Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/123

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SETS UP A GALLOWS TREE
111

"A dream—a nightmare I had last night, that's all."

"Wot about?" asked the sexton again.

"Nothin' particular," returned the boy casually.

They had now reached the coffin shop, so, thanking the sexton for his assistance. Jerk bade him good-night.

"Where are you bound for now?" Mr. Mipps called after him.

"The vicarage."

"Wot for?"

"To tell the vicar as how I've borrowed a crown off of him, that's all!"

"Wot's that?" cried the sexton, making as if to follow, but the boy waved him back with a fierce gesture.

"'Tain't nothin' to do with you. You're paid, ain't you? And it didn't get stole from the poor-box, neither, so don't you start a-worritin'."

And thrusting his hands deep into his breeches pocket. Jerk set off for the vicarage to tell Doctor Syn that although he couldn't accept the silver crown for holding his tongue, he had taken the liberty of borrowing it off him.

And in this way was the gibbet set up on Lookout Mountain, and the name changed to Gallows Tree Hill.