Snarleyyow, or, the Dog Fiend

by Frederick Marryat

  Chapter XXXI

  In which Snarleyyow again triumphs over his enemies.

  But we must return to the cabin, and state what took place during thislong absence of the commander, who had gone on shore about threeo'clock, and had given directions for his boat to be at the Point atsunset. There had been a council of war held on the forecastle, in whichCorporal Van Spitter and Smallbones were the most prominent; and themeeting was held to debate, whether they should or should not make onemore attempt to destroy the dog; singular that the arguments andobservations very nearly coincided with those made use of byVanslyperken and his mother, when they debated how to get rid ofSmallbones.

  "Water won't touch him, I sees that," observed Smallbones.

  "No. Mein Gott, dat was to trow time and de trouble away," replied thecorporal.

  "Hanging's just as natural a death for a cur," observed Spurey.

  "Yes," observed Short.

  "I'm afeard that the rope's not laid that's to hang that animal,"observed Coble, shaking his head. "If water won't do, I'm persuadednothing will, for did not they use, in former days, to lay all spiritsin the Red Sea?"

  "Yes," quoth Short.

  "But he ban't a spirit yet," replied Smallbones; "he be flesh and bloodo' some sort. If I gets fairly rid of his body, d----n his soul, I say,he may keep that and welcome."

  "But then, you know, he'll haunt us just as much as ever--we shall seehim here just the same."

  "A spirit is only a spirit," observed Smallbones; "he may live in thecabin all day and night afore I care; but, d'ye see, there's a greatdifference between the ghost of a dog, and the dog himself."

  "Why, if the beast ar'n't natural, I can't see much odds," observedSpurey.

  "But I can feel 'em," replied Smallbones. "This here dog has a-bitten meall to bits, but a ghost of a dog can't bite anyhow."

  "No," replied Short.

  "And now, d'ye see, as Obadiah Coble has said as how spirits must belaid, I think if we were to come for to go for to lay this here hanimalin the cold hearth, he may perhaps not be able to get up again."

  "That's only a perhaps," observed Coble.

  "Well, a perhaps is better than nothing at all," said the lad.

  "Yes," observed Short.

  "That depends upon sarcumstances," observed Spurey. "What sort of abreakfast would you make upon a perhaps?"

  "A good one, perhaps," replied Smallbones, grinning at the jingling ofthe words.

  "Twenty dozen tyfels, Smallbones is in de right," observed Jansen, whohad taken no part in the previous conversation. "Suppose you bury dedog, de dog body not get up again. Suppose he will come, his soul come,leave him body behind him."

  "That's exactly my notion of the thing," observed Smallbones.

  "Do you mean for to bury him alive?" inquired Spurey.

  "Alive! Gott in himmel--no. I knock de brains out first, perryafterwards."

  "There's some sense in that, corporal."

  "And the dog can't have much left anyhow, dog or devil, when his brainsare all out."

  "No," quoth Short.

  "But who is to do it?"

  "Corporal and I," replied Smallbones; "we be agreed, ban't we,corporal?"

  "Mein Gott, yes!"

  "And now I votes that we tries it off-hand; what's the use ofshilly-shally? I made a mortal vow that that 'ere dog and I won't livetogether--there ban't room enough for us two."

  "It's a wide world, nevertheless," observed Coble, hitching up histrousers; "howsomever, I have nothing to say, but I wish you luck; butif you kill that dog, I'm a bishop--that's all."

  "And if I don't try for to do so, I am an harchbishop, that's all,"replied the gallant Smallbones. "Come along, corporal."

  And here was to be beheld a novel scene. Smallbones followed inobedience by his former persecutor and his superior officer; a bag ofbones--a reed--a lath--a scarecrow; like a pilot cutter ahead of anIndiaman, followed in his wake by Corporal Van Spitter, weighing twentystone. How could this be? It was human nature. Smallbones took the lead,because he was the more courageous of the two, and the corporalfollowing, proved he tacitly admitted it.

  "He be a real bit of stuff, that 'ere Peter Smallbones," said one of themen.

  "I thinks he be a supernatural himself, for my part," rejoined Spurey.

  "At all events, he ar'n't afeard of him," said another.

  "We shall see," replied Coble, squirting out his tobacco-juice under thegun.

  "Come, men, we must go to work now. Shall we, Mr Short?"

  "Yes," replied the commanding officer, and the conference broke up.

