at the corporal, who, terrified at
the supernatural beast, broke from Vanslyperken's grasp, and rushed out
of the cabin, followed, however, the whole length of the lower deck by
the dog, who snapped and bayed at him till he had gained the
fore ladder.

Once more did the corporal make his appearance on the forecastle,
frightened and out of breath.

"Mein Gott! de man is mad," exclaimed he, "and de tog is de tyfel
himself." The corporal then narrated in broken English what had passed.
For some time there was a confused whispering among the men; they
considered the dog's reappearance on this occasion even more wonderful
than on the former, for the men declared positively that he never came
off in the boat, which, had he done, would have unravelled the whole
mystery; and that a dog thrown overboard, and swept away by the tide
should be discovered shortly after perfectly dry and comfortable, not
only on board of the cutter, which he could not have got on board of,
but also in his master's cabin, which he could not get into without
being seen, proved at once that the animal was supernatural. No one was
now hardy enough to deny it, and no one appeared to have the least idea
of how to proceed except Smallbones, who, as we have shown, was as full
of energy as he was deficient in fat. On all occasions of this kind the
bravest becomes the best man and takes the lead, and Smallbones, who
appeared more collected and less alarmed than the others, was now
listened to with attention, and the crowd collected round him.

"I don't care for him or for his dog either," exclaimed Smallbones, with
a drawling intrepid tone; "that dog I'll settle the hash of some way or
the other, if it be the devil's own cousin. I'll not come for to go to
leave off now, that's sartain, as I am Peter Smallbones--I'se got
a plan."

"Let's hear Smallbones,--let's hear Smallbones!" exclaimed some of the
men. Whereupon they all collected round the lad, who addressed the crew
as follows. His audience, at first, crowded up close to him, but
Smallbones, who could not talk without his arms, which were about as
long and thin as a Pongo's are in proportion to his body, flapped and
flapped as he discoursed, until he had cleared a little ring, and when
in the height of his energy he threw them about like the arms of a
windmill, every one kept at a respectable distance.

"Well, now, I considers this, if so be as how the dog be a devil, and
not a dog, I sees no reason