m too," continued Coble. "Who ever heard any
Christian brute with such a damnable name?"

"Well, what's to be done?"

"Why," replied Jemmy Ducks, "at all events, imp o' Satan or not, that
here Smallbones fought him to-day with his own weapons."

"And beat him too," said. Coble.

"Yes," said Short.

"Now, it's my opinion, that Smallbones ar'nt afraid of him," continued
Jemmy Ducks, "and devil or no devil, he'll kill him, if he can."

"He's the proper person to do it," replied Coble; "the more so, as you
may say that he's his _natural_ enemy."

"Yes, mein Got, de poy is de man," said Jansen.

"We'll put him up to it at all events, as soon as he is out of his
hammock," rejoined Jemmy Ducks.

A little more conversation took place, and then it was carried
unanimously that Smallbones should destroy the animal, if it was
possible to destroy it.

The only party who was not consulted was Smallbones himself, who lay
fast asleep in his hammock. The consultation then broke _up_, and they
all went below.

CHAPTER SIX.

IN WHICH AS OFTEN HAPPENS AT SEA WHEN SIGNALS ARE NOT MADE OUT, FRIENDS
EXCHANGE BROADSIDES.

Notwithstanding all the precautions of the party on the forecastle, this
consultation had been heard by no less a person than the huge Corporal
Van Spitter, who had an idea that there was some mystery going on
forward, and had contrived to crawl up under the bulwark, and throw
himself down on the fore-staysail, which lay between two of the guns.
Having so done without being perceived, for it was the very moment that
the party were all listening to Bill Spurey's legend of the dog's first
appearance on board, he threw a part of the sail over his fat carouse,
and thus remained undiscovered during the remainder of the colloquy. He
heard them all descending below, and remained still quiet, till he
imagined that the forecastle was clear. In the meantime, Mr
Vanslyperken who had been walking the deck abaft, unaccompanied by his
faithful attendant (for Snarleyyow remained coiled up on his master's
bed), was meditating deeply how to gratify the two most powerful
passions in our nature, love and revenge: at one moment thinking of the
fat fair Vandersloosh, and of hauling in her guilders, at another
reverting to the starved Smallbones and the comfort of a keel-hauling.
The long conference on the forecastle had not been unperceived by the
hawk's eye of the lieutenant, and as they descended he walked forward to