Chapter XLII
In which is shown the imprudence of sleeping in the open air, even in asummer's night.
The _Yungfrau_ was not permitted to remain more than two days at heranchorage. On the third morning Mr Vanslyperken's signal was made toprepare to weigh. He immediately answered it, and giving his orders toShort, hastened, as fast as he could, up to the syndic's house to informRamsay, stating, that he must immediately return on board again, andthat the letters must be sent to him: Ramsay perceived the necessity ofthis, and consented. On his return to the boat, Mr Vanslyperken foundthat his signal to repair on board the frigate had been hoisted, and hehastened on board to put on his uniform and obey this order. He receivedhis despatches from the captain of the frigate, with orders to proceedto sea immediately. Mr Vanslyperken, under the eye of his superiorofficer, could not dally or delay: he hove short, hoisted his mainsail,and fired a gun as a signal for sailing; anxiously looking out forRamsay's boat with his letters, and afraid to go without them; but noboat made its appearance, and Mr Vanslyperken was forced to heave up hisanchor. Still he did not like to make sail, and he remained a fewminutes more, when he at last perceived a small boat coming off. At thesame time he observed a boat coming from the frigate, and they arrivedalongside the cutter about the same time, fortunately Ramsay's boat thefirst, and Mr Vanslyperken had time to carry the letters down below.
"The commandant wishes to know why you do not proceed to sea, sir, inobedience to your orders," said the officer.
"I only waited for that boat to come on board, sir," repliedVanslyperken to the lieutenant.
"And pray, sir, from whom does that boat come?" inquired the officer.
"From the syndic's, Mynheer Van Krause," replied Vanslyperken, notknowing what else to say, and thinking that the name of the syndic wouldbe sufficient.
"And what did the boat bring off, to occasion the delay, sir?"
"A letter or two for England," replied Vanslyperken.
"Very well, sir, I wish you a good morning," said the lieutenant, whothen went into his boat, and Vanslyperken made sail.
The delay of the cutter to receive the syndic's letters was fullyreported the same evening to the commandant, who, knowing that thesyndic was suspected, reported the same to the authorities, and thistrifling circumstance only increased the suspicions against theunfortunate Mynheer Van Krause; but we must follow the cutter and thoseon board of her. Smallbones had remained concealed on board, his woundshad been nearly healed, and it was now again proposed that he should, assoon as they were out at sea, make his appearance to frightenVanslyperken; and that, immediately they arrived at Portsmouth, heshould go on shore and desert from the cutter, as Mr Vanslyperken would,of course, find out that his mother was killed, and the consequences toSmallbones must be dangerous, as he had no evidence, if Vanslyperkenswore that he had murdered his mother; but this arrangement wasoverthrown by events which we shall now narrate. It was on the thirdmorning after they sailed, that Vanslyperken walked the deck: there wasno one but the man at the helm abaft. The weather was extremely sultry,for the cutter had run with a fair wind for the first eight-and-fortyhours, and had then been becalmed for the last twenty-four, and haddrifted to the back of the Isle of Wight, when she was not three leaguesfrom St Helen's. The consequence was, that the ebb-tide had now driftedher down very nearly opposite to that part of the island where the cavewas situated of which we have made mention. Vanslyperken heard thepeople talking below, and, as usual, anxious to overhear what was said,had stopped to listen. He heard the name of Smallbones repeated severaltimes, but could not make out what was said.
Anxious to know, he went down the ladder, and, instead of going into hiscabin, crept softly forward on the lower deck, when he overheard Coble,Short, and Spurey in consultation.
"We shall be in to-morrow," said Spurey, "if a breeze springs up, andthen it will be too late: Smallbones must frighten him again to-night."
"Yes," replied Short.
"He shall go into his cabin at twelve o'clock, that will be the bestway."
"But the corporal."
"Hush!--there is someone there," said Spurey, who, attracted by a slightnoise made by Vanslyperken's boots, turned short round.
Vanslyperken retreated and gained the deck by the ladder; he had hardlybeen up when he observed a face at the hatchway, who was evidentlylooking to ascertain if he was on deck.
