Dogs -- Fiction; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Seafaring life -- Fiction
"Yes," replied Vanslyperken, "but I'll punish the scoundrel, depend upon
it. That will do, corporal; you may go."
As Snarleyyow remained perfectly quiet during this conversation, we must
give Vanslyperken great credit for his manoeuvre. The corporal went to
Smallbones, and repeated what had passed. Smallbones snapped his
fingers.
"He may keel-haul, or hang me, for all I care. The dog is dead. Never
fear, corporal, I won't peach upon you. I'm game, and I'll die so--if
so be I must."
Vanslyperken sent for Smallbones. Smallbones, who was worked up to the
highest state of excitement, came in boldly.
"So you villain, you've killed my dog, and buried it."
"No, I ar'n't," replied Smallbones. "I knows nothing about your dog,
sir."
"Why, the men on deck said so, you scoundrel--I heard them."
"I don't care what the men say; I never killed your dog, sir."
"You rascal, I'll have your life!" exclaimed Vanslyperken. Smallbones
grinned diabolically, and Vanslyperken, who remembered all that the men
had said in confirmation of his own opinion relative to Smallbones,
turned pale, Smallbones, on his part, aware from Corporal Van Spitter
that the lieutenant had such an idea, immediately took advantage of the
signs in the lieutenant's countenance, and drawled out,--"That's--not--
so--easy!"
Vanslyperken turned away. "You may go now, sir, but depend upon it you
shall feel my vengeance!" and Smallbones quitted the cabin.
Vanslyperken finished his toilet, and then turned the dog out of the
bed.
He went on deck, and after he had walked a little while sent for
Corporal Van Spitter to consult as to the best method of ascertaining
what had become of Snarleyyow. Having entered apparently very earnestly
into the corporal's arrangements, who was to go on shore immediately, he
desired the corporal to see his breakfast got ready in the cabin.
It so happened, that the corporal went into the cabin, followed by
Smallbones: the first object that met his view, was Snarleyyow, sitting
upon the chest, scratching his ragged ear as if nothing had happened.
"Gott in himmel!" roared the corporal, turning back, and running out of
the cabin, upsetting Smallbones, whom he met in the passage, and
trotting, like an elephant, right over him. Nor was Smallbones the only
one who suffered; two marines and three seamen were successively floored
by the corporal, who, blinded with fear, never stopped till he ran his
head butt against the lining in the fore peak of the cutter, which, with
the timbers of the vessel, brought him up, not all standing, in one
sense of the word, for in his mad career his head was dashed so
violently against them, that the poor corporal fell down, stunned to
insensibility.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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