prised that the man in the
boat did not tell him, and he asked them carelessly if there was
anything new on board, but received a reply in the negative. When he
came on board, followed by Snarleyyow, the eyes of the crew were
directed towards the dog, to see how he looked; but he appeared just as
lively and as cross-grained as ever, and they all shook their heads.

Vanslyperken sent for Smallbones, and looked him hard in the face.
"Ar'n't you well?" inquired he.

"Well, sir!" replied Smallbones: "I'd a bit of a twinge in my stummick,
this morning, but it's all gone off now."

Mr Vanslyperken waited the whole day for Smallbones to die, but he did
not. The crew of the vessel waited the whole day for the cur to die,
but he did not. What inference could be drawn? The crew made up their
minds that the dog was supernatural; and old Coble told them that he
told them so. Mr Vanslyperken made up his mind that Smallbones was
supernatural, and the corporal shook his head, and told him that he told
him so.

The reason why Snarleyyow did not die was simply this, that he did not
eat the red-herring. He had just laid it between his paws, and was
about to commence, when Smallbones, having left the yard-door open in
his hurry, the dog was perceived by a dog bigger than he, who happened
to pass that way, and who pounced upon Snarleyyow, trampling him over
and over, and walked off with the red-herring, which he had better have
left alone, as he was found dead the next morning.

The widow heard, both from the corporal and Vanslyperken, the failure of
both their projects. That Smallbones was not poisoned she was not
surprised to hear, but she took care to agree with Vanslyperken that all
attempts upon him were useless; but that the dog still lived was indeed
a matter of surprise, and the widow became a convert to the corporal's
opinion that the dog was not to be destroyed.

"A whole twopenny-worth of arsenic! Babette, only think what a cur it
must be!" And Babette, as well as her mistress, lifted up her hands in
amazement, exclaiming, "What a cur, indeed!"

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

IN WHICH MR. VANSLYPERKEN, ALTHOUGH AT FAULT, COMES IN FOR THE BRUSH.

Vanslyperken, having obtained his despatches from the States General,
called at the house of Mynheer Krause, and received the letters of
Ramsay; then, once more, the cutter's head was turned towards England.

It may be as well to remind the reader, that it was in the month