menu_book Chapter 23

CHAPTER XXIII. A YOUNG RECRUIT Talk about an healthy child, and there he is, said Mrs. Waggetts, entering the sanded parlor with Sexton Mipps. And eat? Nothing like eating to increase your fat, is there, Mr. Mipps? But there, I suppose you never had no fat on you to speak of, cause if ever a man was one of Pharaoh's lean kind, you was.

"'It's hard work what's kept me thin, Mrs. Waggetts,' replied the sinister Sexton. "'Hard work and the scheming and a little of both would do our young Jerry here no harm.' "'As to work,' replied Jerry, gulping down more food, "'there ain't been no complaints against me, I believe, Mrs. Waggetts.' "'Certainly not, Jerry, my boy,' replied that lady affably.

That's good, said Jerk, and then turning to the Sexton, he added, and as to scheming, Mr. Sexton, how do you know I don't scheme? Some folks are so took up with their own schemes that perhaps they don't get the time to notice what others are a-doing. I has lots of schemes, I has. I thinks about them by day, I does, and dreams of them at night.

And that gives you a rare knack of putting away Mrs. Waggett's victuals, I'm a-noticin', Madison," dryly remarked the sexton. "'Lor, I'm sure he's hardly welcome to anything I've got,' returned the landlady. "'It fair cheers me to see him eat well, and it'll be a fine man he'll be making in a year or so.' "'Aye, that I will,' cried young jerk.

"'And when I'm a hangman I ain't a-going to forget my old friend. I'll come along from the town every Sunday, I will, and we'll go and hear Parson Sin preach just the same as we does now, and Mr. Pips will show us into the pew, and everybody will turn around and stare at us and say,

Why, there goes hangman jerk. Then we'll come back and have a bite of supper together, that is, providing I don't have to sup with the squire at the courthouse. That'd be likely interrupted Mips. And after we've had supper,

I'll tell you stories about horrible sights I've seen in the week and terrible things I've done, and it'll go hard with Sexton Mips to keep even with me with weird yarning, I tells you. Ha, ha, chuckled Mips. Strike me dead and knock me up slipshod in a buck-rum coffin if this man Jerry Jerk don't please me. Look at him, Mrs. Waggetts. Will you please do me the favor of looking at him hard, though don't let it put you off your feed, Jerry. Why, at your age I had just

such notions as you've got, but then I never had your advantages. Why, at thirteen years of age I was growed up in my fancies as this jerk. Sweet meets the devil, eh, Jerry? For it's some who grows above such garbage from their first rocking in the cradle. This Jerry jerk is a man. Why, I bless you, he's more a man than lots of em' what thinks they be. Aye, more a man than some of em' what's a-doin' man's work."

That's so, said Mrs. Waggots, enthusiastically backing the sexton up. And don't you forget that he owns a bit of land on the marsh, and so he's a marshman proper. I doesn't forget it, said Mips, and I've been tellin' certain folks what had how things were goin' with hangman jerk. "'and I've made him see that although only a child in regard to age,

"'he ain't no child in his deeds, "'and so they agree with me, Mrs. Waggetts, "'that it'd be unjust not to let him have full Marshman's privileges, "'and I'll go bail that jerk, "'won't disgrace me by not living up to them privileges.

"'Perhaps I won't, Mr. Sexton, "'when I knows what them privileges are. "'You listen, and I'll tell you, answered the sexton. And listen well, Jerry, added Mrs. Waggetts,

for what Mr. Mips is a-going to say will like as not be the making of you. I will listen most certainly, replied Jerk, so soon as Mr. Mips gets on with it. I'm all agog to listen,

but there's no use in listening before he begins, is there now? Jerry, said the sexton, you're just one after my own heart. You ought to have lived in my days when I was a lad,

gone to sea and got amongst the interesting gentlemen like I did. Aye, and they was interesting, and reckless they was, too. They was rough, none rougher, but I don't grudge them all the kicks they give me. Why, it made a man of me, young jerk. I'll tell you, Master Jerry, that bad as them sea adventurers was,

And bad they was, my eye. Yes, buccaneers, pirates, and all the rest of it. But bad as they was, they did some good, for they made a man of me, Jerry. I should never have been the sort of man I is now, if them ruffians hadn't kindly knocked the nonsense out of me.

Shouldn't you, though, said Jerry. Never, never, said the sexton with conviction. But mind you, he went on, you has advantages what I never had. I had to learn all the tricks of my trade, and I had to buy my experience. There was no kind friend to teach me my tricks of trade.

No benevolent old cove would pay for my experience. No, I had to buy and learn for myself. But my stars and garters, before they'd done with me, I had them all scared of me. Even England hisself didn't relish my tantrums. And when I was in a regular blinder, why, I solemnly believe he was scared froze of me.

