Snarleyyow, or, the Dog Fiend

In the low countries, this species of loyalty always has been, and is now very much the fashion. In ten minutes, the gates were forced open–old Koop knocked down, and trod under foot till he was dead–every article of value that was portable, was secured; chairs, tables, glasses, not portable, were thrown out of the window; Wilhelmina's harp and pianoforte battered to fragments; beds, bedding, everything flew about in the air, and then the fragments of the furniture were set fire to, and in less than an hour Mynheer Krause's splendid house was burning furiously, while the mob cheered and cried, "Long live King William!"

Before the courier could arrive from the Hague, all that was left of Mr Krause's property was the bare walls. Merchandises, everything was consumed, and part of the building had fallen into the canal and choked it up, while fifteen schuyts waiting to be discharged of their cargoes had been obliged to retreat from the fury of the flames, the phlegmatic skippers looking on with their pipes in their mouths, and their hands in their wide breeches-pockets.

The loyal mob having effected their object, gradually retired. It is singular, that popular feeling is always expressed in the same way. Had the mob collected for disloyal purposes, they would have shown their disloyalty just in the like manner, only it would have been the Stadt House instead of that of Mynheer Krause.

But now there was a fresh impetus given to the feelings of the mob. The news had been spread like wildfire, that Mynheer the syndic had been proved innocent, and ordered to be immediately liberated, and was sent for by his Majesty; upon which, the mob were undecided, whether they should prove their indignation, at this unjust imprisonment of their worthy magistrate, by setting fire to some public building, or by carrying him in triumph to his own house, which they forgot they had burnt down. Fortunately they decided upon the latter, they surrounded the Stadt House with cries of "Long life to our worthy syndic–prosperity to Mynheer Krause," and rushing up stairs, they caught him in their arms, and carried him triumphantly through the streets bringing him at last to the smoking ruins of his own house, and there they left him; they had done all they could, they had carried him there in triumph, but, as for building the house up again, that was impossible; so, as Mynheer Krause looked with dismay at the wreck of all his property, the loyal mob dispersed, each feeling that he had been a little too hasty in possessing himself of a small share of it. What a fine thing is loyalty! Mynheer Krause found himself alone; he looked with scorn and indignation upon the scene of violence, and then walked away to an hotel, particularly disgusted with the loyal cry of "Long live King William."

In the meantime, the door of the dungeon where the widow Vandersloosh was incarcerated was thrown open, and she was informed that she was no longer a prisoner. The widow indignant that she should have been confined for her loyalty, raved and walked majestically out of the Stadt House, not deigning to answer to the compliments offered to her by some of the inferior officers. Her bosom swelled with indignation, and she was determined to tell his Majesty a bit of her mind, if she should obtain access to him; and the next day she took the trouble to go all the way to the Hague, again to see his Majesty, but his Majesty wasn't at home, and Lord Albemarle to whom she sent in, was indisposed, and his Grace the Duke of Portland was particularly engaged; so the widow had the journey for nothing, and she declared to Babette, that she never would put her foot under the palace roof again as long as she lived.

But, although Madam Vandersloosh was not received at court that day, the syndic Mynheer Krause was; when he sent in his name, Lord Albemarle led the syndic by the hand to his Majesty.

"We have been too hasty, Mynheer Krause," said his Majesty, with a gracious smile.

Mynheer bowed low.

"I regret to hear that the populace in their loyalty have burnt down your house, Mr Krause–they were too hasty."

Mynheer Krause made another low bow.

"You will continue your office of syndic of the town of Amsterdam."

"Pardon me, your Majesty," replied Mynheer Krause respectfully, but firmly, "I have obeyed your summons to appear in your presence, but will request that your Majesty will release me from the burden. I have come to lay my chain and staff of office at your Majesty's feet, it being my intention to quit the town."

"You are too hasty, Mynheer Krause," replied his Majesty with displeasure.

"May it please your Majesty," replied Krause. "He who has been confined as a prisoner in the Stadt House, is not fit to exercise his duties there as a judge; I have served your Majesty many years with the utmost zeal and fidelity. In return, I have been imprisoned and my property destroyed, I must now return to a station more suitable to my present condition, and once more with every assurance of loyalty, I beg to be permitted to lay my insignia of office at your Majesty's feet."

