IN WHICH THE SHIP'S COMPANY JOIN IN A CHORUS, AND THE CORPORAL GOES ON A
CRUISE.
Mr Vanslyperken is in his cabin, with Snarleyyow at his side, sitting
upon his haunches, and looking in his master's face, which wears an air
of anxiety and discomfiture; the fact is, that Mr Vanslyperken is
anything but content; he is angry with the widow, with the ship's
company, with the dog, and with himself; but his anger towards the dog
is softened, for he feels that, if anything in this world loves him it
is the dog--not that his affection is great, but as much as the dog's
nature will permit; and, at all events, if the animal's attachment to
him is not very strong, still he is certain that Snarleyyow hates
everybody else. It is astonishing how powerful is the feeling that is
derived from habit and association. Now that the life of his cur was
demanded by one, and, as he was aware, sought for by many, Vanslyperken
put a value upon him that was extraordinary. Snarleyyow had become a
precious jewel in the eyes of his master, and what he suffered in
anxiety and disappointment from the perverse disposition of the animal,
only endeared him the more. "Yes, my poor dog," apostrophised the
lieutenant, "they would seek your life, nay, that hardhearted woman
demands that you should be laid dead at her porch. All conspire against
you, but be not afraid, my dog, your master will protect you against
all."
Vanslyperken patted the animal on the head, which was not a little
swelled from the blows received from the broom of Babette, and
Snarleyyow rubbed his nose against his master's trousers, and then
raised himself up, by putting his paw upon his master's knee. This
brought the dog's head more to the light, and Vanslyperken observed that
one eye was swelled and closed. He examined it, and, to his horror,
found that it had been beaten out by the broom of Babette. There was no
doubt of it, and Mr Vanslyperken's choler was extreme. "Now, may all
the curses of ophthalmia seize the faggot," cried the lieutenant; "I
wish I had her here. My poor, poor dog!" and Vanslyperken kissed the os
frontis of the cur, and what perhaps had never occurred since childhood,
and, what nothing else could have brought about, Mr Vanslyperken wept--
actually wept over an animal, which was not, from any qualification he
possessed, worth the charges of the cord which would have hanged him.
Surely the affections have sometimes a bent towards insanity.
After a short time the lieutenant rang his bell, and ordered some warm
water, to bathe the dog's eye. Corporal Van Spitter, as Smallbones was
in his hammock, answered the summons, and when he returned aft with the
water, he made known to Mr Vanslyperken the mutinous expressions of
Jemmy Ducks. The lieutenant's small eye twinkled with satisfaction.
"Damned the Admiral, did he! which one was it--Portsmouth or Plymouth?"
This Corporal Van Spitter could not tell: but it was certain that Jemmy
had damned his superior officer; "And moreover," continued the corporal,
"he damned me." Now Mr Vanslyperken had a great hatred against Jemmy
Ducks, because he amused the ship's company, and he never could forgive
anyone who made people happy; moreover, he wanted some object to visit
his wrath upon: so he asked a few more questions, and then dismissed the
corporal, put on his tarpaulin hat, put his speaking-trumpet under his
arm, and went on deck, directing the corporal to appoint one of the
marines to continue to bathe the eye of his favourite.
Mr Vanslyperken looked at the dog-vane, and perceived that the wind was
foul for sailing, and moreover, it would be dark in two hours, so he
determined upon not starting till the next morning, and then he thought
that he would punish Jemmy Ducks; but the question occurred to him
whether he could do so or not. Was James Salisbury a boatswain by right
or not? He received only the pay of a boatswain's mate, but he was
styled boatswain on the books. It was a nice point, and the balance was
even. Mr Vanslyperken's own wishes turned the scale, and he resolved
to flog Jemmy Ducks if he could. We say, if he could; for as, at that
time tyrannical oppression on the part of the superiors was winked at,
and no complaints were listened to by the Admiralty, insubordination
which was the natural result, was equally difficult to get over; and
although on board of the larger vessels, the strong arm of power was
certain to conquer, it was not always the case in the smaller, where the
superiors were not in sufficient force, or backed by a numerous party of
soldiers or marines, for there was then little difference between the
two services. Mr Vanslyperken had had more than one mutiny on board of
the vessels which he had commanded, and, in one instance, his whole
ship's company had taken the boats and gone on shore, leaving him by
himself in the vessel, preferring to lose the pay due to them than to
remain longer on board. They joined other ships in the service, and no
notice was taken of their conduct by the authorities. Such was the
state of half discipline at the period we speak of in the service of the
king. The ships were, in every other point, equally badly fitted out
and manned: peculation of every kind was carried to excess, and those
who were in command thought more of their own interest than of anything
else. Ship's stores and provisions were constantly sold, and the want
of the former was frequently the occasion of the loss of the vessel, and
the sacrifice of the whole crew. Such maladministration is said to be
the case even now in some of the continental navies. It is not until a
long series of years have elapsed, that such regulations and
arrangements as are at present so economically and beneficially
administered to our navy can be fully established.
