inued Vanslyperken, attempting to palliate his crime to
himself; but it would not do, and Mr Vanslyperken paced the little cabin
racked by fear and guilt.

Remorse he felt none, for there was before his eyes the unhealed stump
of Snarleyyow. In the evening Mr Vanslyperken went on deck; the weather
was now very warm, for it was the beginning of July; and Mr
Vanslyperken, followed by Snarleyyow, was in a deep reverie, and he
turned and turned again.

The sun had set, and Mr Vanslyperken still continued his walk, but his
steps were agitated and uneven, and his face was haggard. It was rather
the rapid and angry pacing of a tiger in his den, who has just been
captured, than that of a person in deep contemplation. Still Mr
Vanslyperken continued to tread the deck, and it was quite light with a
bright and pale moon.

The men were standing here and there about the forecastle and near the
booms in silence and speaking in low whispers, and Vanslyperken's eye
was often directed towards them, for he had not forgotten the report of
the corporal, that they were in a state of mutiny.

Of a sudden, Mr Vanslyperken was roused by a loud cry from forward, and
a rush of all the men aft. He thought that the crew had risen, and that
they were about to seize him, but, on the contrary, they passed him and
hastened to the taffrail with exclamations of horror.

"What! what is it?" exclaimed Vanslyperken, fully prepared for the reply
by his own fears.

"O Lord! have mercy upon us," cried Bill Spurey.

"Good God, deliver us!" exclaimed another.

"Ah, Mein Gott!" screamed Jansen, rushing against Vanslyperken and
knocking him down on the deck.

"Well, well, murder will out!--that's sartain," said Coble, who stood by
Vanslyperken when he had recovered his legs.

"What, what!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, breathless.

"There, sir,--look there," said Coble, breathless, pointing to the
figure of Smallbones, who now appeared from the shade in the broad
moonshine.

His head was not bound up, and his face appeared pale and streaked with
blood. He was in the same clothes in which he had gone on shore, and in
his hand he held the hammer which had done the deed.

The figure slowly advanced to the quarter-deck, Vanslyperken attempted
to retreat, but his legs failed him, he dropped down on his knees,
uttered a loud yell of despair, and then threw himself flat on the deck
face downwards.

Certainly, the pantomime was inimitably got up, but it had a