up; but, as the reader knows, Mr Vanslyperken was
up before him, and the consequence was that Smallbones went down into
the sea instead of the lower deck, as he had intended.

The next morning it was soon ascertained that Smallbones was not to be
found, and the ship's company were in a state of dismay. The boat, as
soon as Smallbones had been turned out, had resumed her upright
position, and one of the men when busy washing the decks, had made fast
the gripe again, which he supposed had been cast off by accident when
the ropes had been coiled up for washing, Smallbones not being at that
time missed. When, therefore, the decks had been searched everywhere,
and the lad was discovered not to be in the ship, the suspicion was very
great. No one had seen him go up to sleep in the boat. The man who was
at the wheel stated that Mr Vanslyperken had sent him down for a glass
of grog, and had taken the helm for the time; but this proved nothing.
His disappearance was a mystery not to be unravelled. An appeal to Mr
Vanslyperken was, of course, impossible, for he did not know that the
lad was on board. The whole day was spent in surmises and suppositions;
but things all ended in the simple fact, that somehow or another
Smallbones had fallen overboard, and there was an end of the poor
fellow.

So soon as the cutter was at anchor, Mr Vanslyperken hastened to
perform his official duties, and anxious to learn how Smallbones had
contrived to escape the clutches of his mother, bent his steps towards
the half-way houses. He arrived at the door of his mother's room, and
knocked as usual, but there was no reply. It was now the latter end of
July, and although it was past seven o'clock it was full daylight.
Vanslyperken knocked again and again. His mother must be out, he
thought: and if so, she always took the key with her. He had nothing to
do but to wait for her return. The passage and staircase was dark, but
there was a broad light in the room from the casement, and this light
streamed from under the door of the room. A shade crossing the light,
attracted Vanslyperken's attention, and to while away the tediousness of
waiting, he was curious to see what it was; he knelt down, looked under
the door, and perceived the key which Smallbones had placed there; he
inserted his finger and drew it forth, imagining that his mother had
slid it beneath till her return.

He fitted it to the lock and opened the door, when his olfactory ne