“There be odd chops and changes in this here world, for sartin,” observed Coble. (Exactly the same remark as we made at the end of the previous chapter.)

“Mayn’t it all be gammon?” said Bill Spurey.

“Gammon, for why?” replied Jemmy Ducks.

“That’s the question,” rejoined Spurey.

“It appears to me that he must have had a touch of conscience,” said Coble.

“Or else he must have seen a ghost,” replied Smallbones.

“I’ve heard of ghosts ashore, and sometimes on board of a ship, but I never heard of a ghost in a jolly-boat,” said Coble, spitting under the gun.

“’Specially when there were hardly room for the corporal,” added Spurey.

“Yes,” observed Short.

“Well, we shall know something about it to-night, for the corporal and I am to have a palaver.”

“Mind he don’t circumwent you, Jimmy,” said Spurey.

“It’s my opinion,” said Smallbones, “that he must be in real arnest, otherwise he would not ha’ come for to go for to give me a glass of grog—­there’s no gammon in that;—­and such a real stiff ’un too,” continued Smallbones, who licked his lips at the bare remembrance of the unusual luxury.

“True,” said Short.

“It beats my comprehension altogether out of nothing,” observed Spurey.  “There’s something very queer in the wind.  I wonder where the corporal has been all this while.”

“Wait till this evening,” observed Jemmy Ducks; and, as this was very excellent advice, it was taken, and the parties separated.

In the despatches it had been requested, as important negotiations were going on, that the cutter might return immediately, as there were other communications to make to the States General on the part of the King of England; and a messenger now informed Vanslyperken that he might sail as soon as he pleased, as there was no reply to the despatches he had conveyed.  This was very agreeable to Vanslyperken, who was anxious to return to the fair widow at Portsmouth, and also to avoid the Frau Vandersloosh.  At dusk, he manned his boat and went on shore to the French agent, who had also found out that the cutter was ordered to return, and had his despatches nearly ready.  Vanslyperken waited about an hour; when all was complete he received them, and then returned on board.

As soon as he had quitted the vessel, Corporal Van Spitter went to Jemmy Ducks, and without letting him know how matters stood on shore, told him that he was convinced that Vanslyperken had sent him into the boat on purpose to lose him, and that the reason was, that he, Van Spitter, knew secrets which would at any time hang the lieutenant.  That in consequence he had determined upon revenge, and in future would be heart and hand with the ship’s company, but that to secure their mutual object, it would be better that he should appear devoted to Vanslyperken as before, and at variance with the ship’s company.