"Smallbones has not come off, sir, last night," reported the corporal. "I suppose the scoundrel has deserted," replied Vanslyperken--"I fully expected that he would. However, he is no loss, for he was a useless, idle, lying rascal." And Mr Vanslyperken turned out; having all his clothes on, he had no occasion to dress. He went on deck, followed by the tail-less Snarleyyow, and in half an hour the cutter was standing out towards St. Helen's. CHAPTER FORTY. IN WHICH A MOST HORRID SPECTRE DISTURBS THE EQUANIMITY OF MR. VANSLYPERKEN. Two days was the cutter striving with the light winds for the Texel, during which Mr Vanslyperken kept himself altogether in his cabin. He was occasionally haunted with the memory of the scene in his mother's room--Smallbones dead, and the stream of blood running along the floor, and his mother's diabolical countenance, with the hammer raised in her palsied hands; but he had an instigator to his vengeance beside him, which appeared to relieve his mind whenever it was oppressed; it was the stump of Snarleyyow, and when he looked at that he was no longer regretted, but congratulated himself on the deed being done. His time was fully occupied during the day, for with locked doors he was transcribing the letters sent to Ramsay, and confided to him. He was not content with taking extracts, as he did of the Government despatches for Ramsay; he copied every word, and he replaced the seals with great dexterity. At night his mind was troubled, and he dare not lay himself down to rest until he had fortified himself with several glasses of scheedam; even then his dreams frightened him; but he was to be more frightened yet. Corporal Spitter came into the cabin on the third morning with a very anxious face. "Mein Gott! Mynheer Vanslyperken, de whole crew be in de mutinys." "Mutiny!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, "what's the matter?" "They say, sir, dat dey see de ghost of Smallbones last night on de bowsprit, with one great cut on his head, and de blood all over de face." "Saw what? who saw him?" "Mein Gott, mynheer! it all true, I really think I see it myself at de taffrail; he sit there, and have great wound from here down to," said the corporal, pointing to his own head, and describing the wound exactly. "The people say that he must have been murdered, and dey kick up de mutiny." "I did not do it, corporal, at all events," replied Vanslyperken, pale and trembling. "So Smallbones tell Dick Short, when he speak to him on bowsprit." "Did it speak to Short?" inquired Vanslyperken, catching the corporal's arm. "Yes, mynheer; Mynheer Short speak first, and den the ghost say dat you not do it, but dat you give gold to old woman to do it, and she knock him brain out vid de hammer." To portray Vanslyperken's dismay at this intelligence would be impossible. He could not but be certain that there had been a supernatural communication. His knees knocked and trembled, and he turned sick and faint.