By this time the widow had received a fresh supply of linen from Babette; and as soon as she had put it on she rose from the bed, the fractured state of which again called forth her indignation.
“Thirty-two years have I had this bed, wedded and single, Babette!” exclaimed the widow. “For sixteen years did I sleep on that bed with the lamented Mr. Vandersloosh—for sixteen years have I slept in it, a lone widow—but never till now did it break down. How am I to sleep to-night? What am I to do, Babette?”
“ ’Twas well it did break down, ma’am,” replied Babette, who was smoothing down the jagged skin at her ankles; “or we should never have got the nasty biting brute out of the house.”
“Very well—very well. Yes, yes, Mr. Vanslyperken—marriage, indeed, I’d as soon marry his cur.”
“Mein Gott!” exclaimed Babette. “I think, madam, if you did marry, you would soon find the master as cross as the dog; but I must make this bed.”
Babette proceeded to examine the mischief, and found that it was only the cords which tied the sacking which had given way, and considering that they had done their office for thirty-two years and the strain which had been put upon them after so long a period, there was not munch to complain of. A new cord was procured, and, in a quarter of an hour, all was right again; and the widow, who had sat in the chair fuming and blowing off her steam, as soon as Babette had turned down the bed turned in again, muttering, “Yes, yes, Mr. Vanslyperken—marriage indeed. Well, well, we shall see. Stop till to-morrow, Mr. Vanslyperken;” and as Babette has closed the curtains, so will we close this chapter.
Chapter Twelve.
In which Resolutions are entered into in all Quarters, and Jemmy Ducks is accused of Mutiny for singing a Song in a Snow-Storm.
What were the adventures of Snarleyyow after this awkward interference with his master’s speculations upon the widow, until he jumped into the beef boat to go on board of the cutter, are lost for ever; but it is to be supposed that he could not have remained the whole night without making himself disagreeable in some quarter or another. But, as we before observed, we know nothing about it; and, therefore, may be excused if we do not tell.
The widow Vandersloosh slept but little that night: her soul was full of vengeance; but although smarting with the imprints of the our’s teeth, still she had an eye to business; the Custom of the crew of the cutter was not to be despised, and, as she thought of this, she gradually cooled down. It was not till four o’clock in the morning that she came to her decision; and it was a very prudent one, which was to demand the dead body of the dog to be laid at her door before Mr. Vanslyperken should be allowed admittance. This was her right, and if he was sincere, he would not refuse; if he did refuse, it was not at all clear that she should lose the custom of the seamen, over the major part of whom Vanslyperken then appeared to have very little control; and all of whom, she knew, detested him most cordially, as well as his dog. After which resolution the widow Vandersloosh fell fast asleep.
But we must return on board, where there was almost as much confusion as there had been on shore. The reappearance of Snarleyyow was considered supernatural, for Smallbones had distinctly told in what manner he had tied him up in the bread-bags, and thrown him into the canal. Whisperings and murmurings were heard all round the cutter’s decks. Obadiah Coble shrugged up his shoulders, as he took an extra quid.—Dick Short walked about with lips compressed, more taciturn than ever—Jansen shook his head, muttering, “Te tog is no tog.”—Bill Spurey had to repeat to the ship’s company the legend of his coming on board over and over again. The only persons who appeared not to have lost their courage were Jemmy Ducks and poor Smallbones, who had been put in his hammock to recover him from his refrigeration. The former said, “that if they were to sail with the devil, it could not be helped, pay and prize-money would still go on;” and the latter, who had quite recovered his self-possession, “vowed that dog or devil, he would never cease his attempts to destroy him—if he was the devil, or one of his imps, it was his duty as a Christian to oppose him, and he had no chance of better treatment if he were to remain quiet.” The snow-storm continued, and the men remained below, all but Jemmy Ducks, who leaned against the lee side of the cutter’s mast, and as the snow fell, sang, to a slow air, the following ditty, it probably being called to his recollection by the state of the weather.
’Twas at the landing-place that’s just below Mount Wyse,
Poll lean’d against the sentry’s box, a tear in both her eyes;
Her apron twisted round her arms, all for to keep them warm,
Being a windy Christmas-day, and also a snow-storm.
And Bet and Sue
Both stood there too,
A shivering by her side,
They both were dumb,
And both look’d glum,
As they watch’d the ebbing tide.
Poll put her arms a-kimbo,
At the admiral’s house look’d she,
To thoughts before in limbo,
She now a vent gave free.
You have sent the ship in a gale to work,
On a lee shore to be jamm’d,
I’ll give you a piece of my mind, old Turk,
Port Admiral, you be damned.
Chorus.—We’ll give you a piece of our mind, old Turk, Port Admiral, you be damned. Who ever heard in the sarvice of a frigate made to sail On Christmas-day, it blowing hard, with sleet, and snow, and hail? I wish I had the fishing of your back that is so bent, I’d use the galley poker hot unto your heart’s content. Here Bet and Sue Are with me too, A shivering by my side, They both are dumb, And both look glum, And watch the ebbing tide. Poll put her arms a-kimbo, At the admiral’s house look’d she, To thoughts that were in limbo, She now a vent gave free. You’ve got a roaring fire I’ll bet, In it your toes are jamm’d: Let’s give him a piece of our mind, my Bet, Port Admiral, you be damned. Chorus.—Let’s give him a piece of our mind, my Bet, Port Admiral, you be damned. I had the flour and plums all pick’d, and suet all chopp’d fine, To mix into a pudding rich for all the mess to dine; I pawn’d my ear-rings for the beef, it weigh’d at least a stone, Now my fancy man is sent to sea, and I am left alone. Here’s Bet and Sue Who stand here too, A shivering by my side; They both are dumb, They both look glum, And watch the ebbing tide. Poll put her arms a-kimbo, At the admiral’s house look’d she, To thoughts that were in limbo, She now a vent gave free. You’ve got a turkey, I’ll be bound, With which you will be cramm’d; I’ll give you a bit of my mind, old hound, Port Admiral, you be damned. Chorus.—I’ll give you a bit of my mind, old hound, Port Admiral, you be damned. I’m sure that in this weather they cannot cook their meat, To eat it raw on Christmas-day will be a pleasant treat; But let us all go home, girls; it’s no use waiting here, We’ll hope that Christmas-day to come they will have better cheer. So, Bet and Sue, Don’t stand here too, A shivering by my side; Don’t keep so dumb, Don’t look so glum, Nor watch the ebbing tide. Poll put her arms a-kimbo, At the admiral’s house look’d she, To thoughts that were in limbo, She now a vent gave free. So while they cut their raw salt junks,