t day, Mr Vanslyperken went on shore, to put into his mother's
charge the money which he had received from Ramsay, and narrated all
that had passed--how Smallbones had swallowed two-pennyworth of arsenic
with no more effect upon him than one twinge in his stomach, and how he
now fully believed that nothing would kill the boy.

"Pshaw! child--phut!--nonsense!--nothing kill him?--had he been in my
hands, old as they are, and shaking as they do, he would not have lived;
no, no--nobody escapes me when I am determined. We'll talk about that,
but not now, Cornelius; the weather has turned warm at last, and there
is no need of fire. Go, child, the money is locked up safe, and I have
my mood upon me--I may even do you a mischief."

Vanslyperken, who knew that it was useless to remain after this hint,
walked off and returned on board. As he pulled off, he passed a boat,
apparently coming from the cutter, with Moggy Salisbury sitting in the
stern-sheets. She waved her hand at him, and laughed ironically.

"Impudent hussy!" thought Vanslyperken, as she passed, but he dared not
say a word. He turned pale with rage, and turned his head away; but
little did he imagine, at the time, what great cause he had of
indignation. Moggy had been three hours on board of the cutter talking
with the men, but more particularly with Smallbones and the corporal,
with which two she had been in earnest conference for the first hour
that she was on board.

Moggy's animosity to Vanslyperken is well known, and she ridiculed the
idea of Snarleyyow being anything more than an uncommon lucky dog in
escaping so often. Smallbones was of her opinion, and again declared his
intention of doing the dog a mischief as soon as he could. Moggy, after
her conference with these two, mixed with the ship's company, with whom
she had always been a favourite, and the corporal proceeded to
superintend the cutting up and the distribution of the fresh beef which
had that morning come on board.

The beef block was on the forecastle, where the major part of the crew,
with Moggy, were assembled; Snarleyyow had always attended the corporal
on these occasions, and was still the best of friends with him; for
somehow or another, the dog had not seemed to consider the corporal a
party to his brains being knocked out, but had put it all down to his
natural enemy, Smallbones. The dog was, as usual, standing by the block
close to the corporal, and picking up the fragments of beef wh