There was only one man, my superior, in all the time I sailed them golden seas, and that man was Clegg hisself. I served on his ship, you know, jerk. I was carpenter, master carpenter, mind you, to Clegg hisself, to no less a man than Clegg. and on Clegg's own ship it were, too.

She was called the Imogene. I never knew why she was called so. It sounds a high-fidadly sort of name for a pirate ship, but then Clegg was a regular gentleman in his taste. Well, I remember him sitting so peaceful on the roundhouse roof one day,

a-reading of Virgil, and not in the vulgar tongue neither. He was a-readin' it in the foreign language what it was first wrote in, so he told me. And you couldn't somehow get a hold of the fact that that benign-lookin' cove what was sittin' there so peaceful a-readin' learned books had maybe half an hour before strung up a mutineer to the yard-arms

or made some wealthy fat merchant walk the dirty plank. No, he was a rummin', and no mistake was that damn old pirate Clegg. But I'd pull my forelock, supposin' I had one all day long, told Clegg, even were I the Archbishop of Canterbury, and he only an out-at-heel sea-dog. Now, with England it was different, as I told you,

though alone he could beat the devil himself for blasphemy when he was put out. But I wasn't afraid of him. He was one you could size up like. But Clegg? Oh, he was different.

Show me the man what could size up Clegg, and I'd make him leveler of Romney Marsh. Aye, king of England, supposin' I had the power. There was only one man what I ever seed, what made Clegg turn a hair,

and that was a rascally Cuban priest. But then he had devil powers he had. Ugh! And the sexton relapsed into silence. His listeners watched him, and, watching, they saw him shiver. What old scene of horror was flashing before that curious little man's mind's eye?

Oh, who could tell? No living body, for the crew of the Imogene had all died violent deaths, one after another, in different lands. And since Clegg was hanged at Rye, why, Mips was the only veteran left to that historical ship for crime, the Imogene. Pray get on with the business in hand, Mr. Mips, said Mrs. Wiggits,

for though I declare I could have listened to you a-philosophizing and a-moralizing all day long, young jerk is a gog, ain't you, Jerry? That's so, replied young jerk. Please get on, Mr. Sexton. I will, said Mr. Mips. You may wonder now, Jerry Jerk, how it has been possible for a swaggering adventurer like I be, or rather was at one time, when I was a handsome, fine-standing young fellow aboard the Imogene. I say you may fall to wondering how I come to be a sexton and to live the dull, dreary life of a humdrum villager.

Well, I'll tell you now straight out, man to man, and when I've told you, why, you'll understand all the mystery what I am a-getting at. The sexton smote his hand upon the table so that all the breakfast dishes jumped into different positions on the table, and the two words he said as his fist crashed down were these. I couldn't. Couldn't what? asked Jerk,

whose anxiety for the breakfast dish's safety had driven the context of the Sexton's speech from his mind. Couldn't live a humdrum life after the hijinks I had at sea. But you did, Mr. Sexton, and what's more, you're a-doing it now, replied young Jerk with some show of sarcasm.

and very prettily you can act can't you hangman jerk said mr mipps winking i declare you're a past master in the way of pretending well pretendins all very well but it's often plain spoken truth what serves as a safer weapon for roguish fellows and it's plain spoken truth i'm going to use to you believing in my heart that if ever there was a roguish fellow living and one after my old heart, why, hangman-jerk is that fellow. Please get on, Mr. Sexton, said Jerry,

feeling rather important. Yes, get on, get on, repeated Mrs. Waggetts, for I'm a longer to hear how he takes it. Can you doubt? I don't, replied Mips. I bet my head he'll take it as a man, won't you, Jerry-jerk, eh? I'll tell you when I knows what it is, replied the boy. Why, what a talky old party I've become. Time was when I never uttered a word, but do—ah, I was one to do, and much and quick I did, too. We knows that very well, thank you, Mr. Sexton, said Jerry.

That is, we knows it if we knows your word can be relied upon. You may lay to that, said Mips, and you may lay that in our future dealings together you can depend on me as standing by you as long as you lay the straight course with me. I'll take your word for that, responded Jerk. Now perhaps you will get on?

Well, said the sexton, I must begin with the marsh, the Romney Marsh. No one knows better than you do that she's a queer sort of a corner, is Romney Marsh. I've seen you a-prowlin' and a-nosing about on her. You scented excitement you did on the marsh. You smelled out a mystery, and, like a lad of adventurous spirit, you wanted to find out the meaning of it all. Very natural. I should have done the same when I was a lad.

Well, now the whole business is this. The Marsh don't approve of folks a-nosin' and a-prowlin' after her secrets, see? And the Sexton's face grew suddenly fierce. All those lines of quizzical humor vanished from around that peculiar mouth and left a face of diabolical cruelty, of cunning, and of deceit.

But Jerk was not easily unnerved or put out of countenance. There was something about Mips that put him on his metal and stimulated him. He liked Mips, but he liked to keep even with him for his own self-respect, which was very great. For in some things, Jerry Jerk was most inordinately proud. Oh, the Marsh don't approve, eh?

