The COURAGEOUS EXPLOITS OF DOCTOR SYN - Thorndike Russell (книги онлайн полные TXT) 📗

courage you have shown in your parish against this Scarecrow. I marvel that you can appear so calm, for I confess

that were I in your shoes, I should be shaking in them. I vow had I defied this outlaw as you have, I should be

expecting him to leap out at me from the panels of this card -room.”

“Doctor Syn of Dymchurch, is it?” drawled the Major, surveying the Parson with amusement through his

quizzing-glass.

Doctor Syn bowed his assent.

“Well, well,” went on the officer, “is the Bucks’ Club turned into a Revenue Office that we have the scarecrow’s

enemies congregated together? The Admiral here, his brother the General there, with Major Faunce, and now the

Parson. All four have been made the public butt of the Scarecrow’s humor, and no doubt you are meeting here as a

place of safety in which to form further plans against him. The old proverb, eh? Try, try again. ‘Pon my soul the

Scarecrow’s head must be swollen with pride, when he has beaten the Navy, Army, Revenue officers, Bow Street

Runners and the Church. Now, Sir Harry, here’s a chance for you. A good idea. These gentlemen gathered here

like ill-omented birds of prey against the Scarecrow gives me a hint. You owe a thousand guineas for that last cut.

A thousand guineas will be paid to whoever catches the Scarecrow. Significant that the sums coincide. Surely Fate

challenges your courage and ingenuity, my good Sir Harry Sales? You have courage, eh? And certainly an

ingenuity in dealing with the Jews. I am quite sure, too, that you have a desire to pay your debts, especially your

debts o f honor. Why don’t you attempt the task that has beaten so many? Why not go down to this Romney Marsh

place, play a lone hand, and bring back the guineas?”

Doctor Syn saw the challenge accepted in sir Harry’s eye, and was secretly amused, but aloud he said very

seriously, “You would be rendering a great service to the country, sir, if you were to succeed, and my poor parish

could once more lift up its eyes unto the hills.”

“Come now, sir,” put in the Major, “I think we should not put pressure upon Sir Harry. He must follow his own

discretion, for we must own that disaster has overtaken all who play a hand against this Scarecrow.”

“There is no disaster greater in my mind,” said Sir Harry quietly, “than to postpone the payment of a debt of

honor. Give me a week. By that time I will do my best to confront the Scarecrow, and what will happen then is in

the hands of Fate.”

“You’ll be more than ever the hero of the ladies if you succeed,” laughed the Major, “ and I need not add the

envy of the men.”

“I think that by accepting your challenge, Major Culland,” said Doctor Syn, “Sir Harry Sales will earn great

respect from all. It is undoubtedly a brave thing to play a one had against our local scoundrel.”

“But he shall not play a lone hand as far as I’m concerned,” replied Sir Peter Hemminge. “My sword and such

brains as I can muster to the problem are at your service, Sir Harry.”

“You mean that you’ll join me?” asked Sales joyfully.

“There’s my hand on it,” declared Sir Peter.

“And mine too,” put in Mr. Briston. “Hunting a Scarecrow will be a new sport, by gad.”

“I think so, too,” cried Lord Strathway. “What about you, Tandy? You’re on furlough I think you said.”

“I am, my lord,” replied the Captain, “and not loving the cards as well as my Major here, I’ll welcome anything

more exciting than playing here night and day. You’ve no objection, Major?”

“Why should I?” asked his superior. “Your time is your own. Had I not business in Town to attend to I should

have been delighted to join you in the enterprise.”

“As to that,” replied His Lordship, “there is a proverb about ‘too many cooks’. Four is a concise number for such

an undertaking. We will pledge ourselves to work under the leadership of Sir Harry, and he will at least be

confident that his lieutenants are all loyal and sympathetic friends.”

“And you may count on the old Parson for any help he may be able to give,” said Doctor Syn. “At least I know

the district, which may prove useful, and understand the temper of the parish, who are all members of my flock,

black sheep and white. I think also I have shown sufficient spirit in declaring myself a public enemy to this troubler

of our local peace.”

“And since both my brother and myself are also his declared antagonists,” added the Admiral, “and have

guaranteed an equal reward to that offered officially against the Scarecrow, I’ll write to Captain Blain, who is

residing at Doctor Syn’s vicarage, and my brother will write to the Dragoons encamped in the ship Field, to place

themselves entirely at Sir Harry’s disposal.”

Doctor Syn smiled and shook his head. “I have the greatest respect for my guest, Captain Blain, but in his work

he is, perhaps rightly, as close as an oyster. He is so determined to catch the scarecrow himself that I fancy we

cannot look for much co-ordination in that quarter. It is another case of Lord Strathway’s proverb, “Too many

cooks’.”

“Well, join us at our table, gentlemen,” said the Admiral. “You may as well know as much about the scarecrow

as we can tell you, for remember, Doctor Syn, my brother, myself and Major Faunce have all had the experience of

seeing him at work, and out testimony may be a service to you, Sir Harry.”

“ I shall welcome such a conversation,” replied Sales warmly. Then changing his tone he bowed to Major

Culland, saying, “I shall hope to settle our wager here in one week.”

As the other gentlemen bowed stiffly and began to move, Major Culland stopped them. “Just a moment,

gentlemen, before leaving me in this cold fashion. You convey plainly enough by your manners that you are

displeased with mine. Yet I protest that I am willing to show that I have as much sporting instinct as Sir Harry

Sales, who is about to risk his life as leader of this expedition to the Romney Marsh. Let us not deceive ourselves as

to his danger. However secret we may be on the matter, and believe me I shall not breathe a word of it, the

Scarecrow is likely to strike first. It is a way he has. Out of regard for this, I will raise the stakes against myself.

Suppose now Sir Harry’s luck is better in adventure than in cutting cards, and that he wins the reward for the

Scarecrow, alive or dead, I will tear up his I O U if today week at this hour of nine in the evening he shall bring the

Scarecrow into this clubroom so that such members and guests who are then present shall have the fun of seeing the

rascal unmasked for the first and last time. I am willing to forfeit my thousand guineas for such an honor to our

Club.”

“We can hardly bring such a dirty scoundrel into a respectable,” club objected Lord Strathway, by way of

excusing Sales from taking up such a difficult wager.

“But he may be a member, for all we know to the contrary,” laughed the Major. “No one knows who the devil he

is, though many think he is the devil himself. At least judging by his cleverness and grim humor, I incline to the

opinion that he is a man of breeding and education.”

“His handwriting hardly warrants such an assumption,” said the Admiral.

“As to that, sir,” suggested Doctor Syn, “his handwriting would be surely disguised, and as to His Lordship’s

suggestion that his distinguished club is hardly the place for such niceness as members might feel. The Major has

suggested a wager that would be regarded in the best society as a piece of skylarking in the heroic vein.”

“And a great feather in the club’s cap, sir,” agreed Mr. Briston.

“What do you say, Sales?” asked His Lordship.