Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/119

 "That don't concern you," returned Jerk. "You'll have all you can do makin' it, without askin' questions."

"And you'll have all you can do, when it's made, a-preventin' me a-stringin' you up on it, if I has any more o' your impert'nence."

But Jerry was in no way put out, and replied:

"If you don't want to build my gallows, say so, and I'll soon find some other cove wot does. Come, wot's your price?"

"And wot's your game?"

"My business, not yourn," said the boy. "But you'll find as how yourn won't improve by annoyin' your employers."

"Employers? And who might they be now?" said the sexton.

"Well, I'm a-tryin' to be one," said Jerk, jingling the coins about in his pocket to lend weight to his words. "What price for a gallows, eh?"

The jingle of coins always made the sexton think.

"Wot size? "said he.

"Big enough and strong enough to hang a man on, of course, and allowin' for a good foot or two of timber in the earth."

The sexton scratched his head. "Well, I'm cursed!" he said.

"That's nought to me," replied Jerry. "Come on! Your price?"

"Well, say two crowns for making and one for fixin'."