Mynheer Krause suited the action to the word. The king frowned and turned away to the window, and Mynheer Krause perceiving that his Majesty's back was turned upon him, walked out of the door.

"Too hasty," thought Mynheer Krause, "I am loyal and thrown into prison, and am expected to be satisfied with the plea of being too hasty. My house is burnt down, and the plundering mob have been too hasty. Well–well–it is fortunate I took Ramsay's advice, my house and what was in it was a trifle; but if all my gold at Hamburgh and Frankfort, and in the charge of Ramsay had been there, and I had been made a beggar, all the satisfaction I should have received would have been a smile, and the excuse of being too hasty. I wonder where my daughter and Ramsay are? I long to join them."

From which mental soliloquy, it will be evident to the reader, that Mynheer Krause's loyalty had been considerably diminished, perhaps thinking that he had paid too dear for the commodity.

Upon his return, Mynheer Krause publicly announced that he had resigned the office of syndic, much to the astonishment of those who heard of it, and much to the delight of his very particular friend Engelback, who, the next morning set off for the Hague, and had an interview with his Grace the Duke of Portland, the result of which was, that upon grounds best known to the parties; for history will not reveal everything, Mynheer Engelback was recommended to fill the office of syndic of the town of Amsterdam, vacant by the resignation of Mynheer Krause; and that in consequence of this, all those who took off their hats to Mynheer Krause but two days before, and kept them on when they met Mynheer Engelback, now kept them on when they met Mynheer Krause, and pulled them off very politely to Mynheer Krause's very particular friend, Mynheer Engelback.

Chapter LIII

Trial and execution of two of the principal personages in our history

We left Sir Robert Barclay on the deck of the cutter, the ladies and women sent down below, and Mr Vanslyperken on the point of being dragged aft by two of Sir Robert's men. The crew of the Yungfrau, at the time, were on the lower deck, some assisting the wounded men, others talking with Jemmy Salisbury and his wife, whom they were astonished to find among the assailants.

"Why, Jemmy, how did you get a berth among those chaps?"

"I'll tell you," said Moggy, interrupting: "when he was last at Portsmouth, they heard him playing his fiddle and singing, and they took such a fancy to him, that they were determined to have him to amuse them in the cave. So one evening, they kidnapped him, took him away by main force, and kept him a prisoner ever since."

"That's carrying the joke rather too far," observed one of the men.

"Mein Gott! yes," replied the corporal.

"But I am at liberty again now at all events," replied Jemmy, taking the cue from his wife; "and if that chap, Vanslyperken, don't command the cutter any more, which I've a notion he will not, I shall enter as boatswain–heh, Dick."

"Yes," replied Short, who was swinging in his hammock.

"Well–when I found that Jemmy couldn't be found, that my dear darling duck of a husband–my jewel, a box of diamonds (arn't you my Jemmy), didn't I tear my hair, and run about the streets, like a mad woman," continued Moggy. "At last I met with Nancy Corbett, whose husband is one of the gang, and she told me where he was, fiddle and all, and I persuaded her to let me go to him, and that's why we both are here."

This was a good invention of Moggy's, and as there was nobody who took the trouble to disprove it, it was received as not the least apocryphal. But now Mr Vanslyperken was dragged past them by two of the conspirators, and all the men of the Yungfrau followed on deck, to see what was to take place.

When Mr Vanslyperken had been brought aft, his legs tottered, and he could hardly stand. His face was livid, and his lips white with fear, and he knew too well that he had little mercy to expect.

"Now, sir," said Sir Robert, with a stern air, "hear the accusation against you, for although we may be lawless, we will still be just. You voluntarily entered into our service, and received our pay. You were one of us, with only this difference, that we have taken up the cause from principle and loyalty, and you joined us from mercenary motives. Still we kept our faith with you; for every service performed, you were well and honourably paid. But you received our money and turned against us; revealed our secrets, and gave information to your government, by which that gentleman" (pointing to Ramsay) "and many others, had not they fortunately received timely notice, would have perished by the gibbet. Now, sir, I wish to know, what you can bring forward in your defence, what have you to urge that you should not die the death which you so traitorously prepared for others."

"Die!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, "no–no–mercy, sir–mercy. I am not fit to die."

"Few are–but this is certain–that a villain like you is not fit to live."

