Night came on, black and impenetrable as a smuggler’s heart could wish, whilst a low moaning wind swept in fitful gusts over Spurn Point. The surf fell upon the gravelly margin of the beach with a dull heavy sound, that bespoke the hidden power of the monotonously rolling waves. There was, as Tennyson says, “The smell of dying leaves, and the low moan of leaden-coloured seas,” to tell of the dying year; and as Susan Nettleby, closely enveloped in hood and cloak, took her way towards the extremity of the Point, she could not rid herself of the feeling that a presentiment of evil was whispered by every breath of wind, or mentally comparing the melancholy aspect of the night with her own distressing situation.
She was well acquainted with the manner in which signals were usually made to the smugglers arriving off the coast during the night. This, she know, was a duty entrusted to the old man called Deaf Jacob, who, stationed at the extreme end of the Point, would arrange a certain number of lanterns on an elevated framework, in the order which might have been agreed upon for conveying any particular intelligence to the commander of the lugger, and so placed as to be seen by him in time to permit a retreat in case of necessity. Susan, therefore, thought if she could by any means decoy old Jacob from his post there would be nothing to prevent her altering the signal as she had planned; for luckily on this occasion the arrangement was very simple – it being, in case of the coast being clear, three lanterns arranged in an equilateral triangle, and contrarywise should there be danger about,and a landing considered impracticable – only a solitary light was to be shown. Thus, if two of the lights were extinguished during Jacob’s absence, in all probability the smugglers would be afraid to attempt a landing, and would retire to await a more favourable opportunity; whilst even though the party on shore should afterwards discover the extinguished lanterns, the failure would be attributed to accident and nothing further would be done in the affair that night, all danger of a conflict with the Revenue officers being in consequence successfully avoided. The only difficulty was that Jacob might return to his charge, and re-light the lanterns before the approach of the smugglers; in which case her entire scheme would prove abortive. But something must be risked, and the chances were decidedly in her favour, for the lanterns, as a rule, were never lighted until the moment it was thought the signal would be seen. Thus a very short time would serve her purpose.
Alternately picturing to herself the success or failure of her plans, Susan gradually drew near to the end of the Point, where they would be put to the test. Her heart beat tumultuously with conflicting feelings, love, gear, hope, and despair, each in turn reigned there supreme, and her footsteps were hasty and decided, or slow and hesitating, in accordance with the nature of the passion which was momentarily in the ascendancy. The path was rugged and uneven, for she had descended to the beach and was making her way over the gravel and rubble left there by the retiring tides; but bravely she plodded on, until within a few yards of her destination – the end of the Point – when she moderated her movements, taking advantage of every inequality in the ground to hide herself from view. At length, she arrived at the long stretch of detached boulders which indicated the end of her journey; and a cry of dismay almost left her lips as she observed that already the triangle of lights was faintly glimmering a short distance from her. There was no appearance of Old Jacob, not a sound broke the stillness of the night, save the melancholy thunder of the surges on the shore. But Deaf Jacob must be found, and she immediately began an investigation of the neighbourhood. Soon she was rewarded, the trusty guard was discovered in a sheltered nook, overcome by sleep, most probably occasioned by drinking too much smuggled Hollands or Cognac, for the old man loved his glass only too well. Not too well, however, on this occasion for Susan’s purpose, and she almost blessed the smugglers for having brought the material, which proved such an aid in the accomplishment of her designs. Seeing that he was oblivious to everything, and would apparently remain in that state some time longer, she lost no time in advancing to the lanterns, the two lowermost of which she immediately extinguished. Having accomplished this task she thought there was no reason why she would remain on the spot, and it would be safer to retire; therefore, casting one long earnest glance across the sea where she fancied in the distance she could see a faintly glimmering light, which might be on board the lugger, she turned her back upon the water, and retraced her steps inland well satisfied with the success which had crowned her efforts on behalf of those she loved.
But we are far too apt to allow our wishes to become the creators of out thoughts, and to be led astray in our judgments by self-interest. It was so in this instance, and all Susan’s well-arranged scheme proved an utter failure. Old Nettleby and his sons happened to be aware of the fact that Deaf Jacob had been indulging too freely in the bottle during the day, and was consequently scarcely to be trusted with the signalling, upon which so much depended. This Susan was scarcely beyond hearing distance when Joe Nettleby arrived at the signal post on his tour of inspection. Cursing the wind for having, as he supposed, extinguished the lights, and Deaf Jacob for his culpable negligence, he relighted the lanterns and then proceeded to awaken the sleeping watchman, a task which was accomplished by the rough and ready measure of a few hearty kicks, the old man awaking dazed and confused to have his ears assailed by a torrent of epithets more forcible than polite. “Confound you,” roared Joseph, “a pretty mess you would have made of it if I hadn’t come round to look after you. Half a fortune would have been lost through your beastly habits, even though it be not yet too late.” But old Jacob assured him he could not have been asleep more than a few minutes as was shown by the state of the lanterns, which had apparently not been long burning. Therefore, still cursing and reviling the old man, and warning him to keep a sharp look-out, as the boat was momentarily expected, the young man returned to the spot where his comrades were concealed, not, however without feeling – as his sister had done previously – a vague presentiment of coming evil, as the melancholy dirges were sounded by wind and waves.
Susan, in the meantime, had advanced a considerable distance on her way homewards, and was congratulating herself on the good fortune which had attended her, when she suddenly heard a pistol shot in the direction whence she was returning. A thrill of alarm caused her to stand still, whilst her cheeks became of a deadly pallor; but when she heard the shot repeated, and then a regular volley, accompanied by indistinct shouts, she became aware that somehow her poly had failed at the last moment, and a struggle was proceeding between the Revenue officers and the smugglers. No sooner she was satisfied of this than she turned and ran in the direction of the sounds at a speed which gave evidence of her healthy, active life. She had not proceeded far ere a bright glow in front informed her that something unusual had occurred, and soon arriving within sight of the sea, she perceived it was caused by some burning barrels, which had been saturated with oil or tar and set on fire by the Revenue officers to enable them to see what went on and recognise the smugglers.
Hurrying forward Susan saw that a desperate conflict was going on between the two parties who were apparently pretty well matched in point of numbers, although, perhaps, the smugglers were slightly in the minority. Some individuals had already fallen on both sides, and foremost in their ranks, to her horror, she beheld her lover and her father engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand encounter. Uttering a loud cry of anguish, she darted forward, but just as she saw her lover felled to the floor by a blow from old Nettleby, she tripped over some obstacle, and was thrown heavily to the ground, losing consciousness at the same time.