At this moment Vanslyperken was so much annoyed at the loss of what would have been a fortune to him, that he felt as angry as the informer. The boats' crew were equally enraged, the dog was pommelled, and kicked, and passed along from one to the other, until he at last gained the stern-sheets, and crouched between the legs of his master, who kicked him away in a rage, and he saved himself under the legs of the informer, who, seizing a pistol, struck him with the butt-end of it such a blow, that nothing but the very thick skull of the dog could have saved him. Snarleyyow was at a sad discount just then, but he very wisely again sought protection with his master, and this time he was not noticed. "What are we to do now?" observed Vanslyperken. "Go back again, like dogs with their tails between their legs; but observe, Mr Lieutenant, you have made me your enemy, and that is more serious than you think for." "Silence, sir, you are in a king's boat." "The king be d--d," replied the informer, falling back sulkily against the gunnel of the boat. "Give way, men, and pull on board," said Vanslyperken, in equally bad humour. In equally bad humour the men did give way, and in about an hour were on board of the cutter. Every one was in a bad humour when the affair was made known; but Smallbones observed, "that the dog could be no such great friend, as supposed, of Vanslyperken's, to thwart his interests in that way; and certainly no imp sent by the devil to his assistance." The ship's company were consoled with this idea, and Jansen again repeated, "that the _tog_ was but a tog, after all." Chapter XVI In which we change the scene, and the sex of our performers.