"On my knees, I ask mercy," cried the frightened wretch, dropping down. "Mr Ramsay, speak for me."

"I will speak," replied Ramsay, "but not for you, I will show you, that even if you were to escape us, you would still be hung; for all your extracts of the despatches, I have, with full explanation, put into the hands of the English government. Do you expect mercy from them–they have not showed much as yet."

"O God–O God!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, throwing himself down on the deck in despair.

"Now, my lads, you have heard the charges against this man, and also that he has no defence to offer, what is your sentence?"

"Death!" exclaimed the conspirators.

"You men, belonging to the cutter, you have heard that this man has betrayed the present government of England, in whose pay and service he was at the time–what is your opinion?"

Hereupon, Obadiah Coble hitched up his trousers, and said, "Why, as a matter of opinion, I agrees with you, sir, whomsoever you may be."

"Mein Gott! yes, sir," exclaimed the corporal.

And all the crew cried out together, "Death–death!" which, by-the-bye, was very mutinous.

"You perceive that you are doubly condemned as a double traitor," said Sir Robert. "So prepare to die; the religion you profess I know not, but the time you will be allowed to make your peace with your God is fifteen minutes."

"Oh!" groaned Vanslyperken, with his face to the deck.

"Up there, my lads, and get a whip on the yard-arm," said Ramsay.

Some of his party went to obey the order, and they were assisted by the seamen of the Yungfrau. But while they were getting the whip ready on the starboard, Jemmy Ducks was very quietly employed getting another on the larboard yard-arm, which nobody took notice of.

As soon as the whip, and the cord with the hangman's noose made fast to it, were all ready, it was reported to Sir Robert by Corporal Van Spitter, who stepped up to him with his usual military salute. Sir Robert took off his hat in return. His watch had been held in his hand, from the time that he had passed sentence upon Vanslyperken, who still remained prostrate on the deck.

"It is my duty to inform you, sir, that but five minutes are left of the time awarded to you," said Sir Robert to Vanslyperken.

"Five minutes!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, jumping up from the deck, "but five minutes–to die in five minutes," continued he, looking up with horror at the rope at the yard-arm, and the fatal noose at the end of it, held in the hand of Corporal Van Spitter. "Stop, I have gold–plenty of gold–I can purchase my life."

"Kingdoms would not purchase it," said Sir Robert, scornfully.

"Oh!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, wringing his hands, "must I leave all my gold?"

"You have but two minutes, sir," observed Sir Robert. "Let the rope be put round his neck."

This office was performed by Corporal Van Spitter. The corporal was quite an amateur.

"Mercy, mercy," cried Vanslyperken, again falling on his knees, and holding up his hands.

"Call upon Heaven for mercy, you have but one minute left."

But here an interruption took place.

A female made her appearance on the other side of the deck, dragging, by a cord, the hero of our novel, Snarleyyow, who held back with all his power, jerking his head to the right and to the left, but it was of no use, he was dragged opposite to where Vanslyperken knelt. As the reader may guess, this person was Smallbones, who had tied on a bonnet, and muffled up his face, so as not to be observed when he first went on board. Jemmy Ducks now assisted, and the whip on the larboard yard-arm was made fast to a cord with a running noose, for the hanging of the cur.

The sight roused Vanslyperken. "My dog!" exclaimed he, "woman, leave that dog alone–who are you that dare touch my dog?"

The female turned round, threw off her bonnet and handkerchief and exhibited to the terrified lieutenant, the face of the supposed departed Smallbones.

"Smallbones!" exclaimed the crew of the Yungfrau in a breath.

"God of mercy–help me, God of mercy!" cried Vanslyperken, aghast.

"I suppose that you do come for to go to know me now, anyhow," said Smallbones.

"Hath the sea given up its dead?" replied Vanslyperken, in a hollow voice.

"No, it arn't, 'cause why? I never was a drowned," replied Smallbones; "no thanks to you, though; but if so be as I supposes, you be a going to be hung–as I'm a good Christian, I'll forgive you–that is, if you be hung, you know."

Vanslyperken, who now perceived that Smallbones had been by some miracle preserved, recovered himself.

"If you forgive me," replied Vanslyperken, "then pray do not ill-treat my dog."