And who or what might be the power on the Marsh to tell you so? the great ruler of the marsh, the man with no name who successfully runs his schemes and makes his sons prosperous. That'll be the squire, then, said Jerry promptly, for he's the leveler of marsh Scots, ain't he? He makes the laws for the marshmen, don't he? He does that, certainly, agreed the sexton, but whether or no he's the power that brings luck to the marshmen, marshmen, mind you,

worthy of the name. Neither you nor me nor nobody can tell. Sufficient for us that the marsh is ruled by a power, a mysterious power what brings gold and despair to the marshman's pockets. Ah, then, said Jerry, with his eyes blazing, then I was right. There are smugglers on the marsh. There are, said the sexton, and it's wealthy men they be, though you'd never guess at it, and darin adventurous cusses they be and rollickin good times they gets and no danger to speak of cause the whole blessed concern is run by a master brain what never seems to make mistakes

and it was this same master brain what agreed that you should share the privileges of the marsh and i was ordered to recruit you oh and what'll be required of 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 calling 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 supposing that I did disappoint you, Mr. Sexton, it's well to hear all sides, you know. Aye, it's well and wise to, and I'll tell you. If it was to your advantage to betray us, to that captain, perhaps, well, I dare say you'd do it now, wouldn't you? I don't know, said Jerk. All depends.

Perhaps 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'd be short shrift for you. You may lay to that. I dare say, said Jerry, unless, of course, I got you first. You'd have a good number to get, my lad, laughed the sexton, but it's no use arguing like this.

You won't betray us when it don't serve your turn to do so, and it won't do that, because we has very fine prospects open for you, and advantages. Why, we can set you in the way of rolling in a couch before we've done with you, and who knows, years hence, when you're older than you be now, who knows but what you might not succeed to the headship. If anything was to happen to the great chief, what's to prevent you from taking his place, eh? You're smart, ain't you? There's no gain saying that, now, is there, Mrs. Waggetts?

No, indeed, replied that lady. Then take my tip, the straight tip of an old gentleman of fortune, and you join us. What'll I have to do, and what is it I'm adjoining, though? asked the boy. The great scheme of wool-running, said Mr. Mips. Ah, sighed Jerry, I thought as much.

And what am I to do, always supposing that I'm willing to join? We've a vacancy in the horseman. A man short, you see, though we've got the horse. It's Mr. Rash's horse, but we've turned out the schoolmaster and kept his horse. He weren't one of us, you see, so we found that we didn't want him no more.

You've killed him, cried the hangman, starting up. I didn't say that, retorted the sexton. I merely remarked that we didn't want him no more. And now just give me your attention. I've every reason to believe, and so has the great chief that I work for,

that you are getting very thick with that swab of a king's captain. Well, now, don't go suddenly a-giving him the cold shoulder, do you see? You can't drop a friend all at once like a hot potato without exciting the gossip and suspicion of folk, so remember what I says and keep civil to him. But it's my opinion that after tonight you'll know which side you be on. For once get the thrill of the demon ride and you'll not want to get dismissed.

Besides, getting dismissed by our chief ain't exactly what you might term a pleasant form of being entertained. "'And what do I do, Mr. Sexton?' "'You'll get told all in good time. "'But what do the demon-riders do?' persisted the boy. "'Frightened folk from the marsh when the ponies are trotting under the wool-packs.

"'And where do the wool-packs come from? "'From nearly every farm on the marsh. "'And they put it all in packs and send them down to the coast? "'That's the ticket, my lad. pack them all up on ponies and bring back coffins full of spirit from France.

Coffins full of spirit from France, repeated the amazed boy. Yes, that's why I'm a coffin maker. What would you expect to see inside a nailed-up coffin, eh? Why, a dead'n, said the boy. Exactly, and as folks ain't particular fond of amusing themselves with the sight of dead'ns,

they lets my coffins alone, do you see? and the spirit is treated with every respect, and is allowed to go on its way very snug, and all knocked up most particular solid. And the head of it all's the squire, is it? I never said so, replied the sexton quickly, but the less you think and say on that subject, the better, for those who know the identity of the great chief would sooner have their eyes put out

than betray him, so don't you hamper your young career with thinking about it. All you've got to do is to obey. And what do I get out of it? Gold and the time of your life? And when do I start?

Tonight. Tonight, faltered Jerk, much relieved, for he had thought of his promise to help the captain and was greatly thankful that the dates had not clashed. At half-past twelve at Old Tree Cottage,

but don't go to the coffin shop side. tap at the back kitchen window. And half past twelve, you say? That's the time, answered Mips, holding out his hands and seizing Jerks in both his. And I can tell you at a glance that you're gone to be a credit to the undertaken.

And a minute afterward he was gone, and Jerk was sent by Mrs. Waggetts into the bar to polish up the tankards. End of chapter 23