"I say, Coble, I wonder what the skipper will say when he comes on board, and finds that the dog is gone?"
"Hoh! hoh!" thought Vanslyperken.
"I ar'n't convinced that he is gone yet," replied Coble.
"Smallbones swears that he's settled this time," replied Spurey.
"So he did before," replied Coble.
"Smallbones again," thought Vanslyperken. "I'll —Smallbones him, if I hang for it."
"Why, he says he buried him two feet deep."
"Ay, ay; but what's the use of burying an animal who's not a human creature? For my part I say this, that the imp belongs to his master, and is bound to serve him as long as his master lives. When he dies, the dog may be killed, and then—"
"Why, with the blessing of God, they'll both go to hell together, and I don't care how soon."
"Kill me, you old villain!" muttered Vanslyperken, grinding his teeth.
"Well, any how, if the dog be not made away with, no more be Smallbones. He ar'n't afeard of the devil himself."
"No, not he; I'm of opinion Smallbones wa'n't sent here for nothing."
"He's escaped him twice, at all events."
"Then they know it," thought Vanslyperken, turning pale.
"Ay, and I will take you any bet you please, that the skipper never takes that boy's life. He's charmed, or I am a gudgeon."
Vanslyperken felt that it was his own suspicion, and he trembled at the idea of the lad being supernatural.
"Out of the way, Coble, or I'll fill your shoes," cried out one of the men, slashing a bucket of water.
"That's not quite so easy, 'cause I've got boots on," replied Coble. "However, I'll take up another berth."
The men walked away, and Vanslyperken could hear no more; but he had heard quite enough. The life of the dog had been attempted by Smallbones, it was evident. Mr. Vanslyperken, after a little agitation, rang the bell.
"By all that's blue, the skipper's on board!" exclaimed the men on deck.
"Not in my watch, at all events," replied Coble. "Did he come in yours, Short?"
"Then it must have been in the corporal's."
"The corporal never called me, nor was he on deck," replied Coble. "I've a notion he never kept his watch."
The ring at the bell particularly concerned two people, the two culprits, Smallbones and Corporal Van Spitter.
The latter made his appearance; but previous to his answering the bell, Mr. Vanslyperken had time to reflect. "So they think my dog is supernatural," said he; "so much the better. I'll make them believe it still more." Mr. Vanslyperken called the dog, and pointed to his bed. The dog, who was fond of a warm berth, and but seldom allowed to get on the bed, immediately jumped up into it when invited, and Mr. Vanslyperken patted him, and covered him up with the bedclothes. He then drew the curtains of the bed, and waited to see who would answer the bell. Corporal Van Spitter made his appearance.
"Corporal, I came on board very late, where have you put the dog? Bring him into the cabin."
Here the corporal, who was prepared, shook his head, smoothed down the hair of his ore cad, and made a very melancholy face.
"It was all my fault, Mynheer Vanslyperken; yet I do for the best, but te tog be lost."
The corporal then stated that he had taken the precaution to take the dog on shore, as he was afraid to leave it on board when he went to the washerwoman's, and that he was not long there, but while he was, the dog disappeared. He had looked everywhere, but could not find it.
"You took Smallbones with you?" said Vanslyperken.
"Yes, mynheer, to carry de linen."
"And where was he when you were at the washer-woman's."
"I know that it was he who killed and buried the dog, corporal."
Corporal Van Spitter started; he thought he was discovered.
"Kilt and perryed! mein Gott!" said the corporal, obliged to say something.
"Yes, I overheard the men say so on deck, corporal. He must have taken the opportunity when you were in the house counting the linen."
Now the corporal had time to recover himself, and he argued that any thing was better than that he should be suspected. Smallbones was already known to have attempted the life of the dog, so he would leave the lieutenant in his error.
"Mein Gott! he is von d—d kill-dog feller," observed the corporal. "I look everywhere, I no find te tog. Den de tog is dead?"
"Yes," replied Vanslyperken, "but I'll punish the scoundrel, depend upon it. That will do, corporal; you may go."
As Snarleyyow remained perfectly quiet during this conversation, we must give Vanslyperken great credit for his manoeuvre. The corporal went to Smallbones, and repeated what had passed. Smallbones snapped his fingers.
"He may keel-haul, or hang me, for all I care. The dog is dead. Never fear, corporal, I won't peach upon you. I'm game, and I'll die so —if so be I must."
