. His wig was off, and his bare skull gave him
an appearance peculiarly ridiculous.

"What is the matter, sir?" inquired Philip.

"Matter!" spluttered Mynheer Von Stroom; "call the troops in with
their firelocks. Quick, sir. Am I to be murdered, torn to pieces, and
devoured? For mercy's sake, sir, don't stare, but do something--look,
it's coming to the table! O dear! O dear!" continued the supercargo,
evidently terrified out of his wits.

Philip, whose eyes had been fixed on Mynheer Von Stroom, turned them
in the direction pointed out, and, much to his astonishment perceived
a small bear upon the deck who was amusing himself with the
supercargo's flowing wig, which he held in his paws, tossing it about,
and now and then burying his muzzle in it. The unexpected sight of the
animal was at first a shock to Philip, but a moment's consideration
assured him that the animal must be harmless, or it never would have
been permitted to remain loose in the vessel.

Nevertheless, Philip had no wish to approach the animal, whose
disposition he was unacquainted with, when the appearance of Mynheer
Kloots put an end to his difficulty.

"What is the matter, Mynheer?" said the captain. "O! I see: it is
Johannes," continued the captain, going up to the bear, and saluting
him with a kick, as he recovered the supercargo's wig. "Out of the
cabin, Johannes! Out, sir!" cried Mynheer Kloots, kicking the breech
of the bear till the animal had escaped through the door. "Mynheer
Von Stroom, I am very sorry--here is your wig. Shut the door, Mynheer
Vanderdecken, or the beast may come back, for he is very fond of me."

As the door was shut between Mynheer Von Stroom and the object of his
terror, the little man slid off the table to the high-backed chair
near it, shook out the damaged curls of his wig, and replaced it on
his head; pulled out his ruffles, and, assuming an air of magisterial
importance, struck his cane on the deck, and then spoke.

"Mynheer Kloots, what is the meaning of this disrespect to the
supercargo of the puissant Company?"

"God in Heaven! no disrespect, Mynheer;--the animal is a bear, as you
see; he is very tame, even with strangers. He belongs to me. I have
had him since he was three months old. It was all a mistake. The mate,
Mynheer Hillebrant, put him in the cabin, that he might be out of the
way while the duty was carrying on, and he quite forgot that he was
here. I am very sorry, Mynheer Von Stroom; but he will n