heless," observed Coble, hitching up his
trousers; "howsomever, I have nothing to say, but I wish you luck; but
if you kill that dog, I'm a bishop--that's all."

"And if I don't try for to do so, I am an harchbishop, that's all,"
replied the gallant Smallbones. "Come along, corporal."

And here was to be beheld a novel scene. Smallbones followed in
obedience by his former persecutor and his superior officer; a bag of
bones--a reed--a lath--a scarecrow; like a pilot cutter ahead of an
Indiaman, followed in his wake by Corporal Van Spitter, weighing twenty
stone. How could this be? It was human nature. Smallbones took the lead,
because he was the more courageous of the two, and the corporal
following, proved he tacitly admitted it.

"He be a real bit of stuff, that 'ere Peter Smallbones," said one of the
men.

"I thinks he be a supernatural himself, for my part," rejoined Spurey.

"At all events, he ar'n't afeard of him," said another.

"We shall see," replied Coble, squirting out his tobacco-juice under the
gun.

"Come, men, we must go to work now. Shall we, Mr Short?"

"Yes," replied the commanding officer, and the conference broke up.

In the meantime the consultation was continued between Smallbones and
the corporal. The latter had received instruction to take on shore Mr
Vanslyperken's dirty linen to the washerwoman, and of course, as a
corporal, he was not obliged to carry it, and would take Smallbones for
that purpose. Then he could easily excuse taking the dog on shore, upon
the plea of taking care of it. It was therefore so arranged; the dog
would follow the corporal in the absence of his master, but no one else.
In a few minutes the corporal, Smallbones, Snarleyyow, and a very small
bundle of linen, were in the boat, and shoved off with as many good
wishes and as much anxiety for their success, as probably Jason and his
followers received when they departed in search of the Golden Fleece.

The three parties kept in company, and passed through the town of
Portsmouth. The washerwoman lived outside the Lines, and there they
proceeded, Snarleyyow very much in spirits at being able to eat the
grass, which his health very much required. They walked on until they
arrived at a large elm-tree, on the side of the road, which lay between
two hedges and ditches.

"This will do," observed the corporal solemnly. "Mein Gott! I wish it
was over," continued he, wiping the perspiration from his bull-forehead.

"How