as are now figuring on the theatre of war.] "WILL you walk into my parlor ?" said a spider to a fly : ""Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy. The way into my parlor is up a winding stair, And I have many pretty things to show you when you are there." "Oh, no, no!" said the little fly, " to ask me is in vain, For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again." "I'm sure you must be weary with soaring up so high, Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the spider to the fly. "There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin: "Oh, no, no!" said the little fly, " for I've often heard it said, Said the cunning spider to the fly, "Dear friend, what shall I do "Sweet creature!" said the spider," you're witty and you're wise If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself." |