"O Lord, O Lord! corporal, I'm a great sinner," cried he at last, quite unaware of what he was saying. "Some water, corporal." Corporal Van Spitter handed some water, and Vanslyperken waved his hand to be left alone; and Mr Vanslyperken attempted to pray, but it ended in blaspheming. "It's a lie, all a lie," exclaimed he, at last, pouring out a tumbler of scheedam. "They have frightened the corporal. But--no--he must have seen him, or how could they know how was murdered? He must have told them; and him I saw and stiff with these own eyes. Well, I did not do the deed," continued 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 un-healed 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 aroused 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.