up against the
strong flood-tide that was running, till at last he gained the
chess-tree of the cutter, when he shortened in the painter (or rope that
held the boat), made it fast to a ring-bolt without being perceived, and
there he lay concealed, not daring to move, for fear of making a noise.

Smallbones had, however, watched him carefully, and as the corporal sat
in the middle thwart, with his face turned aft, catching but imperfectly
the conversation of the men, the lad separated the painter with a sharp
knife, and at the same time dropping his foot down, gave the bow of the
boat a shove off, which made it round with the stream. The tide was
then running five or six miles an hour, and before the corporal, in the
utter darkness, could make out what had occurred, or raise his heavy
carcase to assist himself, he was whirled away by the current clear of
the vessel, and soon disappeared from the sight of Smallbones, who was
watching his progress.

It is true that the corporal shouted for assistance when he found
himself astern, and also that he was heard by the men, but Smallbones
had leaped among them, and in few words told them what he had done; so
of course they took no notice, but rubbed their hands with delight at
the idea of the corporal being adrift like a bear in a washing-tub, and
they all prayed for a gale of wind to come on that he might be swamped,
and most of them remained on deck to hear what Mr Vanslyperken would
say and do when the corporal's absence was discovered. Mr Vanslyperken
remained nearly two hours without sending for the corporal; at last,
surprised at not seeing him return, he went on deck. The men on the
forecastle perceiving this, immediately disappeared gently down the
fore-hatchway. Mr Vanslyperken walked forward, and found that every
one was, as he supposed, either in bed or below; for, in harbour, the
corporal kept one of the watches, and this night it was his first watch.
Vanslyperken looked over the side all round the cutter, and could see
no boat and no Corporal Van Spitter, and it immediately occurred to him
that the corporal must have gone adrift, and he was very much puzzled
how to act. It would be flood-tide for two hours more, and then the
whole ebb would run before it was daylight. Corporal Van Spitter would
traverse the whole Zuyder Zee before they might find him. Unless he had
the fortune to be picked up by some small craft, he might perish with
cold and hunger. He co