CHAPTER XXIII.

IN WHICH MR. VANSLYPERKEN FINDS GREAT CAUSE OF

VEXATION AND SATISFACTION.

In the meanwhile, Mr. Vansly perken was anything but comfortable in his mind. That Corporal Van Spitter should assert that he saw the devil at his shoulder was a matter of no small annoyance any way; for either the devil was at his shoulder or he was not. If he was, why then it was evident that in consequence of his having attempted murder, and having betrayed his country for money, the devil considered him as his own, and this Mr. Vanslyperken did not approve of; for, like many others in this world, he wished to commit every crime, and go to heaven after all. Mr. Vanslyperken was superstitious and cowardly, and he did believe that such a thing was possible; and when he canvassed it in his mind he trembled, and looked over his shoulder.

But Corporal Van Spitter might have asserted it only to frighten him. It was possible-but here again was a difficulty; the corporal had been his faithful confidant for so long a while, and to suppose this, would be to suppose that the corporal was a traitor to him, and that, upon no grounds which Vanslyperken could conjecture, he had turned false: this was impossible-Mr. Vanslyperken would not credit it; so there he stuck, like a man between the horns of a dilemma, not knowing what to do; for Mr. Vanslyperken resolved, had the devil really been there, to have repented immediately, and have led a life; new but if the devil had not been there, Mr. Vanslyperken did not perceive any cause for such an immediate hurry.

At last, an idea presented itself to Mr. Vanslyperken's mind, which afforded him great comfort, which was, that the corporal had suffered so much from his boat adventures. - for the corporal had made the most of his sufferings-that he was a little affected in his mind, and had thought that he had seen something. "It must have been so," said Mr. Vanslyperken, who fortified the idea with a glass of scheedam, and then went to bed.

Now, it so happened, that at the very time that Mr. Vanslyperken was arguing all this in his brain, Corporal Van Spitter was also cogitating how he should get out of his scrape; for the corporal, although not very bright, had much of the cunning of little minds, and he felt the necessity of lulling the. suspicions of the lieutenant. To conceal his astonishment and fear at the appearance of the dog, he had libelled Mr. Vanslyperken, who would not easily forgive, and it was the corporal's interest to continue on the best terms with, and enjoy the

confidence of, his superior. How was this to be got over? It took the whole of the first watch, and two-thirds of the middle, before the corporal, who lay in his hammock, could hit upon any plan. At last he thought he had succeeded. At daybreak Corporal Van Spitter entered the cabin of Mr. Vanslyperken, who very coolly desired him to tell Short to get all ready for weighing at six o'clock.

If you please, Mynheer Vanslyperken, you think me mad last night 'cause I see de tyfel at your shoulder. Mynheer Vanslyperken, I see him twice again this night on lower deck. Mein Gott! Mynheer Vanslyperken, I say twice."

"Saw him again twice!" replied the lieutenant.

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Yes, Mynheer Vanslyperken, I see twice again-I see him very often since I drift in de boat. First, I see him when in de boat-since that I see him one time, two times, in de night."

"It's just as I thought," said Mr. Vanslyperken, “he has never got over his alarm of that night.-Very well, Corporal Van Spitter, it's of no consequence. I was very angry with you last night, because I thought you were taking great liberties; but I see now how it is, you must keep yourself quiet, and as soon as we arrive at Portsmouth, you had better lose a little blood."

"How much, Mynheer Vanslyperken, do you wish I should lose?" replied the corporal, with his military salute.

"About eight ounces, corporal."

"Yes, sir," replied the corporal, turning on his pivot, and marching out of the cabin.

This was a peculiarly satisfactory interview to both parties. Mr. Vanslyperken was overjoyed at the corporal's explanation, and the corporal was equally delighted at having so easily gulled his superior.

The cutter weighed that morning, and sailed for Portsmouth. We shall pass over the passage without any further remarks than that the corporal was reinstated into Mr. Vanslyperken's good graces-that he appeared as usual to be harsh with the ship's company, and to oppress Smallbones more than ever; but this was at the particular request of the lad, who played his own part to admiration-that Mr. Vanslyperken again brought up the question of flogging Jemmy Ducks, but was prevented by the corporal's expressing his fears of a mutiny-and had also some secret conference with the corporal as to his desire of vengeance upon Smallbones, to which Van Spitter gave a ready ear, and appeared to be equally willing with the lieutenant to bring it about. Things were in this state when the cutter arrived at Portsmouth, and, as usual, ran into the harbour. It may be supposed that Mr. Vanslyperken was in all haste to go on shore to pay his visit to his charming widow; but still there was one thing to be done first, which was to report himself to the admiral."

On his arrival at the admiral's, much to his dissatisfaction,

"Hundred tousand tyfels!" continued the corporal, when he witnessed the effects of his violence.

Although the widow lamented her table, she forgave the corporal with a smile; she liked such proofs of strength in her intended, and she, moreover, knew that the accident was occasioned by indignation at Vanslyperken.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Vanslyperken, you'll pay me for that," exclaimed she; "I prophesy that before long you and your nasty cur will both swing together."

The corporal now walked across the little parlour and back again, then turned to the widow Vandersloosh, and with a most expressive look slowly muttered,

"Yes, mein Gott!"

After which he sat down again by the side of the widow, and they had a short consultation; before it was over, Corporal Van Spitter declared himself the deadly enemy of Lieutenant Vanslyperken; swore that he would be his ruin, and ratified the oath upon the widow's lips. Alas! what changes there are in this world!

