Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/179

 seems to make mistakes, and it was this same master brain wot agreed that you should share the privileges o' the Marsh, and I was ordered to recruit you."

"Oh! and what'll be required o' me?" asked Jerk, "supposin' I thinks about it."

"You'll be given a horse, and you'll ride with the Marsh witches, learn their trade, and be apprenticed to their callin'."

"And how do you know I won't blab and get you and your fellows the rope?" asked Jerry bravely.

"Because we've sized you up, we 'as, and we don't suspect you of treachery. If we did, it wouldn't much matter to us, though I should be right sorry to have been disappointed in you, for I declare I don't know when I took to a young man like I 'as to you. You're my fancy, you are, Jerry. Just like I was at your age. Mad for adventure and for the life of real men."

"Yes, but just supposin' that I did disappoint you, Mister Sexton? It's well to hear all sides, you know."

"Aye, it's well and wise, too, and I'll tell you. If it was to your advantage to betray us—to that captain p'raps—well, I daresay you'd do it now, wouldn't you?"

"I don't know," said Jerk; "all depends. P'raps I might, though. You never knows, does you?"

"No, you never knows. Quite right. But you'd know one thing: that go where you would, or hide where you liked, we'd get you in time, and when we did get you it 'ud be short shrift for you—you may lay to that."