The boat approached rapidly—­she was within ten fathoms of the entrance, when Snarleyyow, hearing the sound, darted forward under the thwarts, and jumping on the bow of the boat, commenced a most unusual and prolonged baying of Bow wow, bow wow wow wow!

At the barking of the dog the smugglers backed water to stop their way.  They knew that there was no dog with those they expected to meet, it was therefore clear that the Philistines were at hand.  The dog barked in spite of all attempts to prevent him, and acting upon this timely warning, the lugger-boat pulled short round, just as lights were shown from the cliffs to notify an enemy at hand, for the barking of the dog had not escaped the vigilance of those on shore, and in a few seconds she disappeared in the mist.

“Blast your cur!  Five thousand pounds out of my pocket;” exclaimed the informer.  “I told you so.  Chuck him overboard, my men, for your pockets would have been lined.”

Vanslyperken was as savage, and exclaimed, “Give way, my men, give way; we’ll have them yet.”

“Send a cow to chase a hare,” replied the informer, throwing himself back in the stern-sheets of the boat.  “I know better; you may save yourself the trouble, and the men the fatigue.  May the devil take you, and your cursed dog with you!  Who but a fool would have brought a dog upon such an occasion?  Well, I’ve lost five thousand pounds; but there’s one comfort, you’ve lost too.  That will be a valuable beast, if you put all down to his account.”

At this moment Vanslyperken was so much annoyed at the loss of what would have been a fortune to him, that he felt as angry as the informer.  The boats’ crew were equally enraged, the dog was pommelled, and kicked, and passed along from one to the other, until he at last gained the stern-sheets, and crouched between the legs of his master, who kicked him away in a rage, and he saved himself under the legs of the informer, who, seizing a pistol, struck him with the butt-end of it such a blow, that nothing but the very thick skull of the dog could have saved him.  Snarleyyow was at a sad discount just then, but he very wisely again sought protection with his master, and this time he was not noticed.

“What are we to do now?” observed Vanslyperken.

“Go back again, like dogs with their tails between their legs; but observe, Mr Lieutenant, you have made me your enemy, and that is more serious than you think for.”

“Silence, sir, you are in a king’s boat.”

“The king be d—­d,” replied the informer, falling back sulkily against the gunnel of the boat.

“Give way, men, and pull on board,” said Vanslyperken, in equally bad humour.

In equally bad humour the men did give way, and in about an hour were on board of the cutter.

Every one was in a bad humour when the affair was made known; but Smallbones observed, “that the dog could be no such great friend, as supposed, of Vanslyperken’s, to thwart his interests in that way; and certainly no imp sent by the devil to his assistance.”  The ship’s company were consoled with this idea, and Jansen again repeated, “that the tog was but a tog, after all.”