Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Page #4

can go free.

You incompetent!

I thought you were

a fool and now I

know you are.

You bungled this

whole business.

Yes, General.

Trying to take the law

into your own hands.

Get out of my sight.

Report back to

Dover Castle.

Thank you, Vicar.

Thank you for

what you've done.

You've escaped

the law, Ransley,

but your Scarecrow

leader won't let

you escape him.

Nor any of his men who

know you for a traitor if

you stay in this district.

You'd best get away,

as far as you can.

You got off this hook,

but you're still

on mine, Ransley.

You've till tonight,

that's all.

Keep a close watch

on Ransley.

Off you go.

And you can

watch Mr. Fragg,

the prosecutor.

(ALL CAROUSING)

(MERRYMAKING STOPS)

Good evening to you.

Sherry, please.

Rum for me, Mrs.

Waggett, please.

This case you

came down for

must have been a great

disappointment

to you, sir.

And who might you be?

Me, sir?

Mr. Mipps, sir.

Sexton, verger,

carpenter and

undertaker.

And what is more,

right-hand man,

in matters spiritual

and otherwise,

to the Vicar,

Dr. Syn.

Indeed.

You seem to mind every

kind of business,

except your own.

Oh, that's very

good, sir.

Very good.

If you want to

know anything about

anyone in these parts,

I'm the man

to come to.

And being a servant

of the church, the

soul of discretion.

And on the side

of the law.

Mmm.

Well, I suppose you'll

be on your way back

to London tomorrow,

now that your

business here

is over.

Perhaps it isn't,

Mr. Mipps.

Perhaps it isn't.

Allow me, sir.

It's an honor

for me.

MIPPS:
Thank you.

To your very good

health, sir.

Yes, I felt for you

in the court, today.

FRANK:
Did you?

Hmm.

Well, and your very

good health, too.

You say you are

on the side of

the law, Sexton?

Well, naturally

I am, sir.

The law was

thwarted today.

You realize that?

Ah, that Ransley's

a villain, sir.

A villain.

It was a wicked

miscarriage

of justice.

How far away does

this Ransley live?

Oh, about an hour's

ride on a good

horse, sir.

Can you get me a good

horse, without all the

world knowing, tonight?

Tonight, sir?

Why tonight?

Can you get me

a good horse,

Sexton?

Yes, yes, yes, yes,

I can get that

for you, sir.

But mum's the word, eh?

I'll meet you at

the fork in the sea

road in half an hour.

I'll have the horse

for you there. Right?

Oh, well.

Time for home and

bed. Good night,

Mrs. Waggett.

Good night, sir.

Good night, boys.

ALL:
Good night, Mr. Mipps.

(BANGING ON DOOR)

Oh, it's you, eh?

What do you

want with me?

To talk to you.

The prosecutor's

just gone in.

I know,

I followed him here.

Are all the

Ransleys there?

No, only him.

The boys have run away

and the old lady's gone.

How can we hear

what's going on?

This door leads

to the kitchen.

RANSLEY:
I'm getting

out of here.

FRANK:
Run away?

Where are you

going to run?

This Scarecrow fellow,

or his followers,

will stop you going,

unless you stop

them first.

Your life

isn't worth that

unless I help you.

Which I won't do

without you help me.

You can't touch me now.

You can't try me twice

for the same offense.

You were acquitted

by a trick.

You didn't know

there was water

in those kegs.

The Scarecrow

knew it, Ransley,

and if he knew that,

he knows you

plan to run.

I've got to run.

Not only from him

and the others.

General Pugh's

after me, too.

General Pugh?

To put me in jail

unless I turn

King's evidence.

You tell me what

I want to know

and I'll offer you

something much

better than that.

What do you mean?

The reward for

your leader,

Ransley.

Give me the names of

the rest of your gang

so that I can bring

them to trial.

(RANSLEY EXCLAIMS IN CONTEMPT)

RANSLEY:

And get me throat

cut for certain?

FRANK:
You'll get it

cut if you stay

and if you run.

Oh, leave me alone,

can't you?

Listen to me.

The Department of Revenue

will protect you,

if you talk.

I can't talk.

They won't even

know it was you,

and even if they did,

you'll be a hundred

miles away,

with enough money to

start another life.

They'll kill

me for sure.

They won't know.

You won't even have

to appear in court.

Your written statement's

all I need

and the signal system

and the hiding places

for your loot.

That'll do you no good.

I don't know who

the Scarecrow is!

He'll come forward

when we've hanged

a few of his men,

or someone will

give him up. You

leave that to me.

Give me some

names, Ransley.

You owe him nothing.

And you can buy

your freedom.

You,

the Scarecrow,

General Pugh...

You're driving me

out of my head.

Talk, and there'll be

999 more like this.

The reward, you

fool. Keep out of

General Pugh's way.

Bring your list

of names to me.

Twenty will do.

I'll meet you this time

tomorrow night at

the castle ruins,

and you can have

the rest. Then

you will be safe.

Safe from General Pugh

because you'll have

done your duty,

and safe from all

the rest, as well.

Fail me, and you

are finished.

Nobody'll know?

Nobody.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Come in.

Ah, Mr. Prosecutor.

What do you want

at this hour?

I thought you left on

the London mail coach.

I'll leave when

my business here

is finished.

You called me incompetent

after today's fiasco.

I've come to tell you

that I'll make you

eat those words.

You have, have you?

And how will you

make me do that?

By bringing to

justice enough of

the smugglers here

to smash the Scarecrow

gang and probably

catch him, too.

Just like that, eh?

Well, well, well.

And when will this

haul take place,

may I ask?

This time

tomorrow night.

Hmm.

I want to make sure

you'll be here

to help me.

Help you? How?

Supply me with

an armed escort

when I go to round

up these criminals.

I don't imagine they'll

come along without a

struggle, General.

What have you

found out, lawyer?

Have a squadron of

your troops ready,

standing by at the old

monastery tomorrow

night at this hour,

and I'll tell you then.

I'll show you, General.

Tomorrow night

at this hour, eh?

Very well, I'll ride

with the troops myself.

Thank you. Good night

to you, General.

Mr. Fragg,

I hope this time you've

not bitten off more

than you can chew.

It's a good thing there

are more brains in

my profession

than the evidence

would seem to show

there are in yours.

Good night again.

Ransley will sell

us all, you can

be sure of that.

Selling the freedom,

even the lives, of 20

of his fellow marsh men

won't bother him.

We should stop

him now.

Get rid of

him, sir.

There'll be plenty

willing to do it.

Ransley's planning

to hand over

to the law.

I have a better plan.

One that'll teach

a lesson to all

would-be traitors

and to King George's

revenue men who offer

blood money.

(OWL HOOTING)

(BIRD SQUAWKING)

Ransley?

(BIRD SQUAWKS)

Ransley?

(SCREAMING)

(CACKLING)

(SNEEZING)

(GRUNTING)

Why have you brought

me here like this?

I ain't done nothing.

Untie me, curse you.

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