or him; anxious to ascertain if Snarleyyow,
as he fully expected, was in it. But to his grief and disappointment he
was not there, and Mr Vanslyperken sat in the stern sheets, in no
pleasant humour, thinking whether it was or was not a paving-stone which
Smallbones had thrown into the canal, and resolving that if the dog did
not appear, Smallbones should be keel-hauled. There was, however, one
more chance, the dog might have been taken on board.

CHAPTER NINE.

A LONG CHAPTER, IN WHICH THERE IS LAMENTATION, SINGING, BIBBLING, AND
DANCING.

It may readily be supposed, that the first question asked by Mr
Vanslyperken, on his gaining the quarter-deck, was, if Snarleyyow were
on board. He was received with the military salute of Corporal Van
Spitter, for Obadiah Coble, having been left commanding officer, had
given himself leave, and, with a few men, had joined Bob Short and the
first party at the Lust Haus, leaving the corporal as the next senior
officer in charge. The answer in the negative was a great mortification
to Mr Vanslyperken, and he descended to his cabin in no very good
humour, and summoned Smallbones. But before Smallbones was summoned, he
had time to whisper to one or two of the conspirators--"_He's gone_."
It was enough; in less than a minute the whisper was passed throughout
the cutter. "He's gone," was siffilated above and below, until it met
the ears of even Corporal Van Spitter, who had it from a marine, who had
it from another marine, who had it from a seaman, who--but it was,
however, soon traced up to Smallbones by the indefatigable corporal--who
considered it his duty to report the report to Mr Vanslyperken.
Accordingly he descended to the cabin and knocked for admission.

In the meantime Vanslyperken had been venting his ill-humour upon
Smallbones, having, as he took off from his person, and replaced in his
drawers, his unusual finery, administered an unusual quantity of kicks,
as well as a severe blow on the head with his sheathed cutlass to the
unfortunate lad, who repeated to himself, by way of consolation, the
magic words--"_He's gone_."

"If you please, sir," said Corporal Van Spitter, "I've discovered from
the ship's company that the dog _is gone_."

"I know that, corporal," replied Vanslyperken.

"And, sir, the report has been traced to Smallbones."

"Indeed! Then it was you that said that the dog is gone--now, you
villain, where is he?"

"If you please, I did say that t