CHAPTER SIX.
IN WHICH AS OFTEN HAPPENS AT SEA WHEN SIGNALS ARE NOT MADE OUT, FRIENDSEXCHANGE BROADSIDES.
Notwithstanding all the precautions of the party on the forecastle, thisconsultation had been heard by no less a person than the huge CorporalVan Spitter, who had an idea that there was some mystery going onforward, and had contrived to crawl up under the bulwark, and throwhimself down on the fore-staysail, which lay between two of the guns.Having so done without being perceived, for it was the very moment thatthe party were all listening to Bill Spurey's legend of the dog's firstappearance on board, he threw a part of the sail over his fat carouse,and thus remained undiscovered during the remainder of the colloquy. Heheard them all descending below, and remained still quiet, till heimagined that the forecastle was clear. In the meantime, MrVanslyperken who had been walking the deck abaft, unaccompanied by hisfaithful attendant (for Snarleyyow remained coiled up on his master'sbed), was meditating deeply how to gratify the two most powerfulpassions in our nature, love and revenge: at one moment thinking of thefat fair Vandersloosh, and of hauling in her guilders, at anotherreverting to the starved Smallbones and the comfort of a keel-hauling.The long conference on the forecastle had not been unperceived by thehawk's eye of the lieutenant, and as they descended he walked forward toascertain if he could not pick up some straggler who, unsupported by hiscomrades, might be induced by fear to acquaint him with the subject ofthe discussion. Now, just as Mr Vanslyperken came forward, CorporalVan Spitter had removed the canvas from his body, and was about to risefrom his bed, when he perceived somebody coming forward. Not making itout to be the lieutenant, he immediately dropped down again and drew thecanvas over him. Mr Vanslyperken perceived this manoeuvre, and thoughthe had now caught one of the conspirators, and, moreover, one who showedsuch fear as to warrant the supposition that he should be able toextract from him the results of the night's unusually long conference.
Mr Vanslyperken walked up to where the corporal lay as quiet but notquite so small as a mouse. It occurred to Mr Vanslyperken that alittle taste of punishment _in esse_ would very much assist the threatsof what might be received _in posse_; so he laid aside hisspeaking-trumpet, looked round, picked up a handspike, and raising itabove his head, down it came, with all the force of the lieutenant'sarm, upon Corporal Van Spitter, whose carcase resounded like a hugekettle-drum.
"Tunder and flame!" roared the corporal under the canvas, thinking thatone of the seamen, having discovered him eavesdropping, had thus wreakedhis revenge, taking advantage of his being covered up, and pretendingnot to know him. "Tunder and flame!" roared the corporal, muffled up inthe canvas, and trying to extricate himself; but his voice was notrecognised by the lieutenant, and, before he could get clear of hisenvelope, the handspike had again descended; when up rose the corporal,like a buffalo out of his muddy lair, half blinded by the last blow,which had fallen on his head, ran full butt at the lieutenant, andprecipitated his senior officer and commander headlong down thefore-hatchway.
Vanslyperken fell with great force, was stunned, and lay without motionat the foot of the ladder, while the corporal, whose wrath was alwaysexcessive when his blood was up, but whose phlegmatic blood could not beraised without some such decided stimulus as a handspike, now turnedround and round the forecastle, like a bull looking for his assailants;but the corporal had the forecastle all to himself, and, as he graduallycooled down, he saw lying close to him the speaking-trumpet of hissenior officer.
"Tousand tyfels," murmured Corporal Van Spitter, "but it must have beenthe skipper. Got for dam, dis is hanging matter!" Corporal Van Spitterwas as cool as a cucumber as soon as he observed what a mistake he hadmade; in fact he quivered and trembled in his fat. "But then," thoughthe, "perhaps he did not know me--no, he could not, or he never wouldhave handspiked _me_." So Corporal Van Spitter walked down thehatchway, where he ascertained that his commandant lay insensible. "Datis good," thought he; and he went aft, lighted his lantern, and, as a_ruse_, knocked at the cabin-door. Receiving no answer but the growl ofSnarleyyow, he went in, and then ascended to the quarter-deck, lookedround him, and inquired of the man at the wheel where Mr Vanslyperkenmight be. The man replied that he had gone forward a few minutesbefore, and thither the corporal proceeded. Of course, not finding him,he returned, telling the man that the skipper was not in the cabin orthe forecastle, and wondering where he could be. He then descended tothe next officer in command, Dick Short, and called him.
"Well," said Short.
"Can't find Mr Vanslyperken anywhere," said the corporal.
"Look," replied Dick, turning round in his hammock.
