Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/204

 but accordin' to custom we drops all mention of private names in this organization; so up with your glasses whilst I rechristen him. We has power, we has, we has devils amongst us of very great power, for we has lawyers, and farmers, and squires, and parsons wot be in league with us, but the greatest enemy we has is not the revenue swabs, nor the Admiralty uniforms, nor the bloody redcoats, nor the Prince Regent—God bless him for a vagabond and a 'rip!'—no, I thinks you knows who we fears more than all that ruck?"

"Jack Ketch! Jack Ketch!" whispered the horrible creatures.

"Why, right you are, for Jack Ketch it be," retorted the sexton. "And here's a man wot's goin' sooner or later to be a Jack Ketch. He's got all the gifts of the hangman, he has—just that jolly way with him, he has—and so you'll all be delighted to hear as how he's joined us, for with Jack Ketch as our friend we'll cheat the black cap on the gallows. Gentlemen, Jack Ketch." Therefore they all drank to Jerk with much spirit, and Jerk, having been presented with a flask, pledged them in return and was introduced to all severally by the sexton. "This is Beelzebub, knocked over a good round dozen revenue swabs in your time, ain't you, Beelzebub? And this is Belch the demon, the finest rider we ever had in our demon horse, and here's Satan, and this be Cat'seyes, the weirdest old witch you ever met with in a story book, I'll wager," and so on until such a vast