Of a sudden, Mr Vanslyperken was roused by a loud cry from forward, and a rush of all the men aft.  He thought that the crew had risen, and that they were about to seize him, but, on the contrary, they passed him and hastened to the taffrail with exclamations of horror.

“What! what is it?” exclaimed Vanslyperken, fully prepared for the reply by his own fears.

“O Lord! have mercy upon us,” cried Bill Spurey.

“Good God, deliver us!” exclaimed another.

“Ah, Mein Gott!” screamed Jansen, rushing against Vanslyperken and knocking him down on the deck.

“Well, well, murder will out!—­that’s sartain,” said Coble, who stood by Vanslyperken when he had recovered his legs.

“What, what!” exclaimed Vanslyperken, breathless.

“There, sir,—­look there,” said Coble, breathless, pointing to the figure of Smallbones, who now appeared from the shade in the broad moonshine.

His head was not bound up, and his face appeared pale and streaked with blood.  He was in the same clothes in which he had gone on shore, and in his hand he held the hammer which had done the deed.

The figure slowly advanced to the quarter-deck, Vanslyperken attempted to retreat, but his legs failed him, he dropped down on his knees, uttered a loud yell of despair, and then threw himself flat on the deck face downwards.

Certainly, the pantomime was inimitably got up, but it had all been arranged by Moggy, the corporal, and the others.  There was not one man of the crew who had not been sworn to secrecy, and whose life would not have been endangered if, by undeceiving Vanslyperken, they had been deprived of such just and legitimate revenges.

Smallbones disappeared as soon as Vanslyperken had fallen down.

He was allowed to remain there for some time to ascertain if he would say anything, but as he still continued silent, they raised him up and found that he was insensible.  He was consequently taken down into the cabin and put into his bed.

The effect produced by this trial of Mr Vanslyperken’s nerves, was most serious.  Already too much heated with the use of ardent spirits, it brought on convulsions, in which he continued during the major part of the night.  Towards the morning, he sank into a perturbed slumber.

It was not till eleven o’clock in the forenoon that he awoke and perceived his faithful corporal standing by the side of the bed.

“Have I not been ill, corporal?” said Mr Vanslyperken, whose memory was impaired for the time.

“Mein Gott! yes, mynheer.”

“There was something happened, was not there?”

“Mein Gott! yes, mynheer.”

“I’ve had a fit; have I not?”

“Mein Gott! yes, mynheer.”

“My head swims now; what was it, corporal?”

“It was de ghost of de poy,” replied the corporal.

“Yes, yes,” replied Vanslyperken, falling back on his pillow.