Vanslyperken sent for Smallbones. Smallbones, who was worked up to the highest state of excitement, came in boldly.
"So you villain, you've killed my dog, and buried it."
"No, I ar'n't," replied Smallbones. "I knows nothing about your dog, sir."
"Why, the men on deck said so, you scoundrel —I heard them."
"I don't care what the men say; I never killed your dog, sir."
"You rascal, I'll have your life!" exclaimed Vanslyperken. Smallbones grinned diabolically, and Vanslyperken, who remembered all that the men had said in confirmation of his own opinion relative to Smallbones, turned pale, Smallbones, on his part, aware from Corporal Van Spitter that the lieutenant had such an idea, immediately took advantage of the signs in the lieutenant's countenance, and drawled out, —"That's —not —so —easy!"
Vanslyperken turned away. "You may go now, sir, but depend upon it you shall feel my vengeance!" and Smallbones quitted the cabin.
Vanslyperken finished his toilet, and then turned the dog out of the bed.
He went on deck, and after he had walked a little while sent for Corporal Van Spitter to consult as to the best method of ascertaining what had become of Snarleyyow. Having entered apparently very earnestly into the corporal's arrangements, who was to go on shore immediately, he desired the corporal to see his breakfast got ready in the cabin.
It so happened, that the corporal went into the cabin, followed by Smallbones: the first object that met his view, was Snarleyyow, sitting upon the chest, scratching his ragged ear as if nothing had happened.
"Gott in himmel!" roared the corporal, turning back, and running out of the cabin, upsetting Smallbones, whom he met in the passage, and trotting, like an elephant, right over him. Nor was Smallbones the only one who suffered; two marines and three seamen were successively floored by the corporal, who, blinded with fear, never stopped till he ran his head butt against the lining in the fore peak of the cutter, which, with the timbers of the vessel, brought him up, not all standing, in one sense of the word, for in his mad career his head was dashed so violently against them, that the poor corporal fell down, stunned to insensibility.
In the meantime Smallbones had gained his feet, and was rubbing his ribs, to ascertain if they were all whole. "Well, I'm sure," said he, "if I ain't flattened for all the world like a pancake, with that 'ere corporal's weight. One may as well have a broad-wheel waggon at once go over one's body; but what could make him come for to go to run away bellowing in that ore manner? He must have seen the devil; or, perhaps," thought Smallbones, "that imp of the devil, Snarleyyow. I'll go and see what it was, anyhow."
Smallbones, rubbing his abdomen, whore the corporal had trod hardest, walked into the cabin, where he beheld the dog. He stood with his mouth wide open.
"I defy the devil and all his works," exclaimed he, at last, "and you be one of his, that's sartin. I fear God, and I honour the king, and the parish taught me to read the Bible. There you be resurrectioned up again. Well, it's no use, I suppose. Satan, I defy you, anyhow; but it's very hard that a good Christian should have to get the breakfast ready, of which you'll eat one half: I don't see why I'm to wait upon the devil or his imps."
Then Smallbones stopped, and thought a little. "I wonder whether he bee'd dead, as I thought. Master came on board last night without no one knowing nothing about it, and he might have brought the dog with him, if so be he came to again. I won't believe that he's haltogether not to be made away with, for how come his eye out? Well, I don't care, I'm a good Christian, and may I be swamped if I don't try what he's made of yet! First time we cut's up beef, I'll try and chop your tail, anyhow, that I will, if I am hung for it."
Smallbones regained his determination. He set about laying the things for breakfast, and when they were ready he went up to the quarter-deck, reporting the same to Mr. Vanslyperken, who had expected to see him frightened out of his wits, and concluding his speech by saying, "If you please, sir, the dog be in the cabin, all right; I said as how I never kilt your dog, nor buried him neither."
"The dog in the cabin!" exclaimed Mr. Vanslyperken, with apparent astonishment. "Why, how the devil could he have come there?"
"He cummed off, I suppose, sir, same way as you did, without nobody knowing nothing about it," drawled out Smallbones, who then walked away.
In the meantime the corporal had been picked up, and the men were attempting to recover him. Smallbones went forward to see what had become of him, and learnt how it was that he was insensible.
"Well, then," thought Smallbones, "it may have been all the same with the dog, and I believe there's humbug in it; for if the dog had made his appearance, as master pretends he did, all of a sudden, he'd a been more frightened than me."