These few words overheard, satisfied Vanslyperken that Smallbones wasalive and on board the cutter; and he perceived how he had been playedwith. His rage was excessive, but he did not know how to act. IfSmallbones was alive, and that he appeared to be, he must have escapedfrom his mother, and, of course, the ship's company must know that hislife had been attempted. That he did not care much about; he had notdone the deed; but how the lad could have come on board! did he not seehim lying dead? It was very strange, and the life of the boy must becharmed. At all events, it was a mystery which Mr Vanslyperken could notsolve; at first, he thought that he would allow Smallbones to come intothe cabin, and get a loaded pistol ready for him. The words, "But thecorporal," which were cut short, proved to him that the corporal was noparty to the affair; yet it was strange that the ship's company couldhave concealed the lad without the corporal's knowledge. Vanslyperkenwalked and walked, and thought and thought; at last he resolved to godown into his cabin, pretend to go to bed, lock his door, which was nothis custom, and see if they would attempt to come in. He did so, thecorporal was dismissed, and at twelve o'clock his door was tried andtried again; but being fast, the party retreated. Vanslyperken waitedtill two bells to ascertain if any more attempts would be made; but nonewere, so he rose from his bed, where he had thrown himself with hisclothes on, and, opening the door softly, crept upon deck. The night wasvery warm, but there was a light and increasing breeze, and the cutterwas standing in and close to the shore to make a long board upon nexttack. Vanslyperken passed the man at the helm, and walked aft to thetaffrail; he stood up on the choak to ascertain what way she was makingthrough the water, and he was meditating upon the best method ofproceeding. Had he known where Smallbones' hammock was hung, he wouldhave gone down with the view of ascertaining the fact; but with a crewso evidently opposed to him, he could not see how even the ascertainingthat Smallbones was on board, would be productive of any goodconsequences. The more Vanslyperken thought, the more he was puzzled.The fact is, that he was between the horns of a dilemma; but the devil,who always helps his favourites, came to the aid of Mr Vanslyperken. Thesmall boat was, as usual, hoisted up astern, and Mr Vanslyperken's eyeswere accidentally cast upon it. He perceived a black mass lying on thethwarts, and he examined it more closely: he heard snoring; it was oneof the ship's company sleeping there against orders. He leant over thetaffrail, and putting aside the great-coat which covered the party, helooked attentively on the face--there was no doubt it was Smallboneshimself. From a knowledge of the premises, Vanslyperken knew at oncethat the lad was in his power.
The boat, after being hauled up with tackles, was hung by a single ropeat each davit. It was very broad in proportion to its length, and wassecured from motion by a single gripe, which confined it in its place,bowsing it close to the stern of the cutter, and preventing it fromturning over bottom up, which, upon the least weight upon one gunnel orthe other, would be inevitably the case. Smallbones was lying close tothe gunnel next to the stern of the cutter. By letting go the gripe,therefore, the boat would immediately turn bottom up, and Smallboneswould be dropped into the sea. Vanslyperken carefully examined thefastenings of the gripe, found that they were to be cast off by onemovement, and that his success was certain; but still he was cautious.The man at the helm must hear the boat go over; he might hearSmallbones' cry for assistance. So Vanslyperken went forward to the manat the helm, and desired him to go down and to order Corporal VanSpitter to mix a glass of brandy-and-water, and send it up by him, andthat he would steer the vessel till he came up again. The man went downto execute the order, and Vanslyperken steered the cutter for half a
minute, during which he looked forward to ascertain if any one wasmoving. All was safe, the watch was all asleep forward, andVanslyperken, leaving the cutter to steer itself, hastened aft, cast offthe gripe, the boat, as he calculated, immediately turning over, and thesleeping Smallbones fell into the sea. Vanslyperken hastened back to thehelm, and put the cutter's head right. He heard the cry of Smallbones,but it was not loud, for the cutter had already left him astern, and itwas fainter and fainter, and at last it was heard no more, and not oneof the watch had been disturbed.
"If ever you haunt me again," muttered Vanslyperken, "may I be hanged."
We particularly call the reader's attention to these words of MrVanslyperken.
The man returned with the brandy-and-water, with which Vanslyperkendrank _bon voyage_ to poor Smallbones. He then ordered the cutter to beput about, and as soon as she was round, he went down into his cabin andturned in with greater satisfaction than he had for a long time.
"We shall have got rid of him at last, my poor dog," said he, pattingSnarleyyow's head. "Your enemy is gone for ever."
And Mr Vanslyperken slept soundly, because, although he had committed amurder, there was no chance of his being found out. We soon getaccustomed to crime: before, he started at the idea of murder; now, allthat he cared for was detection.
"Good-night to you, Mr Vanslyperken."