Chapter XV
In which the crew of the _Yungfrau_ lose a good prize, and Snarleyyowloses his character.
The next morning the _Yungfrau_ was clear of St Helens, and sounding theeastern part of the Isle of Wight, after which she made sail into theoffing, that she might not be suspected by those on shore waiting toreceive the cargo. The weather was fine, and the water smooth, and assoon as she was well out, the cutter was hove-to. In the hurry ofweighing, Mr Vanslyperken had not thought, or had not known perhaps,that the wife of Jemmy Ducks was still on board, and as he was turningup and down on the quarter-deck, he perceived her on the forecastle,laughing and talking with the men.
"What woman is that?" said he to Jansen, who was at the wheel.
"De frau, mynheer. Dat is de frau of Shimmy Duk."
"How dare she come on board? Send her aft here, marine."
The marine went forward and gave the order; and Jemmy, who expected abreeze, told his wife to behave herself quietly. His advice did not,however, appear to be listened to, as will be shown in the sequel.
"How came you on board, woman?" cried Vanslyperken, looking at her fromtop to toe several times, as usual, with his hands in his great-coatpockets, and his battered speaking-trumpet under his arm.
"How did I come on board! why, in a boat to be sure," replied Moggy,determined to have a breeze.
"Why did you not go on shore before the cutter sailed?" repliedVanslyperken, in an angry tone.
"Why, just for the contrary reason, because there was no boat."
"Well, I'll just tell you this, if ever I see you on board again, you'lltake the consequences," retorted Vanslyperken.
"And I'll just tell you this," replied Moggy; "if ever you come on shoreagain you shall take the consequences. I'll have you--I give youwarning. Flog my Jemmy, heh! my own dear darling Jemmy." Hereupon Moggyheld out one arm bent, and with the palm of her other hand slapped herelbow--"_There!_" cried she.
What Jemmy's wife meant by this sign, it is impossible for us to say;but that it was a very significant one was certain, for Mr Vanslyperkenfoamed with rage, and all the cutter's crew were tittering and laughing.It was a species of free-masonry known only to the initiated at theSallyport.
"Send the marines aft here. Take this woman below," cried Vanslyperken."I shall put all this down to your husband's account, and give him areceipt in full, depend upon it."
"So you may. Marines, keep off, if you don't wish your heads broken; andI'll put all this down to your account; and as you say that you'll payoff on my pet, mark my words, if I don't pay off on yours--on your nastycur there. I'll send him to cruise after Corporal Van Spitter. As sureas I stand here, if you dare to lay a finger on my Jemmy, I'll kill thebrute wherever I find him, and make him into _saussingers_, just for thepleasure of eating him. I'll send you a pound as a present. You marine,don't be a fool--I can walk forward without your hoffering your arm, andbe d----d to you." So saying, Moggy stalked forward and joined the menon the forecastle.
"D'ye know much of that strapping lass?" said Mr Vanslyperken's newacquaintance.
"Not I," replied Vanslyperken, not much pleased at the observation.
"Well, look out for squalls, she'll be as good as her word. We'll drawthe foresheet, and stand in now, if you please."
It was about dusk, for the days were now short, and the cutter was eightmiles off the land. By the directions of the informer, for we have noother name to give him, they now bore up and ran along the island untilthey were, by his calculations, for it then was dark, abreast of acertain point close to the Black Gang Chyne. Here they hove-to, hoistedout their boats, three in number, and the men were sent in, well armedwith pistols and cutlasses. Short had the charge of one, Coble of thesecond, the stern-sheets of the third was occupied by Vanslyperken andthe informer. As soon as all was ready, Jemmy Ducks, who, much againstVanslyperken's wish, was left in charge of the cutter, received hisorders to lie-to where he was, and when the tide made flood, to standclose in-shore; and all was prepared for a start, when it occurred toVanslyperken that to leave Snarleyyow, after the threat of Jemmy's wife,and the known animosity of Smallbones, would be his death-warrant. Hedetermined, therefore, to take him in the boat. The informer protestedagainst it, but Vanslyperken would not listen to his protestations. Thedog was handed into the boat, and they shoved off. After they had pulleda quarter of an hour in-shore, they altered their course, and continuedalong the coast until the informer had made out exactly where he was. Hethen desired the other two boats to come alongside, told the crews thatthey must keep the greatest silence, as where they were about to proceedwas directly under where the smugglers would have a party to receive thegoods, and that the least alarm would prevent them from making thecapture. The boats then pulled in to some large rocks, against which thewaves hoarsely murmured, although the sea was still smooth, and passingbetween them, found themselves in a very small cove, where the water wasstill, and in which there was deep water.
The cove was not defended so much by the rocks above water, for themouth of it was wide; but there appeared to be a ridge below, whichbroke off the swell of the ocean. Neither was it deep, the beach notbeing more than perhaps fifty feet from the entrance. The boats, whichhad pulled in with muffled oars, here lay quietly for nearly an hour,when a fog came on and obscured the view of the offing, which otherwisewas extensive, as the moon was at her full, and had shone bright.
"This is all the better," whispered the informer, "they will fall intothe trap at once. Hark! hist! I hear oars."
They all listened; it was true, the sound of oars was heard, and the menprepared their arms.
The splash of the oars was now more plain. "Be silent and ready,"whispered the informer, and the whisper was passed round. In anotherminute a large lugger-built boat, evidently intended for sailing as wellas pulling, was seen through the fog looming still larger from the mist,pulling into the cove.
"Silence, and not a word. Let her pass us," whispered the informer.
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 andprolonged 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 wastherefore clear that the Philistines were at hand. The dog barked inspite of all attempts to prevent him, and acting upon this timelywarning, the lugger-boat pulled short round, just as lights were shownfrom the cliffs to notify an enemy at hand, for the barking of the doghad not escaped the vigilance of those on shore, and in a few secondsshe disappeared in the mist.
"Blast your cur! Five thousand pounds out of my pocket;" exclaimed theinformer. "I told you so. Chuck him overboard, my men, for your pocketswould 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 himselfback in the stern-sheets of the boat. "I know better; you may saveyourself 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 dogupon such an occasion? Well, I've lost five thousand pounds; but there'sone comfort, you've lost too. That will be a valuable beast, if you putall down to his account."
At this moment Vanslyperken was so much annoyed at the loss of whatwould 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 thestern-sheets, and crouched between the legs of his master, who kickedhim 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 againsought protection with his master, and this time he was not noticed.
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"What are we to do now?" observed Vanslyperken.
"Go back again, like dogs with their tails between their legs; butobserve, Mr Lieutenant, you have made me your enemy, and that is moreserious than you think for."
"Silence, sir, you are in a king's boat."
"The king be d--d," replied the informer, falling back sulkily againstthe gunnel of the boat.
"Give way, men, and pull on board," said Vanslyperken, in equally badhumour.
In equally bad humour the men did give way, and in about an hour were onboard of the cutter.
Every one was in a bad humour when the affair was made known; butSmallbones observed, "that the dog could be no such great friend, assupposed, of Vanslyperken's, to thwart his interests in that way; andcertainly no imp sent by the devil to his assistance." The ship'scompany were consoled with this idea, and Jansen again repeated, "thatthe _tog_ was but a tog, after all."