how you smell of red-herring!"
"That's all along of having eaten one, sir," replied Smallbones,
grinning.
"You'll grin in another way before an hour is over," thought his master.
The lieutenant, the dog, and the biscuit, were all graciously received.
"Has he eaten it?" inquired the widow.
"Yes," replied Vanslyperken, with a nod. "Empty the bag, and I will
send him on board again."
"Not yet, not yet--give him half an hour to saunter, it will be better.
That poor dog of yours must want a little grass," said the widow,
"always being on board. Let him run a little in the yard, he will, find
plenty there."
The obedient lieutenant opened the back-door, and Snarleyyow, who had
not forgotten either the widow or Babette, went out of his own accord.
Mr Vanslyperken looked to ascertain if the yard-door which led to the
street was fast, and then returned, shutting the back-door after him.
Smallbones was waiting at the porch as usual.
"Babette," cried the widow, "mind you don't open the yard-door and let
Mr Vanslyperken's dog out. Do you hear?"
Smallbones, who understood this as the signal, immediately slipped
round, opened the yard door took the herring out of his pocket, and
threw it to Snarleyyow. The dog came to it, smelt it, seized it, and
walked off with his ears and tail up, to the sunny side of the yard,
intending to have a good meal; and Smallbones, who was afraid of Mr
Vanslyperken catching him in the fact, came out of the yard, and
hastened to his former post at the porch. He caught Babette's eye,
coming down-stairs, and winked and smiled. Babette walked into the
room, caught the eye of the mistress, and winked and smiled. Upon
which, the widow ordered Babette to empty the bread-bag and give it to
Smallbones, to take on board--an order repeated by Vanslyperken. Before
he returned to the boat Smallbones again passed round to the yard-door.
Snarleyyow was there but no signs of the red-herring. "He's a-eaten it
all, by gum," said Smallbones, grinning, and walking away to the boat
with the bread-bag over his shoulder. As soon as he had arrived on
board, the lad communicated the fact to the crew of the Yungfrau, whose
spirits were raised by the intelligence with the exception still of old
Coble, who shook his head, and declared, "It was twopence and a
red-herring thrown away."
Mr Vanslyperken returned on board in the afternoon, fully expecting to
hear of Smallbones being very ill. He was sur
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