As we passed through the narrows, we entered a spacious and
magnificent basin, so completely land-locked that a fleet of vessels
of the largest size may lay there unmoved by any wind. There is no
haven in America to be compared with it.
"You are now safe," said the pilot; "it is only twelve leagues from
Halifax, and nobody would think of looking for you here. The fact is,
the nearer you hide the safer you be."
"Exactly," sais I; "what you seek you can't find, but when you ain't
looking for a thing, you are sure to stumble on it."
"If you ever want to run goods, Sir," said he, "the closer you go to
the port the better. Smugglers ain't all up to this, so they seldom
approach the lion's den, but go farther and fare worse. Now we may
learn lessons from dumb animals. They know we reason on probabilities,
and therefore always do what is improbable. "We think them to be
fools, but they know that we are. The fox sees we always look for him
about his hole, and therefore he carries on his trade as far from it,
and as near the poultry yard, as possible. If a dog kills sheep, and
them Newfoundlanders are most uncommon fond of mutton, I must say, he
never attacks his neighbour's flock, for he knows he would be
suspected and had up for it, but sets off at night, and makes a foray
like the old Scotch on the distant borders.
"He washes himself, for marks of blood is a bad sign, and returns
afore day, and wags his tail, and runs round his master, and looks up
into his face as innocent as you please, as much as to say, 'Squire,
here I have been watchin' of your property all this live-long night,
it's dreadful lonely work, I do assure you, and oh, how glad I am to
see the shine of your face this morning.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67