He then examined the seals, pulled some out of his pocket, and compared them; sorted the letters according to the seals, and laid one corresponding at the heading of each file, for there were three different government seals upon the despatches.  He then took a long Dutch earthen pipe which was hanging above, broke off the bowl, and put one end of the stem into the fire.  When it was of a red heat he took it out, and applying his lips to the cool end, and the hot one close to the sealing-wax, he blew through it, and the heated blast soon dissolved the wax, and the despatches were opened one after another without the slightest difficulty or injury to the paper.  He then commenced reading, taking memorandums on his tablets as he proceeded.

When he had finished, he again heated the pipe, melted the wax, which had become cold and hard again, and resealed all the letters with his counterfeit seals.

During this occupation, which lasted upwards of an hour, Vanslyperken looked on with surprise, leaning against the bulk-head of the cabin.

“There, sir, are your despatches,” said Ramsay, rising from his chair:  “you may now put them away; and, as you may observe, you are not compromised.”

“No, indeed,” replied Vanslyperken, who was struck with the ingenuity of the method; “but you have given me an idea.”

“I will tell you what that is,” replied Ramsay.  “You are thinking, if I left you these false seals, you could give me the contents of the despatches, provided you were well paid.  Is it not so?”

“It was,” replied Vanslyperken, who had immediately been struck with such a new source of wealth; for he cared little what he did—­all he cared for was discovery.

“Had you not proposed it yourself, I intended that you should have done it, sir,” replied Ramsay; “and that you should also be paid for it.  I will arrange all that before I leave the vessel.  But now I shall retire to my bed.  Have you one ready?”

“I have none but what you see,” replied Vanslyperken.  “It is my own, but at your service.”

“I shall accept it,” replied Ramsay, putting his pistols under his pillow, after having thrown himself on the outside of the bedclothes, pulling his roquelaure over him.  “And now you will oblige me by turning that cur out of the cabin, for his smell is anything but pleasant.”

Vanslyperken had no idea of his passenger so coolly taking possession of his bed, but to turn out Snarleyyow as well as himself, appeared an unwarrantable liberty.  But he felt that he had but to submit, for Ramsay was despotic, and he was afraid of him.

After much resistance, Snarleyyow was kicked out by his master, who then went on deck not in the very best of humours, at finding he had so completely sold himself to those who might betray and hang him the very next day.  “At all events,” thought Vanslyperken, “I’m well paid for it.”