  In the meantime the consultation was continued between Smallbones andthe corporal. The latter had received instruction to take on shore MrVanslyperken's dirty linen to the washerwoman, and of course, as acorporal, he was not obliged to carry it, and would take Smallbones forthat purpose. Then he could easily excuse taking the dog on shore, uponthe plea of taking care of it. It was therefore so arranged; the dogwould follow the corporal in the absence of his master, but no one else.In a few minutes the corporal, Smallbones, Snarleyyow, and a very smallbundle of linen, were in the boat, and shoved off with as many goodwishes and as much anxiety for their success, as probably Jason and hisfollowers received when they departed in search of the Golden Fleece.

  The three parties kept in company, and passed through the town ofPortsmouth. The washerwoman lived outside the Lines, and there theyproceeded, Snarleyyow very much in spirits at being able to eat thegrass, which his health very much required. They walked on until theyarrived at a large elm-tree, on the side of the road, which lay betweentwo hedges and ditches.

  "This will do," observed the corporal solemnly. "Mein Gott! I wish itwas over," continued he, wiping the perspiration from his bull-forehead.

  "How shall we kill him, corporal?" inquired Smallbones.

  "Mein Gott! knock him head against de tree, I suppose."

  "Yes, and bury him in the ditch. Here, dog--Snarleyyow--here, dog," saidSmallbones; "come, a poor doggy--come here."

  But Snarleyyow was not to be coaxed by Smallbones; he suspectedtreachery.

  "He won't a-come to me, corporal, or I'd soon settle his hash," observedSmallbones.

  The corporal had now got over a little panic which had seized him. Hecalled Snarleyyow, who came immediately. Oh! had he imagined what thecorporal was about to do, he might have died like Caesar, exclaiming, "Ettu Brute," which, in plain English means, "and you--you brute."

  The corporal, with a sort of desperation, laid hold of the dog by thetail, drawing him back till he could swing him round. In a second or twoSnarleyyow was whirling round the corporal, who turned with him,gradually approaching the trunk of the elm-tree, till at last his headcame in contact with it with a resounding blow, and the dog fellsenseless. "Try it again, corporal, let's finish him." The corporalagain swung round the inanimate body of the dog; again, and again, andagain, did the head come in contact with the hard wood; and then thecorporal, quite out of breath with the exertion, dropped the body on thegrass. Neither of them spoke a word for some time, but watched the body,as it lay motionless, doubled up, with the fore and hind feet meetingeach other, and the one eye closed.

  "Well, I've a notion that he is done for, anyhow," said Smallbones, "atlast."

  "Mein Gott, yes!" replied the corporal. "He never get on his legs again,be he tog or be he tyfel."

  "Now for to come for to go for to bury him," said Smallbones, swingingthe dog by the tail, and dragging him towards the ditch. "I wonder if wecould get a spade anywhere, corporal."

  "Mein Gott! if we ask for a spade they will ask what for, andVanslyperken may find it all out."

  "Then I'll bury him and cover him up, anyhow; he'll not come to lifeagain, if he does may I be knocked on the head like him, that's all."Smallbones dragged the body into the ditch, and collecting out of theother parts of the ditch a great quantity of wet leaves, covered thebody a foot deep. "There, they won't find him now, because they won'tknow where to look for him. I say, c
orporal, I've a notion we had betternot be seen here too long."

  "No," said the corporal, wiping his forehead, putting his handkerchiefin his cap, and his cap on his head; "we must go now."

  They went to the washerwoman's, delivered the bundle, and then returnedon board, when the whole crew were informed of the success of theexpedition, and appeared quite satisfied that there was an end of thedetested cur; all but Coble, who shook his head.

  "We shall see," says he; "but I'm blessed if I don't expect the cur backto-morrow morning."

  We must now return to Vanslyperken, who left the public-house in a stateof consternation. "How could she possibly know anything about it?"exclaimed he. "My life in the power of that she-devil" And Vanslyperkenwalked on, turning over the affair in his mind. "I have gone too far toretreat now. I must either go on, or fly the country. Fly, where? What afool have I been!" but then Vanslyperken thought of the money. "No, no,not a fool, but I am very unfortunate." Vanslyperken continued hisroute, until it at last occurred _to_ him that he would go to the JewLazarus, and speak with him; for, thought Vanslyperken, if all isdiscovered, they may think that I have informed, and then my life willbe sought by both parties. Vanslyperken arrived at the Jew's abode,knocked softly, but received no answer: he knocked again, louder; abustle and confusion was heard inside, and at last the door, with thechain fixed, was opened a couple of inches, and the Jew stammered out,"Wot vash there at this late hour of the night?"