So reasoned Smallbones, and he reasoned well. In the meantime the corporal opened his eyes, and gradually returned to his senses, and then, for the first time, the ship's company, who were all down at their breakfast, demanded of Smallbones the reason of the corporal's conduct.
"Why," replied Smallbones, "because that 'ere beast, Snarleyyow, be come back again, all alive, a'ter being dead and buried —he's in the cabin now —that's all."
"That's all!" exclaimed one. "All!" cried another. "The devil!" said a third.
"I said as how it would be," said Obadiah Coble —"that dog is no dog, as sure as I sit here."
The return of the dog certainly had a strong effect upon the whole of the ship's company. The corporal swore that he was not in the cabin, and that Mr. Vanslyperken had arranged for his going on shore to look for him, when all of a sudden the dog made his appearance, no one knew how. Smallbones found himself so much in the minority, that he said nothing. It was perfect heresy not to believe that the dog was sent from the lower regions; and as for any further attempts to destroy it, it was considered as perfect insanity.
But this renewed attempt on the part of Smallbones, for Vanslyperken was convinced that an attempt had been made, although it had not been successful, again excited the feelings of Mr. Vanslyperken against the lad, and he resolved somehow or another to retaliate. His anger overcame his awe, and he was reckless in his desire of vengeance. There was not the least suspicion of treachery on the part of Corporal Van Spitter in the heart of Mr. Vanslyperken, and the corporal played his double part so well, that, if possible, he was now higher in favour than ever.
After a day or two, during which Mr. Vanslyperken remained on board, he sent for the corporal, determining to sound him as to whether he would make any attempts upon Smallbones; for to such a height had Vanslyperken's enmity arrived, that he now resolved to part with some of his darling money, to tempt the corporal, rather than not get rid of the lad. After many hints thrown out, but not taken by the wily corporal, who was resolved that Vanslyperken should speak plainly, the deed and the reward of ten guineas were openly proclaimed, and Vanslyperken waited for the corporal's reply.
"Mein Gott, Mynheer Vanslyperken! suppose it was possible, I not take your money, I do it wid pleasure; but, sir, it not possible."
"Not possible!" exclaimed Vanslyperken.
"No, mynheer," replied the corporal; "I not tell you all, tousand tyfils, I not tell you all;" and here the corporal put his hand to his forehead and was silent, much to Vanslyperken's amazement. But the fact was, that Corporal Van Spitter was thinking what he possibly could say. At last, a brilliant thought struck him —he narrated to the lieutenant how he had seen the ghost of Smallbones, as he thought, when he was floating about, adrift on the Zuyder Zee —described with great force his horror at the time of the appearance of the supernatural object, and tailed on to what he believed to be true, that which he knew to be false, to wit, that the apparition had cried out to him, that "he was not to be hurt by mortal men."
"Gott in himmel," finished the corporal, "I never was so frightened in my life. I see him now, as plain as I see you, mynheer. Twenty tousand tyfils, but the voice was like de tunder —and his eye like de lightning —I fell back in one swoon. Ah, mein Gott, mein Gott!"
So well did the corporal play his part, that Vanslyperken became quite terrified; the candle appeared to burn dim, and he dared not move to snuff it. He could not but credit the corporal, for there was an earnestness of description, and a vividness of colouring, which could not have been invented; besides, was not the corporal his earnest and only friend? "Corporal," said Vanslyperken, "perhaps you'll like a glass of scheedam; there's some in the cupboard."
This was very kind of Mr. Vanslyperken, but he wanted one himself, much more than the corporal. The corporal produced the bottle and the glass, poured it out, made his military salute, and tossed it off.
"Give me another glass, corporal," said Vanslyperken, in a tremulous tone. The lieutenant took one, two, three glasses, one after another, to recover himself.
The corporal had really frightened him. He was convinced that Smallbones had a charmed life. Did he not float to the Nab buoy and back again? —did not a pistol ball pass through him wit out injury? Vanslyperken shuddered; he took a fresh lass, and then handed the bottle to the corporal, who helped himself, saluted, and the liquor again disappeared in a moment.
Dutch courage is proverbial, although a libel upon one of the bravest of nations. Vanslyperken now felt it, and again he commenced with the corporal. "What were the words?" inquired he.
"Dat he was not to be hurt by mortal man, mynheer. I can take mine piple oath of it," replied the corporal.
"Damnation!" cried Vanslyperken; "but stop —mortal man —perhaps he may be hurt by woman."
"Dat is quite anoder ting, mynheer."