"I'se not forgiven him, anyhow–I owes him enough, and now I'll have his account settled, by gum. When you goes up there, he goes up here, as sure as I'm Peter Smallbones."

"Be merciful!" exclaimed Vanslyperken, who, strange to say, forgot his own miseries in pleading for his darling cur.

"He be a convicted traitor, and he shall die, by gum!" cried Smallbones, smacking his fist into the palm of his hand.

During the conversation, the time allotted to Vanslyperken had long expired, but the interest occasioned by it had inclined Sir Robert to wait till it was over.

"Enough," cried Sir Robert, "your time is too long expired. Commend your soul to God–let the rope be manned."

"Now Jemmy, stand by to toddle forward," cried Smallbones.

"One moment–I ask but one moment," cried Vanslyperken, much agitated, "only one moment, sir."

"For what?"

"To kiss my poor dog," replied Vanslyperken, bursting into tears; strange and almost ridiculous as was the appeal, there was a seriousness and a pathos in Vanslyperken's words and manner, which affected those who were present like a gleam of sunshine, this one feeling which was unalloyed with baser metal shone upon the close of a worthless and wicked life, Sir Robert nodded his head, and Vanslyperken walked with his rope round his neck over to where the dog was held by Smallbones, bent over the cur and kissed it again and again.

"Enough," cried Sir Robert, "bring him back."

Corporal Van Spitter took hold of Vanslyperken by the arm, and dragged him to the other side of the deck. The unfortunate wretch was wholly absorbed in the fate of his cur, who had endeavoured to follow his master. His eyes were fixed upon Snarleyyow, and Snarleyyow's were fixed upon his master, thus they were permitted to remain for a few seconds, when Sir Robert gave the signal. Away went the line of men who had manned the starboard whip, and away went Jemmy Ducks on the larboard side, and, at the yard-arms' of the cutter were suspended the bodies of Vanslyperken and Snarleyyow.

Thus perished one of the greatest scoundrels, and one of the vilest curs, which ever existed. They were damnable in their lives, and in their deaths they were not divided.

By the manuscript records, found in the Jacobite papers, it appears that the double execution took place on the 3rd of August in the year of our Lord, 1700.

Chapter LIV

In which affairs begin to wind up

There are few people whose vindictive feelings are not satisfied with the death of the party against whom those feelings have been excited. The eyes of all on deck (that is all except one) were at first directed to the struggling Vanslyperken, and then, as if sickened at the sight of his sufferings, were turned away with a feeling very near akin to compassion.

One only looked or never thought of Vanslyperken, and that one was Smallbones, who watched the kicking and plunging of his natural enemy, Snarleyyow. Gradually, the dog relaxed his exertions, and Smallbones watched, somewhat doubtful, whether a dog who had defied every other kind of death, would condescend to be hanged. At last, Snarleyyow was quite still. He appeared nearly to have gone to–"Where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest."

"He won't a cum to life any more this time," said Smallbones; "but I'll not let you out of my hands yet. They say a cat have nine lives, but, by gum, some dogs have ninety."

There was a dead silence on the deck of the cutter for a quarter of an hour, during which the bodies remained suspended. A breeze then came sweeping along and ruffled the surface of the water. This was of too great importance to allow of further delay. Sir Robert desired the seamen of the Yungfrau to come aft, told them he should take their cutter to Cherbourg, to land the Women and his own people, and that then they would be free to return to Portsmouth; all that he requested of them was to be quiet and submissive during the short time that he and his party were on board. Coble replied for the ship's company–"As for the matter of that 'ere–there was no fear of their being quiet enough when there were more than two to one against them; but that, in fact, they had no animosity: for even if they did feel a little sore at what had happened, and their messmates being wounded, what was swinging at the yard-arm made them all friends again. The gentleman might take the cutter where he pleased, and might use her as long as he liked, and when he had done with her it was quite time enough to take her back to Portsmouth."

"Well, then, as we understand one another, we had now better make sail," said Sir Robert. "Cut away that rope," continued he, pointing to the whip by which Vanslyperken's body was suspended.

Jansen stepped forward with his snickasee, the rope was divided at once, and the body of the departed Vanslyperken plunged into the wave and disappeared.

