Snarleyyow | Page 5

that
he was still in danger of burning his mouth, "bring me the red-herring."
"Red-herring, sir?" stammered Smallbones.
"Yes," replied his master, fixing his little grey eye sternly on him, "the red-herring."
"It's gone, sir!" replied Smallbones, with alarm.
"Gone!--gone where?"
"If you please, sir, I didn't a-think that you would have touched it after the dog had had it
in his nasty mouth; and so, sir--if you please, sir--"
"And so what?" said Vanslyperken, compressing his thin lips.
"I ate it myself--if you please--O dear--O dear!"
"You did, did you--you gluttonous scarecrow--you did, did you? Are you aware that you
have committed a theft--and are you aware of the punishment attending it?"
"O sir--it was a mistake--dear sir," cried Smallbones, whimpering.
"In the first place, I will cut you to ribbons with the cat."
"Mercy, sir--O sir!" cried the lad, the tears streaming from his eyes.
"The thief's cat, with three knots in each tail."
Smallbones raised up his thin arms, and clasped his hands, pleading for mercy.
"And after the flogging--you shall be keel-hauled."
"O God!" screamed Smallbones, falling down on his knees, "mercy--mercy!"
But there was none. Snarleyyow, when he saw the lad go down on his knees, flew at him,
and threw him on his back, growling over him, and occasionally looking at his master.
"Come here, Snarleyyow," said Mr Vanslyperken. "Come here, sir, and lie down." But
Snarleyyow had not forgotten the red-herring; so in revenge, he first bit Smallbones in

the thigh, and then obeyed his master.
"Get up, sir," cried the lieutenant.
Smallbones rose, but his temper now rose also; he forgot all that he was to suffer, from
indignation against the dog: with flashing eyes, and whimpering with rage, he cried out,
as the tears fell, and his arms swung round, "I'll not stand this--I'll jump overboard--that I
will: fourteen times has that ere dog a-bitten me this week. I'd sooner die at once, than be
made dog's-meat of in this here way."
"Silence, you mutinous rascal, or I'll put you in irons."
"I wish you would--irons don't bite, if they hold fast. I'll run away--I don't mind being
hung--that I don't--starved to death, bitten to death in this here way--"
"Silence, sir. It's over-feeding that makes you saucy."
"The Lord forgive you'" cried Smallbones, with surprise; "I've not had a full meal"
"A full meal, you rascal! there's no filling a thing like you--hollow from top to bottom,
like a bamboo."
"And what I does get," continued Smallbones, with energy, "I pays dear for; that ere dog
flies at me, if I takes a bit o' biscuit. I never has a bite without getting a bite, and it's all
my own allowance."
"A proof of his fidelity, and an example to you, you wretch," replied the lieutenant,
fondly patting the dog on the head.
"Well, I wish you'd discharge me--or hang me, I don't care which. You eats so hearty, and
the dog eats so hearty, that I gets nothing. We are only victualled for two."
"You insolent fellow! recollect the thief's cat."
"It's very hard," continued Smallbones, unmindful of the threat, "that that ere beast is to
eat my allowance, and be allowed to half eat me too."
"You forget the keel-hauling, you scarecrow."
"Well, I hope I may never come up again, that's all."
"Leave the cabin, sir."
This order Smallbones obeyed.
"Snarleyyow," said the lieutenant, "you are hungry, my poor beast." Snarleyyow put his
forepaw up on his master's knee. "You shall have your breakfast soon," continued his
master, eating the burgoo between his addresses to the animal. "Yes, Snarleyyow, you
have done wrong this morning--you ought to have no breakfast." Snarleyyow growled.

"We are only four years acquainted, and how many scrapes you have got me into,
Snarleyyow!" Snarleyyow here put both his paws upon his master's knee. "Well, you are
sorry, my poor dog, and you shall have some breakfast;" and Mr Vanslyperken put the
basin of burgoo on the floor, which the dog tumbled down his throat most rapidly. "Nay,
my dog, not so fast; you must leave some for Smallbones, he will require some breakfast
before his punishment. There, that will do;" and Mr Vanslyperken wished to remove the
basin with a little of the burgoo remaining in it. Snarleyyow growled, would have
snapped at his master, but Mr Vanslyperken shoved him away with the bell mouth of his
speaking-trumpet, and recovering a portion of the mess, put it on the table for the use of
poor Smallbones. "Now then, my dog, we will go on deck." Mr Vanslyperken left the
cabin, followed by Snarleyyow; but as soon as his master was half way up the ladder,
Snarleyyow turned back, leaped on the chair, from the chair to the table, and then
finished the whole of