and
the lad was so exhausted with the struggle, and his previous loss of
blood, that he fell into a swoon at the side of the corpse.

When Smallbones recovered, the candle was flickering in the socket. He
rose up in a sitting posture, and tried to recollect all that
had passed.

The alternating light of the candle flashed upon the body of the old
woman, and he remembered all. After a few minutes he was able to rise,
and he sat down upon the bed giddy and faint. It occurred to him that he
would soon be in the dark, and he would require the light to follow up
his intended movements, so he rose, and went to the cupboard to find
one. He found a candle, and he also found the bottle of cordial, of
which he drank all that was left, and felt himself revived, and capable
of acting. Having put the other candle into the candlestick, he looked
for water, washed himself, and bound up his head with his handkerchief.
He then wiped up the blood from the floor, threw some sand over the
part, and burnt the towel in the grate. His next task was one of more
difficulty, to lift up the body of the old woman, put it into the bed,
and cover it up with the clothes, previously drawing out the bayonet. No
blood issued from the wound--the hemorrhage was all internal. He covered
up the face, took the key of the door, and tried it in the lock, put the
candle under the grate to burn out safely, took possession of the
hammer; then having examined the door, he went out, locked it from the
outside, slid the key in beneath the door, and hastened away as fast as
he could. He was not met by anybody, and was soon safe in the street,
with the bayonet, which he again concealed in his vest.

These precautions taken by Smallbones, proved that the lad had conduct
as well as courage. He argued that it was not advisable that it should
be known that this fatal affray had taken place between the old woman
and himself. Satisfied with having preserved his life, he was unwilling
to be embroiled in a case of murder, as he wished to prosecute his
designs with his companions on board.

He knew that Vanslyperken was capable of swearing anything against him,
and that his best safety lay in the affair not being found out, which it
could not be until the cutter had sailed, and no one had seen him
either enter or go out. There was another reason which induced
Smallbones to act as he did--without appealing to the authorities--which
was, that if he returned on board, it wou