But it's a foolish joke, for, Sam:
"'Honour and worth from no condition rise--'
"'Exactly,' sais I.
"'Stitch well your part, there all the honour lies.'
"'Sam, Sam,' said he, 'you are a bad boy,' and he put on a serious
face, and went in and got his gown ready for service.
"The 'Sary Ann' for the 'Black Hawk,'" sais I to myself, "well that
ain't bad either; but there are more chests of tea and kegs of brandy,
and such like, taken right by the custom-house door at Halifax in
loads of hay and straw, than comes by water, just because it is the
onlikeliest way in the world any man would do it. But it is only some
of the Bay of Fundy boys that are up to that dodge. Smugglers in
general haven't the courage to do that. Dear me!" sais I to myself,
"when was there ever a law that couldn't be evaded; a tax that
couldn't be shuffled off like an old slipper; a prohibition that a
smuggler couldn't row right straight through, or a treaty that hadn't
more holes in it than a dozen supplemental ones could patch up? It's a
high fence that can't be scaled, and a strong one that can't be broke
down. When there are accomplices in the house, it is easier to get the
door unlocked than to force it. Receivers make smugglers. Where there
are not informers, penalties are dead letters. The people here like to
see us, for it is their interest, and we are safe as long as they are
friendly.
Pages:
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63