Having settled the point so far, Mr Vanslyperken then proceeded to
debate in his own mind whether he should flog Jemmy in harbour, or after
he had sailed; and feeling that if there was any serious disturbance on
the part of the men, they might quit the vessel if in harbour, he
decided that he would wait until he had them in blue water. His
thoughts then reverted to the widow, and, as he turned and turned again,
he clenched his fists in his great-coat pockets, and was heard by those
near him to grind his teeth.
In the meantime, the news had been imparted by the marine, who came up
into the galley for more warm water, that the dog had had one of his
eyes put out, and it was strange the satisfaction which this
intelligence appeared to give to the ship's company. It was passed
round like wildfire, and, when communicated, a beam of pleasure was soon
apparent throughout the whole cutter, and for this simple reason, that
the accident removed the fear rising from the supposition of the dog
being supernatural, for the men argued, and with some reason, that if
you could put out his eye you could kill him altogether; for if you
could destroy a part you could destroy the whole. No one ever heard of
the devil's eye being put out--ergo, the dog could not be a devil, or
one of his imps; so argued a knot of the men in conclave, and Jansen
wound up by observing, "Dat de tog was only a tog after all."
Vanslyperken returned to his cabin and stated his intentions to his
factotum and confidant, Corporal Van Spitter. Now, in this instance,
the corporal did not adhere to that secrecy to which he was bound, and
the only reason we can give is, that he had as great a dislike to Jemmy
Ducks as his lieutenant--for the corporal obeyed orders so exactly that
he considered it his duty not to have even an opinion or a feeling
contrary to those of his superior officer. He was delighted at the idea
of flogging Jemmy, and communicated the lieutenant's intention to the
most favoured of his marines, who also told the secret to another, and
thus in five minutes it was known throughout the cutter, that as soon as
they were in blue water the little boatswain was to be tied up for
having damned the admiral in a snow-storm. The consequence was, as the
evening was clear, that there was a very numerous assemblage upon the
forecastle of the cutter Yungfrau.
"Flog Jemmy!" said Bill Spurey. "Why, Jemmy's a hofficer."
"To be sure he is," observed another: "and quite as good a one as
Vanslyperken himself, though he don't wear brass on his hat."
"Damn it--what next--heh, Coble?"
Coble hitched up his trousers. "It's my opinion he'll be for flogging
us next, Short," said the old man.
"Yes," replied Short.
"Shall we allow Jemmy to be flogged?"
"No," replied Short.
"If it warn't for them ere marines, and the lumpy beggar of a corporal,"
observed one of the seamen.
"Pish," quoth Jemmy, who was standing among them.
"Won't he make it out mutiny?" observed Spurey.
"Mein Gott! it was mutiny to flog de officer," said Jansen.
"That's very true," observed another.
"But Jemmy can't stand against the fat corporal and the six marines,"
observed Bill Spurey.
"One up and t'other down, I'll take them all," observed Jemmy, expanding
his chest.
"Yes, but they'll all be down upon you at once, Jemmy."
"If they lays their hands upon an officer," observed Coble, "it will be
mutiny; and then Jemmy calls in the ship's company to protect him."
"Exactly," observed Jemmy.
"And den, mein Gott, I zettle for de corporal," observed Jansen.
"I'll play him a trick yet."
"But now, it's no use palavering," observed Spurey; "let's come to some
settlement. Obadiah, give us your opinion as to what's best to be
done."
Hereupon Coble squirted out a modicum of 'baccy juice, wiped his mouth
with the back of his hand, and said, "It's my opinion, that the best way
of getting one man out of a scrape, is to get all the rest in it.
Jemmy, d'ye see, is to be hauled up for singing an old song, in which a
wench very properly damns the admiral for sending a ship out on a
Christmas Day, which, let alone the unchristian-like act, as you may
know, my lads, always turns up on a Friday, a day on which nothing but
being blown out from your anchors can warrant any vessel sailing on.
Now, d'ye see, it may be mutiny to damn a live admiral, with his flag
hoisted--I won't say but what it is--but this here admiral as Jemmy
damned, is no more alive than a stock fish; and, moreover, it is not
Jemmy as damns him, but Poll; therefore it can be no mutiny. Now what I
consider best is this, if so be it be against the articles--well, then,
let's all be in for it together, and then Vanslyperken will be puzzled,
and, moreover, it will give him a hint how matters stand, and he may
think better of it; for, although we must not have Jemmy touched, still,
it's quite as well not to have a regular breeze with the jollies; for if
so be that the Scarborough, or any other king's ship, be in port when we
arrive, Vanslyperken may run under the guns, and then whip the whole
boiling of us off to the Ingies, and glad to get us, too, and that's no
joke. Now, that's my idea of the matter."
"Well, but you've not told us how we are to get into it, Coble."
"More I have--well, that's funny: left out the whole burden of my song.
Why, I consider that we had better now directly sing the song over
again, all in chorus, and then we shall have damned the admiral a dozen
times over; and Vanslyperken will hear us, and say to himself, `They
don't sing that song for nothing.' What do you say, Dick Short, you're
first hofficer?"
