Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Page #3

I'm as secret as the grave,

Mrs. Ransley, you know that.

It's because

of the Scarecrow

and his smugglers

that we ain't

in debt no more.

And Joe's one of

them. I know it.

Surely not that villain.

He's no villain, sir,

to us poor folk.

Believe me, sir,

if it weren't for him,

there's many hereabouts

would starve.

Joe would betray

the Scarecrow

himself.

I heard him today,

telling the boys,

making them agree to

what he's going to do.

They're afraid of

him, sir. And I'm...

(DOOR OPENS)

Well, Vicar, you

wanted to see me?

Just to say good day

to you, Ransley.

And I brought

these few things

for your mother.

Stepmother.

Time for your

rest. Upstairs.

Yes, Joe.

Yes, Joe.

Yes.

I'm going.

I'm going.

Can I get you

a glass of brandy

before you go, Vicar?

Why, thank you.

Yes, you may

indeed.

Oh, Vicar,

I wanted...

Take care of yourself,

Mrs. Ransley.

Thank you, sir.

I'll call again.

God bless you, sir.

And you, Mrs. Ransley.

Well...

You're very generous

with the brandy,

my friend,

at the price

it is today.

Ah!

It's a bigger price

than you think.

I regret to say

that a great deal of it

in this parish has been

smuggled in by some

misguided men

under the leadership

of this...

This Scarecrow fellow.

I don't know about that.

Scarecrow, Scarecrow.

Why don't nobody talk

about somebody else?

I'm surprised that

among all the men

who work for him,

none has betrayed him yet.

Ah, 'cause many of them

are scared of him,

that's why.

Otherwise they

would betray him?

I don't know.

I'm not aiming to

stay and find out.

There's many men don't

want to spend the rest of

their lives in this part.

It's about no choice.

But there's ways and

means of getting away.

Don't you forget that.

I've got plans.

Well, never mind.

Thank you for calling,

Vicar, good health.

Well, I must get

on my rounds.

I've a busy afternoon

ahead of me.

So have I.

Good day to you,

Ransley.

Good day to you

and goodbye.

JAMES:
I've got another

horse and cart, Dad.

RANSLEY:
Good. Leave

it in the barn, Jim.

You, George, load

everything we can

take on our cart,

and you help him.

Take it up to the

old Oast House,

at Knoll Hill.

I'll meet you there.

Dad, what are

you planning?

I'll tell you when we

get to the Oast House.

Go on, hurry.

What are you going

to do now, sir?

Make an example

of Ransley

that'll teach the others

a lesson they won't

forget in a hurry.

Mutiny among the

Scarecrow's men

is a worse danger

than the soldiers

are.

Will you have to

postpone tomorrow's

run, then?

Oh, no. That cargo

from France is too

valuable for that.

Yes, but if Ransley

thieves part of it,

he'll make the

Scarecrow look a

fool to all the rest.

The government has

sent an army to

protect us.

The army shall

protect us.

That's where you

come in, John.

Go and tell

Philip Brackenbury

to be at the Knoll

Hill Oast House...

SCARECROW:
Help unload.

RANSLEY:
Come on,

hurry, lads.

Steady. Hold them.

For your captain.

RANSLEY:

Throw the kegs out first.

Scannel, Davis,

this is the Romney

Village share.

Take the marsh

road eastward.

Hurry, right

and loud.

Sam, to the Hathaways.

This load is for

Dymchurch.

Sir.

Ransley, your load

is for the people

of Bonnington.

Here we go, lads.

RANSLEY:
Get a move

on, George. Hurry up.

Whoa. Whoa.

Now, load our gear.

Come on, we've no

time to waste.

What are you going

to do about Granny,

Dad?

Nothing, leave her,

she'd be in the way.

Yeah, but, Dad...

Come on, get

on with it.

Halt, in the

King's name.

Run for it, lads.

SERGEANT:
Hold, Ransley.

(GUNSHOT)

(GROANING)

Hold your fire.

(RANSLEY SCREAMING)

The court has heard

the evidence against

these wretched men.

They were caught

red-handed

with 20 kegs of

contraband spirit

in their possession,

defrauding His

Majesty's revenue.

They have no defense.

I demand that an example

should be made of them

as a warning to all

men and to their

infamous leader.

I demand that they

suffer the extreme

penalty of the law.

(BEADLE BANGING STICK)

Unless...

Unless,

as I am instructed

by General Pugh,

they here and now

confide the name

of their leader,

called the Scarecrow.

In which case, the Crown

will not press for their

death by hanging.

I don't know who

the Scarecrow is,

sir.

I tell you,

I don't know,

nobody knows.

But you've seen him,

spoken to him.

Only to get orders.

When he called

a meeting...

I haven't...

Where does he hold

these meetings?

Tell me that.

Different places, sir.

Different every time.

On the beach, on the marsh,

in somebody's barn.

(DOOR OPENS)

Why protect him now?

He betrayed you.

Who is the man,

Ransley?

I don't know, sir.

Or else I'd tell

the court.

I don't want to swing

for the likes of him.

(SPECTATORS CHATTERING)

Silence.

Silence in court.

That concludes the case

for the prosecution,

Your Worship.

Joseph Ransley.

George Ransley.

James Ransley.

The court is left with

no alternative but...

DR. SYN:
By your leave,

Your Worship,

I've just returned home

and I found this note.

It's a threat, sir,

and I do not care

for threats.

What's this? Hmm?

"If the Reverend

Dr. Syn speaks for

the prisoners on trial,

"he will answer

to the Scarecrow

with his own life."

(SPECTATORS EXCLAIMING)

(BANGING STICK)

Who would want

to threaten

you, Parson?

Were you about

to speak for these

ruffians in the dock?

How would he

know that?

Well, General,

words get spread,

I suppose. I had

mentioned to my

sexton, Mipps,

a point of law that

had occurred to me

regarding this case,

and Mipps is not averse

to an audience at the inn

where many people

spend their evenings.

(SPECTATORS LAUGHING)

What point of law, Vicar?

Well, one which,

if you will

allow me,

would certainly save

these unhappy prisoners

from punishment,

were it proved true.

I object to this

interruption,

Your Worship.

The Crown demands...

If you please,

Mr. Fragg.

What is this point

of law that occurred

to you, Vicar?

Well, sir, would

this arch smuggler,

knowing that the prisoners

were false to him, as

undoubtedly he did,

would he waste 20 kegs

of expensive spirit

to bait his trap?

(STAMMERING) I wondered if

the contents of the kegs

have been examined.

If indeed they

contain contraband,

then, of course,

the prisoners

must stand

condemned,

but should they not

be examined first?

Has counsel

for the Crown any

objection to this?

No. No, of

course not.

Beadle,

go and open

the kegs.

DR. SYN:
General,

I trust I can rely

on the protection

of your troops

for coming forward

after this threat

to my safety.

Of course,

of course.

(SPECTATORS MURMURING)

Well, Beadle?

Your Worship,

the kegs are

filled with sea water.

Every one we've tried.

Sea water?

Sea water?

There is no law in England

that can hang a man or

even imprison him

for carrying kegs of water.

(ALL LAUGHING)

The case is dismissed.

The prisoners Ransley

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