Their departure was soon ascertained by the crew of the Yungfrau, who now forced the skylight, and gained the deck, but not before the boat had entered the cave. "What's to be done now?" said Coble. "Smash my timbers, but they've played Old Harry with the rigging. We must knot and splice." "Yes," replied Short. "What the devil have they done with Vanslyperken?" cried Bill Spurey. "Either shoved him overboard, or taken him with them, I suppose," cried Coble. "Well, it's a nice job altogether," observed Spurey. "Mein Gott! yes," replied the corporal; "we will have a pretty story to tell de admiral." "Well, they've rid us of him at all events; I only hope they'll hang him." "Mein Gott! yes." "He'll have his desarts," replied Coble. "Got for tam! I like to see him swing." "Now he's gone, let's send his dog after him. Hurrah, my lads! get a rope up on the yard, and let us hang Snarleyyow." "Mein Gott! I'll go fetch him," cried the corporal. "You will--will you?" roared a voice. The corporal turned round, so did the others, and there, with his drawn sword, stood Mr Vanslyperken. "You damned mutinous scoundrel," cried Vanslyperken, "touch my dog, if you dare." The corporal put his hand up to the salute, and Vanslyperken shook his head with a diabolical expression of countenance. "Now, where the devil could he come from?" whispered Spurey. Coble shrugged up his shoulders, and Short gave a long whistle, expending more breath than usual. However, there was no more to be said; and as soon as the rigging was knotted and spliced, sail was made in the cutter; but the wind being dead in their teeth, they did not arrive until late the next evening, and the admiral did not see despatches till the next morning, for the best of all possible reasons, that Vanslyperken did not take them on shore. He had a long story to tell, and he thought it prudent not to disturb the admiral after dinner, as great men are apt to be very choleric during the progress of digestion. The consequence was, that when, the next morning, Mr Vanslyperken called upon the admiral, the intelligence had been received from the cave, and all the parties had absconded. Mr Vanslyperken told his own tale, how he had been hailed by a boat, purporting to have a messenger on board, how they had boarded him and beat down himself and his crew, how he and his crew had fought under hatches and beat them on deck, and how they had been forced to abandon the cutter. All this was very plausible, and then Vanslyperken gave the despatches opened by Ramsay.