"Yes," replied Short.
"Hurrah! my lads, then," cried Bill Spurey; "now, then, strike up,
Jemmy, and let us give it lots of mouth."
The song which our readers have already heard from the lips of Jemmy
Ducks was then sung by the whole of the men, _con animo e strepito_, and
two verses had been roared out, when Corporal Van Spitter, in great
agitation, presented himself at the cabin-door, where he found Mr
Vanslyperken very busy summing up his accounts.
"Mein Gott, sar! dere is the mutiny in the Yungfrau," cried the
corporal.
"Mutiny!" cried Vanslyperken, catching at his sword, which hung up on
the bulk-head.
"Yaw, mynheer--de mutiny--hear now de ship's company."
Vanslyperken lent his ears, when the astounding chorus came rolling aft
through the door of the cabin--
I'll give you a bit of my mind, old hunks;
Port admiral--you be damned.
"Bow, wow, wow," barked Snarleyyow.
"Why, it's the whole ship's company!" cried Vanslyperken.
"All but de Corporal Van Spitter, and de six marines," replied the
corporal, raising his hand up to his head _a la militaire_.
"Shut the door, corporal. This is indeed mutiny and defiance," cried
Vanslyperken, jumping up from his chair.
"It is one tyfel of a song," replied the corporal.
"I must find out the ringleaders, corporal; do you think that you could
contrive to overhear what they say after the song is over? they will be
consulting together, and we may find out something."
"Mynheer, I'm not very small for to creep in and listen," replied the
corporal, casting his eyes down upon his huge carcase.
"Are they all forward?" inquired the lieutenant.
"Yes, mynheer; not one soul baft."
"There is the small boat astern; do you think you could get softly into
it, haul it up to the bows, and lie there quite still? You would then
hear what they said, without their thinking of it, now that it is dark."
"I will try, mynheer," replied the corporal, who quitted the cabin.
But there were others who condescended to listen as well as the
corporal, and in this instance every word which had passed had been
overheard by Smallbones, who had been for some hours out of his hammock.
When the corporal's hand touched the lock of the door, Smallbones made
a hasty retreat.
Corporal Van Spitter went on the quarter-deck, which he found vacant; he
hauled up the boat to the counter, and, by degrees, lowered into it his
unwieldy carcase, which almost swamped the little conveyance. He then
waited a little, and with difficulty forced the boat up against the
strong flood-tide that was running, till at last he gained the
chess-tree of the cutter, when he shortened in the painter (or rope that
held the boat), made it fast to a ring-bolt without being perceived, and
there he lay concealed, not daring to move, for fear of making a noise.
Smallbones had, however, watched him carefully, and as the corporal sat
in the middle thwart, with his face turned aft, catching but imperfectly
the conversation of the men, the lad separated the painter with a sharp
knife, and at the same time dropping his foot down, gave the bow of the
boat a shove off, which made it round with the stream. The tide was
then running five or six miles an hour, and before the corporal, in the
utter darkness, could make out what had occurred, or raise his heavy
carcase to assist himself, he was whirled away by the current clear of
the vessel, and soon disappeared from the sight of Smallbones, who was
watching his progress.
It is true that the corporal shouted for assistance when he found
himself astern, and also that he was heard by the men, but Smallbones
had leaped among them, and in few words told them what he had done; so
of course they took no notice, but rubbed their hands with delight at
the idea of the corporal being adrift like a bear in a washing-tub, and
they all prayed for a gale of wind to come on that he might be swamped,
and most of them remained on deck to hear what Mr Vanslyperken would
say and do when the corporal's absence was discovered. Mr Vanslyperken
remained nearly two hours without sending for the corporal; at last,
surprised at not seeing him return, he went on deck. The men on the
forecastle perceiving this, immediately disappeared gently down the
fore-hatchway. Mr Vanslyperken walked forward, and found that every
one was, as he supposed, either in bed or below; for, in harbour, the
corporal kept one of the watches, and this night it was his first watch.
Vanslyperken looked over the side all round the cutter, and could see
no boat and no Corporal Van Spitter, and it immediately occurred to him
that the corporal must have gone adrift, and he was very much puzzled
how to act. It would be flood-tide for two hours more, and then the
whole ebb would run before it was daylight. Corporal Van Spitter would
traverse the whole Zuyder Zee before they might find him. Unless he had
the fortune to be picked up by some small craft, he might perish with
cold and hunger. He could not sail without him; for what could he do
without Corporal Van Spitter, his protection, his factotum, his
distributor of provisions, etcetera. The loss was irreparable, and Mr
Vanslyperken, when he thought of the loss of the widow's favour, and the
loss of his favourite, acknowledged with bitterness that his star was
not in the ascendant. After some reflection, Mr Vanslyperken thought
that as nothing could be gained by making the fact known, the wisest
thing that he could do was to go to bed and say nothing about it,
leaving the whole of the ulterior proceedings until the loss of the boat
should be reported to him in the morning. Having arranged this in his
mind, Mr Vanslyperken took two or three turns more, and then went down
and turned in.