lock the door," said Ramsay, taking his seat.

He then examined the seals, pulled some out of his pocket, and compared
them; sorted the letters according to the seals, and laid one
corresponding at the heading of each file, for there were three
different government seals upon the despatches. He then took a long
Dutch earthen pipe which was hanging above, broke off the bowl, and put
one end of the stem into the fire. When it was of a red heat he took it
out, and applying his lips to the cool end, and the hot one close to the
sealing-wax, he blew through it, and the heated blast soon dissolved the
wax, and the despatches were opened one after another without the
slightest difficulty or injury to the paper. He then commenced reading,
taking memorandums on his tablets as he proceeded.

When he had finished, he again heated the pipe, melted the wax, which
had become cold and hard again, and resealed all the letters with his
counterfeit seals.

During this occupation, which lasted upwards of an hour, Vanslyperken
looked on with surprise, leaning against the bulk-head of the cabin.

"There, sir, are your despatches," said Ramsay, rising from his chair:
"you may now put them away; and, as you may observe, you are not
compromised."

"No, indeed," replied Vanslyperken, who was struck with the ingenuity of
the method; "but you have given me an idea."

"I will tell you what that is," replied Ramsay. "You are thinking, if I
left you these false seals, you could give me the contents of the
despatches, provided you were well paid. Is it not so?"

"It was," replied Vanslyperken, who had immediately been struck with
such a new source of wealth; for he cared little what he did--all he
cared for was discovery.

"Had you not proposed it yourself, I intended that you should have done
it, sir," replied Ramsay; "and that you should also be paid for it. I
will arrange all that before I leave the vessel. But now I shall retire
to my bed. Have you one ready?"

"I have none but what you see," replied Vanslyperken. "It is my own, but
at your service."

"I shall accept it," replied Ramsay, putting his pistols under his
pillow, after having thrown himself on the outside of the bedclothes,
pulling his roquelaure over him. "And now you will oblige me by turning
that cur out of the cabin, for his smell is anything but pleasant."

Vanslyperken had no idea of his passenger so coolly taking possession of
his bed, but to turn out Snarleyyow a