"I sent to the admiral's for them," replied Vanslyperken.
"Well, then, be all ready to start at midnight. I shall come on board about a quarter of an hour before; you may go, sir."
Vanslyperken quailed under the keen eye and stern look of Ramsay, and obeyed the uncourteous order in silence; still he thought of revenge as he walked back to the boat and re-embarked in the cutter.
"What's this, Short?" observed Coble: "here is a new freak; we start at midnight, I hear."
"Something quite new, anyhow:--don't understand it: do you?"
"Well, now Jemmy's gone, I don't care how soon I follow, Dick."
"I've a notion there's some mystery in all this. For," continued Coble, "the admiral would never have ordered us out till to-morrow morning, if he did not make us sail this evening. It's not a man-of-war fashion, is it, Dick?"
"Well, we shall see," replied Coble. "I shall turn in now. You've heard all about Smallbones, heh! Dick?"
"Well, we shall see: but I'll back the boy 'gainst master and dog too, in the long run. D--n his Dutch carcass, he seems to make but small count of English subjects, heh!"
Short leant over the gunwale and whistled.
Coble, finding it impossible to extract one monosyllable more from him, walked forward, and went down below.
A little before twelve o'clock a boat came alongside, and Ramsay stepped out of it into the cutter. Vanslyperken had been walking the deck to receive him, and immediately showed him down into the cabin, where he left him to go on deck, and get the cutter under way. There was a small stove in the cabin, for the weather was still cold; they were advanced into the month of March. Ramsay threw off his coat, laid two pair of loaded pistols on the table, locked the door of the cabin, and then proceeded to warm himself, while Vanslyperken was employed on deck.
In an hour the cutter was outside and clear of all danger, and Vanslyperken had to knock to gain admittance into his own cabin. Ramsay opened the door, and Vanslyperken, who thought he must say something, observed gloomily,
"Very good," replied Ramsay; "and now, sir, I believe that you have despatches on board?"
"You will oblige me by letting me look at them."
"My despatches!" said Vanslyperken with surprise.