Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/302

 oars and pulled away with a will. Then some fool lit one of the piled beacons on the shore. Others were lighted, and the flames shot up along the wall to Littlestone, and the King's men managed to launch the preventer's cutter and chase the lugger. The men routed out of the Ship Inn crowded to the wall to hinder the King's men, but Collyer was in command and bravely kept his men's heads for them amid a hail of bullets from the sea-wall.

The cutter was not long in swinging alongside the lugger, and Collyer clambered aboard, with three or four of his men armed with pistols and cutlasses. The men on the lugger had stopped rowing when they saw that they had no chance of escape, and as soon as the captain hailed them they surrendered sullenly.

The men at the oars were ordered into the cutter, and then the captain turned to the cabin. Outside the door sat Sexton Mipps with his blunderbuss lying across his knees, ready to hand. But he appeared quite calm, and was enjoying his short clay pipe.

"Good evening. Captain," he said. "Coming out fishing with us, are you?"

"Lay that blunderbuss of yours on the deck," answered the captain, "and step aboard the cutter after your pals."

"I should like to know what you be," said Mr. Mipps, "to order a respectable parish sexton about."

"You won't make it easier for yourself, my man, by