After which solemn compact the corporal rose, took his leave, went on board, and reported himself, as we have stated in the preceding chapter.

CHAPTER XXII.

IN WHICH SNARLEYYOW PROVES TO BE THE DEVIL, AND NO MISTAKE.

THAT the corporal mystified his lieutenant may easily be supposed; but the corporal had other work to do, and he did it immediately. He went up to Jemmy Ducks, who looked daggers at him, and said to him quietly, "That he had something to say to him as soon as it was dusk, and they would not be seen together." Vanslyperken ordered the corporal to resume his office, and serve out the provisions that afternoon and to the astonishment of the men, he gave them not only full, but overweight; and instead of abusing them, and being cross, he was good-humoured, and joked with them; and all the crew stared at each other, and wondered what could be the matter with Corporal Van Spitter. But what was their amazement, upon Snarleyyow's coming up to him as he was serving out provisions, instead of receiving something from the hand of the corporal as usual, he, on the contrary, received a sound kick on the ribs from his foot which sent him yelping back into the cabin. Their astonishment could only be equalled by that of Snarleyyow himself. But that was not all; it appeared as

if wonders would never cease, for when Smallbones came up to receive his master's provisions, after the others had been served and gone away, the corporal not only kindly received him, but actually presented him with a stiff glass of grog mixed with the corporal's own hand. When he offered it, the lad could not believe his eyes, and even when he had poured it down his throat, he would not believe his own mouth; and he ran away, leaving his provisions, chuckling along the lower deck, till he could gain the forecastle, and add this astonishing piece of intelligence to the other facts, which were already the theme of admiration.

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There be odd chops and changes in this here world, for sartin," observed Coble. (Exactly the same remark as we made at the end of the previous chapter.)

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'Mayn't it all be gammon ?" said Bill Spurey.

Gammon, for why?" replied Jemmy Ducks. "That's the question," rejoined Spurey.

"It appears to me that he must have had a touch of conscience," said Coble.

"Or else he must have seen a ghost," replied Smallbones. "I've heard of ghosts ashore, and sometimes on board of a ship, but I never heard of a ghost in a jolly-boat," said Coble, spitting under the gun.

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'Specially when there were hardly room for the corporal," added Spurey.

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Yes," observed Short.

Well, we shall know something about it to-night, for the corporal and I am to have a palaver."

"Mind he don't circumwent you, Jimmy," said Spurey.

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It's my opinion," said Smallbones, "that he must be in real arnest, otherwise he would not ha' come for to go for to give me a glass of grog-there's no gammon in that;-and such a real stiff 'un too," continued Smallbones, who licked his lips at the bare remembrance of the unusual luxury.

"True," said Short.

"It beats my comprehension altogether out of nothing," observed Spurey. "There's something very queer in the wind. I wonder where the corporal has been all this while."

"Wait till this evening, observed Jemmy Ducks; and, as this was very excellent advice, it was taken, and the parties separated.

In the despatches it had been requested, as important negotiations were going on, that the cutter might return immediately, as there were other communications to make to the States General on the part of the King of England; and a messenger now informed Vanslyperken that he might sail as soon as he pleased, as there was no reply to the despatches he had conveyed. This was very agreeable to Vanslyperken, who was anxious to return to the fair widow at Portsmouth, and also to avoid the Frau Vandersloosh. At dusk, he manned his

"What the devil is the matter?" exclaimed Coble. "Ah! mein Gott, mein Gott!"

As it was evident that something uncommon had happened, they all now crowded round the corporal, who, by degrees, recovered himself.

"What is it, corporal?" inquired Jemmy Ducks.

Before the corporal could reply, Smallbones, who had been summoned to the cabin on account of the corporal's unaccountable exit, sprang up the ladder with one bound, his hair flying in every direction, his eyes goggling, and his mouth wide open: lifting his hands over his head, and pausing as if for breath, the lad exclaimed with a solemn, sepulchral voice, “By all the devils in hell he's come again!'

"Who?" exclaimed several voices at once.

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Snarleyyow," replied Smallbones, mournfully.

"Yes-mein Gott!" exclaimed Corporal Van Spitter, attempting to rise on his legs.

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"Whew!" whistled Jemmy Ducks-but nobody else uttered a sound; they all looked at one another, some with compressed lips, others with mouths open. At last one shook his headthen another. The corporal rose on his feet and shook himself like an elephant.

"Dat tog is de tyfel's imp, and dat's de end on it," said he, with alarm still painted on his countenance.

'And is he really on board again ?” inquired Coble, doubtingly.

As sartin as I stands on this here forecastle-a kissing and slobbering the lieutenant for all the world like a Christian," replied Smallbones, despondingly,

Then he flare fire on me wid his one eye," said the corporal.

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Warn't even wet," continued Smallbones.

Here there was another summons for Corporal Van Spitter. “Mein Gott, I will not go," exclaimed the corporal.

Yes, yes, go, corporal," replied Smallbones;"it's the best way to face the devil."

"Damn the devil!-and that's not swearing," exclaimed Short-such a long sentence out of his mouth was added to the marvels of the night-some even shrugged up their shoulders at that, as if it also were supernatural.

"I always say, so,'

no tog, after all."

said Jansen, "I always say so-no tog,

'No, no," replied Coble, shaking his head.

Corporal Van Spitter was again summoned, but the corporal was restive as a rhinoceros.

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Corporal," said Smallbones, who, since the glass of grog, was his sincere ally, and had quite forgotten and forgiven his treatment, go down and see if you can't worm the truth out

of him."

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''Ay, do, do!" exclaimed the rest.