ee. This
brought the dog's head more to the light, and Vanslyperken observed that
one eye was swelled and closed. He examined it, and, to his horror,
found that it had been beaten out by the broom of Babette. There was no
doubt of it, and Mr Vanslyperken's choler was extreme. "Now, may all
the curses of ophthalmia seize the faggot," cried the lieutenant; "I
wish I had her here. My poor, poor dog!" and Vanslyperken kissed the os
frontis of the cur, and what perhaps had never occurred since childhood,
and, what nothing else could have brought about, Mr Vanslyperken wept--
actually wept over an animal, which was not, from any qualification he
possessed, worth the charges of the cord which would have hanged him.
Surely the affections have sometimes a bent towards insanity.

After a short time the lieutenant rang his bell, and ordered some warm
water, to bathe the dog's eye. Corporal Van Spitter, as Smallbones was
in his hammock, answered the summons, and when he returned aft with the
water, he made known to Mr Vanslyperken the mutinous expressions of
Jemmy Ducks. The lieutenant's small eye twinkled with satisfaction.
"Damned the Admiral, did he! which one was it--Portsmouth or Plymouth?"

This Corporal Van Spitter could not tell: but it was certain that Jemmy
had damned his superior officer; "And moreover," continued the corporal,
"he damned me." Now Mr Vanslyperken had a great hatred against Jemmy
Ducks, because he amused the ship's company, and he never could forgive
anyone who made people happy; moreover, he wanted some object to visit
his wrath upon: so he asked a few more questions, and then dismissed the
corporal, put on his tarpaulin hat, put his speaking-trumpet under his
arm, and went on deck, directing the corporal to appoint one of the
marines to continue to bathe the eye of his favourite.

Mr Vanslyperken looked at the dog-vane, and perceived that the wind was
foul for sailing, and moreover, it would be dark in two hours, so he
determined upon not starting till the next morning, and then he thought
that he would punish Jemmy Ducks; but the question occurred to him
whether he could do so or not. Was James Salisbury a boatswain by right
or not? He received only the pay of a boatswain's mate, but he was
styled boatswain on the books. It was a nice point, and the balance was
even. Mr Vanslyperken's own wishes turned the scale, and he resolved
to flog Jemmy Ducks if he could. We say, if he could; for as