Had he known where Smallbones' hammock was hung, he would
have gone down with the view of ascertaining the fact; but with a crew
so evidently opposed to him, he could not see how even the ascertaining
that Smallbones was on board, would be productive of any good
consequences. The more Vanslyperken thought, the more he was puzzled.
The fact is, that he was between the horns of a dilemma; but the devil,
who always helps his favourites, came to the aid of Mr Vanslyperken. The
small boat was, as usual, hoisted up astern, and Mr Vanslyperken's eyes
were accidentally cast upon it. He perceived a black mass lying on the
thwarts, and he examined it more closely: he heard snoring; it was one
of the ship's company sleeping there against orders. He leant over the
taffrail, and putting aside the great-coat which covered the party, he
looked attentively on the face--there was no doubt it was Smallbones
himself. From a knowledge of the premises, Vanslyperken knew at once
that the lad was in his power.
The boat, after being hauled up with tackles, was hung by a single rope
at each davit. It was very broad in proportion to its length, and was
secured from motion by a single gripe, which confined it in its place,
bowsing it close to the stern of the cutter, and preventing it from
turning over bottom up, which, upon the least weight upon one gunnel or
the other, would be inevitably the case.
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