Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/91

 But Jerk was in no way softened, so placing his forefinger to the side of his nose and solemnly winking one eye, he said: "I don't know no more than you do, Mister, but if you does want me to guess I don't mind putting six and six together and saying as how you'll find 'em hanging about to get a glimpse at old Pepper's grizzly corpse, wot was brought from the Marsh on a shutter."

"I'll teach them!" shrieked the schoolmaster, flourishing the birch and flying out of the door.

"That's it!" added Jerk. "You do, and I'll teach you, too, my fine fellow, who rapped my head once. I'll teach you and teach you till I teaches your head to wriggle snug inside a good rope's noose." And having thus given vent to his feelings, Jerk followed the schoolmaster to see the fun.

The crowd outside the Court House was quite large for Dymchurch. Everybody was there, and right in front enjoying the excitement gaped and peered the scholars of the school. But Rash elbowed his way through the throng and fell upon them like a sudden squall, using the terrible birch upon the youngsters' shoulders, quite regardless of the cries of "Shame!" and "Stop him!" from the villagers. But the onslaught of Rash came to a sudden conclusion, for the heavy hand of the captain's bo'sun fell upon him and ordered him immediately inside the Court House. Jerk saw Rash turn the colour of a jellyfish, asserting wildly that there