  "It is me, the lieutenant of the cutter," replied Vanslyperken. "I mustspeak with you directly."

  The door was opened, several figures, and the clatter of arms, wereheard in the dark passage, and as soon as Vanslyperken had entered itwas relocked, and he was left in the dark.

  In a minute the Jew, in a woollen wrapper, made his appearance with alight, and led Vanslyperken into the room where he had beenshown before.

  "Now then, Mishter Leeftenant, vat vash de matter?"

  "We are discovered, I'm afraid!" exclaimed Vanslyperken.

  "Holy father Abraham!" exclaimed the Jew, starting back. "But tell me vyyou shay sho."

  "A woman told me this night that she knew why I came to your house--thatI was in her power."

  "Vat woman?"

  "A hell-cat, who hates me as she does the devil."

  "A hell-cat vould not hate de divil," slowly observed the Jew.

  "Well, perhaps not; but she will ruin me if she can."

  "Vat vash her name?" said Lazarus.

  "Moggy Salisbury."

  "Paah! is dat all? vy, my good friend, she is one of us. Dere, you maygo vay--you may go to bed, Mr Vanslyperken."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean dat she laughed at you, and frighten you--dat she is one of us,and so is her husband, who vas in your chip. Ven you hang, she and Ivill all hang together; now you comprehend?"

  "Yes," replied Vanslyperken, "I do now: but how could you trust suchpeople?"

  "Trust such people, Mr Vanslyperken? If you prove as true as thosepeoples, vy all de bitter; now go avay--go to bed--you have vaked up allthe peoples here. Good night, Mr Leeftenant;" and the Jew led the way tothe door, and let Vanslyperken out.

  "So then," thought Vanslyperken, as he pursued his way down to thePoint, "that woman and her husband are--damnation, but I've a great mindto discover all, if it's only to hang them." But on second thoughts,Vanslyperken thought that it was not worth while to be hanged himself,just for the pleasure of hanging others. It was a great relief to hismind to know that there was no fear of discovery. The tip of his noseitched, and he rubbed it mechanically; the rubbing brought away all theskin. He remembered the hot poker--the money he had been forced topay--his being made to sing and to beg pardon on his knees; and hecursed Moggy in his heart, the more so, as he felt that he dare not takeany steps against her.

  When he came to the Point, he stood on the shingle, looking for hisboat, but the men had waited till twelve o'clock, and then presumingthat their commander did not intend to come at all that night, hadpulled on board again. He was looking round for a waterman to pull himoff, when something cold touched his hand. Vanslyperken started, andalmost screamed with fear. He looked, and it was the cold nose ofSnarleyyow, who now leaped upon his master.

  "Snarleyyow, my poor dog! how came you on shore?"

  But the dog not being able to speak, made no answer.

  While Vanslyperken was wondering how the dog could possibly have come onshore, and what Corporal Van Spitter could be about to have allowed it,the small casement of a garret window near him was opened, and a headwas thrust out.

  "Do you want to go on board, sir?" said a tremulous voice.

  "Yes," replied Vanslyperken.

  "I will be down directly, sir," replied the old boatman, who in a minuteor two appeared with his sculls on his shoulder.

  "Not easy to find a boat at this time of the morning, sir," said theman; "but I heard you speaking, for I've had such a toothache these twonights that I can't shut my eyes."

  The old man unlocked the chain which fastened his wherry, and in a fewminutes Vanslyperken was on the deck of the cutter, but he found therewas no one to receive him,--no watch kept.

  "Very well," thought he, "we'll talk about this to-morrow morning. Shortor Coble, I wonder which of the two--pretty neglect of duty,indeed--report to the admiral, by heavens!"

  So saying, Mr Vanslyperken, with Snarleyyow at his heels, went downinto the cabin--undressed in the dark, for he would not let anyone knowthat he was on board. It being about three o'clock in the morning, andMr Vanslyperken being well tired with the events of the day, he was soonin a sound sleep. There will be no difficulty in accounting for thereturn of the dog, which had a skull much thicker than even thecorporal's. He had been stunned with the heavy blows, but not killed.After a certain time he came to himself in his bed of leaves, firstscratched with one paw, and then with another, till his senses returned:he rose, worked his way out, and lay down to sleep. After he had taken along nap, he rose recovered, shook himself, and trotted down to thebeach, but the boat had shoved off, and the cur had remained therewaiting for an opportunity to get on board, when his master came downwith the same object in view.

  But as every soul is fast asleep, we shall now finish the chapter.