"Mein Got, I have looked de forecastle, de quarter-deck, and de cabin--he not anywhere."
"Overboard," replied Dick.
"I come to you, sir, to make inquiry," said the corporal.
"Turn out," said Dick, suiting the action to the words, and lightingwith his feet on the deck in his shirt.
While Short was dressing himself, the corporal summoned up all hismarines; and the noise occasioned by this turn out, and the conversationoverheard by those who were awake, soon gave the crew of the cutter tounderstand that some accident had happened to their commander. EvenSmallbones had it whispered in his ear that Mr Vanslyperken had fallenoverboard, and he smiled as he lay in the dark, smarting with hiswounds, muttering to himself that Snarleyyow should soon follow hismaster. By the time that Short was on the quarterdeck, Corporal VanSpitter, who knew very well where to look for it, had, very much to thedisappointment of the crew found the body of Mr Vanslyperken, and themarines had brought it aft to the cabin, and would have laid it on thebed, had not Snarleyyow, who had no feeling in his composition,positively denied its being put there.
Short came down and examined his superior officer.
"Is he dead," inquired the corporal with alarm.
"No," replied Short.
"Vat can it be then?" said the corporal.
"Stunned," replied Short.
"Mein Got! how could it happen?"
"Tumbled," replied Short.
"What shall we do, sir?" rejoined the corporal.
"Bed," replied Short, turning on his heel, and a minute after turninginto his hammock.
"Mein Got, the dog will not let him go to bed," exclaimed the corporal.
"Let's put him in," said one of the marines; "the dog won't bite hismaster."
So the marines lifted up the still insensible Mr Vanslyperken, andalmost tossed him into his standing bed-place, right on the body of thesnarling dog, who, as soon as he could disengage himself from theweight, revenged himself by making his teeth meet more than once throughthe lantern cheek of his master, and then leaping off the bed, retreatedgrowling under the table.
"Well, you _are_ a nice dog," exclaimed one of the marines, lookingafter Snarleyyow in his retreat.
Now, there was no medical assistance on board so small a vessel. MrVanslyperken was allowed a small quantity of medicine, unguents,etcetera; but these he always sold to an apothecary as soon as he hadprocured them from the authorities. The teeth of the dog had, however,their effect, and Mr Vanslyperken opened his eyes, and in a faint voicecried, "Snarleyyow." Oh, if the dog had any spark of feeling, how musthe then have been stung with remorse at his ingratitude to so kind amaster! But he apparently showed none, at least report does not saythat any symptoms were manifest.
After a little burnt oakum had excoriated his nose, and a certainquantity of the cold salt-water from alongside had wetted through hisbed-clothes, Mr Vanslyperken was completely recovered, and was able tospeak and look about him. Corporal Van Spitter trembled a little as hiscommandant fixed his eyes upon him, and he redoubled his attention.
"Mein Got, Mynheer Vanslyperken, how was this happen?" exclaimed thecorporal in a pathetic tone. Whereupon Mr Vanslyperken ordered everyone to leave the cabin but Corporal Van Spitter.
Mr Vanslyperken then communicated to the corporal that he had beenknocked down the hatchway by one of the men wh
en he went forward; thathe could not distinguish who it was, but thought it must have beenJansen from his size. Corporal Van Spitter, delighted to find that hisskipper was on a wrong scent, expressed his opinion in corroboration ofthe lieutenant's; after which a long consultation took place relative tomutiny, disaffection, and the proper measures to be taken. Vanslyperkenmentioned the consultation of the men during the first watch, and thecorporal, to win his favour, was very glad to be able to communicate theparticulars of what he had overheard, stating that he had concealedhimself for that purpose.
"And where did you conceal yourself?" said Vanslyperken, with a keeninquiring look: for it immediately occurred to him that, unless it wasunder the sail, there could be no concealment for such a huge body asthat of the corporal; and he had his misgivings. But the corporal veryadroitly observed, that he stood at the lower step of the fore-ladder,with his head level with the coamings; and had, by this means, overheardthe conversation unperceived, and had only walked away when the partybroke up. This restored the confidence of Mr Vanslyperken, and a longdiscussion took place, in which it was agreed between them, that theonly way to prevent Snarleyyow from being destroyed, was to try somemeans to make away quietly with poor Smallbones. But this part of theconversation was not carried to any length: for Mr Vanslyperken,indignant at having received such injury in his face from his ungratefulcur, did not, at that moment, feel the current of his affection run sostrong as usual in that direction. After this, the corporal touched hishat, swung round to the rightabout in military style, and left thecabin.