Chapter IX

A long chapter, in which there is lamentation, singing, bibbing, and dancing.

It may readily be supposed, that the first question asked by Mr Vanslyperken, on his gaining the quarter-deck, was, if Snarleyyow were on board.  He was received with the military salute of Corporal Van Spitter, for Obadiah Coble, having been left commanding officer, had given himself leave, and, with a few men, had joined Dick Short and the first party at the Lust Haus, leaving the corporal as the next senior officer in charge.  The answer in the negative was a great mortification to Mr Vanslyperken, and he descended to his cabin in no very good humour, and summoned Smallbones.  But before Smallbones was summoned, he had time to whisper to one or two of the conspirators—­“He’s gone.”  It was enough; in less than a minute the whisper was passed throughout the cutter.  “He’s gone,” was sibilated above and below, until it met the ears of even Corporal Van Spitter, who had it from a marine, who had it from another marine, who had it from a seaman, who—­but it was, however, soon traced up to Smallbones by the indefatigable corporal—­who considered it his duty to report the report to Mr Vanslyperken.  Accordingly he descended to the cabin and knocked for admission.

In the meantime Vanslyperken had been venting his ill-humour upon Smallbones, having, as he took off from his person, and replaced in his drawers, his unusual finery, administered an unusual quantity of kicks, as well as a severe blow on the head with his sheathed cutlass to the unfortunate lad, who repeated to himself, by way of consolation, the magic words—­“He’s gone.”

“If you please, sir,” said Corporal Van Spitter, “I’ve discovered from the ship’s company that the dog is gone.”

“I know that, corporal,” replied Vanslyperken.

“And, sir, the report has been traced to Smallbones.”

“Indeed!—­then it was you that said that the dog is gone—­now, you villain, where is he?”

“If you please, I did say that the dog was gone, and so he is; but I didn’t say that I knew where he was—­no more I don’t.  He’s runned away, and he’ll be back to-morrow—­I’m sure he will.”

“Corporal Van Spitter, if the dog is not on board again by eight o’clock to-morrow morning, you will get all ready for keel-hauling this scoundrel.”

“Yes, mynheer,” replied the corporal, delighted at having something to do in the way of punishment.

Smallbones made up a lachrymal face.

“It’s very hard,” said he; “suppose the dog has fallen into the canal, is that my fault?  If he’s a-gone to the bottom of the canal, that’s no reason why I’m to be dragged under the bottom of the cutter.”

“Yes, yes,” replied Vanslyperken, “I’ll teach you to throw paving-stones off the wharf.  Leave the cabin, sir.”

Smallbones, whose guilty conscience flew into his pallid face at the mention of the paving-stones, immediately made a hasty retreat; and Vanslyperken turned into his bed and dreamt of vengeance.