Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/99

 window—to be exact, at half-past four—I heard stealthy feet come along the passage and unlock it, by which I know that for a period of the night you wanted to make sure of me inside my room, and when on inquiring from your servants I discover that I am the first guest who has ever slept in that particular room, and that the furniture was put into it for the occasion from one of the spare rooms, I begin to see your wisdom, for that room contained no view of the highroad, no view of the Marsh or sea."

"Gad! sir, you are the first man who has dared to question my hospitality. Perhaps you expected me to give up my room for your accommodation."

"Nothing of the kind," answered the captain, "but I expected to be dealt straight with. And this brings me to the end of my complaints, and let me tell you this: I saw enough last night on the Marsh to keep Jack Ketch busy for an hour or so. Gentlemen, I am warning you. You'll not be the first I've sent from the coast to the sessions, nor will you be the last. I warn you, one and all, that I'm going to strike soon. I'm not afraid of your tales of Marsh devils and demon riders. I'll rout 'em out and see how they look by daylight. I've men behind me that I can trust, and they're pretty hardy fighters. If your demon riders are not of this world, then they'll do our good steel no harm; but if they are just men playing hanky-panky tricks to frighten fools from the Marsh, well, all I've got to say to them is, if