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"Then he flare fire on me wid his one eye," said the corporal. "Warn't even wet," continued Smallbones. Here there was another summons for Corporal Van Spitter. "Mein Gott, I will not go," exclaimed the corporal. "Yes, yes, go, corporal," replied Smallbones; "it's the best way to face the devil."
We shall pass over the passage without any further remarks than that the corporal was reinstated into Mr Vanslyperken's good graces that he appeared as usual to be harsh with the ship's company, and to oppress Smallbones more than ever; but this was at the particular request of the lad, who played his own part to admiration that Mr Vanslyperken again brought up the question of flogging Jemmy Ducks, but was prevented by the corporal's expressing his fears of a mutiny and had also some secret conference with the corporal as to his desire of vengeance upon Smallbones, to which Van Spitter gave a ready ear, and appeared to be equally willing with the lieutenant to bring it about.
He was, moreover, his prime minister, and an obedient executer of all his tyranny, for Corporal Van Spitter was without a shadow of feeling on the contrary, he had pleasure in administering punishment; and if Vanslyperken had told him to blow any man's brains out belonging to the vessel, Van Spitter would have immediately obeyed the order without the change of a muscle in his fat, florid countenance.
So Corporal Van Spitter walked down the hatchway, where he ascertained that his commandant lay insensible. "Dat is good," thought he, and he went aft, lighted his lanthorn, and, as a ruse, knocked at the cabin-door.
"Ay, ay," replied Jemmy Ducks, turning out of his hammock and dropping on the lower deck. Corporal Van Spitter, who imagined that Mr Short was about to comply with his request after his own Harpocratic fashion, remained quietly on the deck until Jemmy Ducks made his appearance. "Hands," quoth Short. Jemmy piped the hands up.
Van Spitter, who did not know anything about the Portsmouth widow, and could not imagine why the angry message had been given, of course assented, although he was fully determined that the widow should be informed of the insult.
And now a shower of rain and sleet came down upon the unprotected body of the corporal, which added to his misery, to his fear, and to his despair. "Where am I?" muttered he: "what will become of me? Ah, mein Gott! twenty tousand tyfels what had I to do in a boat I, Corporal Van Spitter?" and then he was again silent for nearly half an hour.
The next morning, the fishermen took him down to Amsterdam in their own boat, when Van Spitter discovered that the Yungfrau had sailed: this was very puzzling, and Corporal Van Spitter did not know what to do.
"No, no," replied Vanslyperken, "it's to take some biscuit up to a poor old woman close by. I don't want to be robbed, any more than you do, Smallbones." But the very quick reply of his master only increased the apprehension of Smallbones, who left the cabin, and hastened to Corporal Van Spitter, to consult with him.
He was received with the military salute of Corporal Van Spitter, for Obadiah Coble, having been left commanding officer, had given himself leave, and, with a few men, had joined Bob Short and the first party at the Lust Haus, leaving the corporal as the next senior officer in charge.
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