d. Had
they been taken away or destroyed, there would have been ample time for
the whole of his party to have made their escape from England before
duplicates could arrive. As it was, he could do no more than what we
have already mentioned.

The boat was hauled up, the boxes of specie put in, the wounded men laid
at the bottom of the boat, and having, at the suggestion of one of the
men, cut the lower riggings, halyards, etcetera, of the cutter to retard
its progress to Portsmouth, Ramsay and his associates stepped into the
boat, and pulled for the cave.

Their departure was soon ascertained by the crew of the Yungfrau, who
now forced the skylight, and gained the deck, but not before the boat
had entered the cave.

"What's to be done now?" said Coble. "Smash my timbers, but they've
played Old Harry with the rigging. We must knot and splice."

"Yes," replied Short.

"What the devil have they done with Vanslyperken?" cried Bill Spurey.

"Either shoved him overboard, or taken him with them, I suppose," cried
Coble.

"Well, it's a nice job altogether," observed Spurey.

"Mein Gott! yes," replied the corporal; "we will have a pretty story to
tell de admiral."

"Well, they've rid us of him at all events; I only hope they'll hang
him."

"Mein Gott! yes."

"He'll have his desarts," replied Coble.

"Got for tam! I like to see him swing."

"Now he's gone, let's send his dog after him. Hurrah, my lads! get a
rope up on the yard, and let us hang Snarleyyow."

"Mein Gott! I'll go fetch him," cried the corporal.

"You will--will you?" roared a voice.

The corporal turned round, so did the others, and there, with his drawn
sword, stood Mr Vanslyperken.

"You damned mutinous scoundrel," cried Vanslyperken, "touch my dog, if
you dare."

The corporal put his hand up to the salute, and Vanslyperken shook his
head with a diabolical expression of countenance.

"Now, where the devil could he come from?" whispered Spurey.

Coble shrugged up his shoulders, and Short gave a long whistle,
expending more breath than usual.

However, there was no more to be said; and as soon as the rigging was
knotted and spliced, sail was made in the cutter; but the wind being
dead in their teeth, they did not arrive until late the next evening,
and the admiral did not see despatches till the next morning, for the
best of all possible reasons, that Vanslyperken did not take them on
shore. He had a long story to tell, and he th