Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Page #5

I'll fight any two

of you.

What's wrong with you?

You're my mates.

I'm one of you, ain't I?

SCARECROW:
No, Ransley.

(SCARECROW BANGING)

This court is

now in session.

Uncover the second

prisoner's eyes

so that he can see the

Scarecrow's justice.

You pack of scoundrels.

In the King's name,

I demand that you

release me.

Gag him.

Now the indictment

against the first

prisoner.

Joseph Ransley,

you stand charged

with treachery.

How say you,

guilty or not guilty?

I ain't hurt you

none, Scarecrow.

Guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty, curse you.

(ALL GRUMBLING)

First witness, Curlew.

"I, the undersigned,

witnessed the accused

Ransley's conversation

"with the prosecutor

for His Majesty's

Department

"of Customs

and Excise

"on the night

of the 16th."

What?

SCARECROW:
"During

which conversation,

the said Ransley

"agreed to turn

King's evidence

"against the rest of

us assembled here."

(ALL EXCLAIMING)

Silence!

"Further, the accused

agreed to hand over

20 names

"of men in our organization

and to sell this list for gold

"to Prosecutor Fragg."

That's a lie. I ain't

even spoken to him,

except in the court.

That time the parson

got me off.

You're lying, Ransley.

You were offered gold

to betray your friends.

No.

This gold.

(ALL EXCLAIM)

SCARECROW:
Taken from

Prosecutor Fragg,

who came to keep his

bargain with you.

Next witness.

Hellspite.

"I, the undersigned, witnessed

the second prisoner,

Prosecutor Fragg,

"in the company of Mipps,

the sexton of Dymchurch,

"at the fork in the sea road.

"I followed the said

Fragg across the marsh

to the accused's cottage.

"This on the night

of the 16th."

Lies. It's all lies.

(ALL MURMURING)

SCARECROW:
Silence!

Stand down.

And now my deposition,

Ransley.

On the last run

of my Gentlemen,

you attempted to steal

from us, were caught

and put on trial.

I didn't hurt you none,

and I was acquitted.

Through the intercession

of a parson

who disobeyed

my instructions

not to interfere.

I'll deal with him later.

You told the prosecutor at

your trial that you would

betray me if you could,

in spite of the oath

you made with me.

The oath that every

man here has taken.

If a man thinks he's

going to be hanged,

and his sons with him,

he'll say anything.

What kind of man

will sell his friends

to the hangman

for gold, Ransley?

I ain't done that.

And never intended to?

No.

Empty his pockets.

Here are the names

he would sell.

Perhaps your names

are among them.

You were taking that

note to the prisoner,

Fragg, tonight?

All right,

curse you,

so I was.

You think you own us all.

You were going to kill me.

You drove me sons away

and the army

was after me.

Cheat, liar, traitor.

Convicted by your

own words.

Gentlemen of the jury,

how say you?

Is the prisoner

guilty or not

guilty?

ALL:
Guilty! Guilty!

(CLAMORING)

Guilty it is.

And this court sentences

you to die accordingly.

You dog, you're

not fit to live.

What are you

going to do?

Oh, no.

SCARECROW:

Gag him, Hellspite.

No, no, don't.

(RANSLEY SCREAMING)

SCARECROW:
And spare us

seeing him die a coward

as well as a traitor.

You, Curlew,

cover the lanterns.

(RANSLEY GROANING)

Uncover the lanterns.

(ALL MURMURING)

Justice is done.

So end all men

who would betray

the Scarecrow

and the people

of the marshes.

(SCREAMING)

Let him go.

Curlew, give my

Gentlemen the

King's gold.

Share it among you,

and remember the

Scarecrow's justice.

Now go, quickly.

Let him down.

(SNICKERING)

(GRUNTS)

CURLEW:
Oh. I thought...

I thought he was...

No. He's fainted.

I was afraid

he'd come to

while Fragg

was still here.

(GROANING)

Ransley.

Oh, no, no.

You're dead,

Ransley. Dead.

To all the men of

the marsh, who would

otherwise kill you.

I give you one hour to

cross the county line

and away from here,

otherwise you'll

really die.

You're dead,

run for your life!

(CACKLING)

Is the coffin ready?

Aye, sir.

I finished

it yesterday.

(LAUGHING)

Laughter, Sexton?

Have you no respect

for the dead?

Drive on. Drive on.

Well, sir, as you said,

"So end all traitors."

And the Scarecrow's men

still ride the marshes.

Can nobody stop

the villain?

They'll still try,

sir. Don't worry,

they'll still try.

Look.

(SNEEZING)

Save some space in your

graveyard, Parson,

for the Scarecrow.

Because I swear to

you he'll be there.

(SNEEZING) And soon.

Well, good luck

to you, General,

and take care with

that cold you have.

Forward.

Your orders were

to stamp out this

smuggling,

yet in the weeks

you've been down

there, it's grown worse.

Well, sir? Well?

The whole countryside

protects

the smugglers and their

leader, Your Majesty.

They see him

as a benefactor.

Protects! Protects!

My home secretary

bombards me with figures of

the drop in excise duties.

I have to listen

to sly jokes at

my expense,

at my army's expense.

Cartoons appear in

the public press,

showing me dancing

like a puppet on

strings,

held by this fellow

they call the Scarecrow.

I sent you extra troops

and what happens?

Nothing! Nothing!

By making a fool of

yourself, you make

a fool of me.

I'm doing my best,

sir, but as I said...

Your best is not

good enough, General.

You let this scoundrel

slip through your

fingers, didn't you?

Well, sir?

Well?

I did everything

in my power...

Silence!

I should relieve you

of your command,

perhaps.

Eh? Eh, sir?

If you'll give me

a little more time...

Time! Time!

I have a war in France,

rumors of insurrection

in America,

and I must give

you time?

More money,

more men to

deal with

a pack of smuggling

yokels in my

own country?

You're incompetent

and lax, General.

I'll stamp out this

business, Your Majesty.

I give you my word.

(SCOFFS)

Just one month, sir.

I'll give you

one month.

The War Office

said that you were

a hard man, General.

Well, sir, be hard.

Do you hear me, eh?

Be hard.

Now, go back to

your command and

use your brains.

SERGEANT:
Any sign of him?

SOLDIER:
No, Sergeant.

Oi! Let's make for

the hills. Forward!

Oh, hang it all,

Vicar,

you'd think I might

beat you once

in a while.

He's as clever

as a fox.

Do you play,

General?

No, I haven't got

the patience

for games.

But you hunt

the fox though,

don't you, sir?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

GENERAL PUGH:
Well?

General Pugh, sir.

Squadron searching

the marshes,

cooperating with

the naval pickets.

I know, I know.

All the press-gang men

who jumped ship at

Dover have been

recaptured, sir.

GENERAL PUGH:
Good.

SERGEANT:
Except one.

What?

A man was seen

heading for Dymchurch

an hour ago,

but we lost him.

Permission to carry

out house-to-house

search, sir?

Yes.

Sir.

Every house,

you understand,

and thoroughly.

Spare no one.

This is the chance

I've been waiting for

to turn this place

inside out.

I don't wonder

a deserter would

head this way.

Why, General?

Because your people here

are lawless themselves.

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