"He shan't escape if I can help it," retorted Vanslyperken. "I must think about it." Vanslyperken poured out another glass of scheedam, and pushed the stone bottle to the corporal, who helped himself without ceremony. Mr. Vanslyperken was now about two thirds drunk, for he was not used to such a quantity of spirits.
"Now, if I had only been friends with that —that —hell fire Moggy Salisbury," thought Vanslyperken, speaking aloud to himself.
"Mein Gott, yes, mynheer," replied the corporal.
Vanslyperken took another glass —spilling a great deal on the table as he poured it out; he then covered his eyes with his hand, as if in thought. Thereupon the corporal filled without being asked; and, as he perceived that his superior remained in the same position, and did not observe him, he helped himself to a second glass, and then waited till Vanslyperken should speak again; but the liquor had overpowered rim, and he spoke no more.
The corporal, after a few minutes, went up to his superior; he touched him on the shoulder, saying, "Mynheer," but he obtained no reply. On the contrary, the slight touch made Mr. Vanslyperken fall forward on the table. He was quite insensible.
So the corporal took him up in his arms, laid him in his bed, then taking possession of the lieutenant's chair, for he was tired of standing so long, he set to work to empty the bottle, which, being large and full at the time that it was produced from the cupboard, took some time, and before it was accomplished, the Corporal Van Spitter had fallen fast asleep in the chair. Shortly afterwards the candle burnt out, and the cabin was in darkness.
It was about three o'clock in the morning when Mr. Vanslyperken began to recover his senses, and as his recollection returned, so were his ears met with a stupendous roaring and unusual noise. It was, to his imagination, unearthly, for he had been troubled with wild dreams about Smallbones, and his appearance to the corporal. It sounded like thunder, and Mr. Vanslyperken thought that he could plainly make out, " Mortal man! Mortal man!" and, at times, the other words of the supernatural intimation to the corporal. The mortal man was drawn out in lengthened cadence, and in a manner truly horrible. Vanslyperken called out, "Mor —tal —man," was the reply.
Again Vanslyperken almost shrieked in a perspiration of fear. The sound now ceased; but it was followed up by a noise like the rattling of glasses, tumbling about of the chairs and table, and Vanslyperken buried his face under the clothes. Then the door, which had been shut, was heard by him to slam like thunder; and then Snarleyyow barked loud and deep. "Oh! God forgive me!" cried the terrified lieutenant. "Our Father —which art in heaven —save me —save me!"
Shortly afterwards the corporal made his appearance with a light, and inquired if Mr. Vanslyperken had called. He found him reeking with perspiration, and half dead with fear. In broken words he stated how he had been visited, and how the same intimation that no mortal man could hurt Smallbones had been rung into his ears.
"It was only one dream, Mynheer Vanslyperken," observed the corporal.
"No —it was no dream," replied Vanslyperken. "Stay in the cabin, good corporal."
"Yes, mynheer," replied the corporal, drawing the curtains of the bed; and then quietly picking up the various articles on the floor, the table and chairs which had been overturned.
Alas! fear is the mate of guilt. All this horrible visitation was simply that Mr. Vanslyperken had heard the corporal's tremendous snoring, as he slept in the chair, and which his imagination had turned into the words, "Mortal man." The first exclamation of Mr. Vanslyperken had awoke the corporal, who, aware of the impropriety of his situation, had attempted to retreat; in so doing he had overturned the table and chairs, with the bottles and glasses upon them.
Fearful of discovery upon this unexpected noise, he had hastened out of the cabin, slammed the door, and waked up Snarleyyow; but he knew, from the exclamations of Vanslyperken, that the lieutenant was frightened out of his wits: so he very boldly returned with a candle to ascertain the result of the disturbance, and was delighted to find that the lieutenant was still under the delusion.
So soon as he had replaced everything, the corporal took a chair, and finding that he had fortunately put the cork into the stone bottle before he fell asleep, and that there was still one or two glasses in it, he drank them off, and waited patiently for daylight. By this time Vanslyperken was again asleep and snoring; so the corporal took away all the broken fragments, put the things in order, and left the cabin.
When Vanslyperken awoke and rang his bell, Smallbones entered. Vanslyperken got up, and finding the cabin as it was left the night before, was more than ever persuaded that he had been supernaturally visited. Fear made him quite civil to the lad, whose life he now considered, as the ship's company did that of the dog's, it was quite useless for him, at least, to attempt, and thus ends this chapter of horrors.