"They mayn't cut this tho'!" cried Smallbones. "I'll not trust him–Jemmy, my boy, get up a pig of ballast. I'll sink him fifty fathoms deep, and then if so be he cum up again, why then I give it up for a bad job."

Jemmy brought up the pig of ballast, the body of Snarleyyow was lowered on board, and, after having been secured with divers turns of the rope to the piece of iron, was plunged by Smallbones into the wave.

"There," said Smallbones, "I don't a think that he will ever bite me any more, anyhow; there's no knowing though. Now I'll just go down and see if my bag be to be found, and then I'll dress myself like a Christian."

The cutter flew before the breeze which was on her quarter, and now that the hanging was over the females came on deck. One of the Jesuit priests was a good surgeon, and attended to the wounded men, who all promised to do well, and as Bill Spurey said,

"They'd all dance yet at the corporal's wedding."

"I say corporal, if we only could go to Amsterdam instead of going to Portsmouth."

"Mein Gott, yes;" replied the corporal, and acting upon this idea, he went aft and entered into conversation with Ramsay, giving him a detail of the affair with the widow and of her having gone to the Hague to accuse Vanslyperken, ending with expressing his wish of himself and the crew that they might go to the Hague instead of going to Portsmouth. Nothing could please Ramsay better. He was most anxious to send a letter to Mynheer Krause to inform him of the safety of his daughter, and he immediately answered that they might go if they pleased.

"Mein Gott–but how, mynheer–we no have the excuse."

"But I'll give you one," replied Ramsay–"you shall go to the Hague."

The corporal touched his hat with the greatest respect, and walked forward to communicate this good news. The crew of the Yungfrau and the conspirators or smugglers were soon on the best of terms, and as there was no one to check the wasteful expenditure of stores and no one accountable, the liquor was hoisted up on the forecastle, and the night passed in carousing.

"Well, he did love his dog after all," said Jemmy Ducks.

"And he's got his love with him," replied one of the smugglers.

"Now, Jemmy, let's have a song."

"It must be without the fiddle then," replied Jemmy, "for that's jammed up with the baggage–so here goes,"

I've often heard the chaplain say, when Davey Jones is nigh,That we must call for help in need, to Providence on high,But then he said, most plainly too, that we must do our best,Our own exertions failing, leave to Providence the rest.I never thought of this much till one day there came on board,A chap who ventur'd to join as seaman by the Lord!His hair hung down like reef points, and his phiz was very queer,For his mouth was like a shark's, and turn'd down from ear to ear.He hadn't stow'd his hammock, not much longer than a week,When he swore he had a call, and the Lord he was to seek.Now where he went to seek the Lord, I can't at all suppose,'Twas not on deck for there I'm sure, he never show'd his nose.He would not read the Bible, it warn't good enough for him,The course we steered by that he said, would lead us all to sin;That we were damn'd and hell would gape, he often would us tell,I know that when I heard his jaw, it made me gape like hell.A storm came on, we sprung a leak, and sorely were we tired,We plied the pumps, 'twas spell and spell, with lots of work beside;And what d'ye think this beggar did, the trick I do declare,He called us all to leave the pumps and join with him in prayer.At last our boatswain Billy, who was a thund'ring Turk,Goes up to him and says, "My man, why don't you do your work?""Avaunt you worst of sinners, I must save my soul," he cried,"Confound your soul," says Billy, "then you shall not save your hide."Acquaintance then he made soon with the end of the fore-brace,It would have made you laugh to see his methodisty face;He grinn'd like a roast monkey, and he howl'd like a baboon,He had a dose from Billy, that he didn't forget soon."Take that," said Billy, when he'd done, "and now you'll please to work,I read the Bible often–but I don't my duty shirk,The pumps they are not choked yet, nor do we yet despair,When all is up or we are saved, we'll join with you in player."

"And now we'll have one from the other side of the house," said Moggy, as soon as the plaudits were over.

"Come then, Anthony, you shall speak for us, and prove that we can sing a stave as well as honester men."

"With all my heart, William;–here's my very best."

The smuggler then sang as follows:

Fill, lads, fill;Fill, lads, fill.Here we have a cureFor every ill.If fortune's unkindAs the north-east wind,Still we must endure,Trusting to our cure,In better luck still.Drink, boys, drink;Drink, boys, drink.The bowl let us drainWith right good will.If women deceiveWhy should we grieve?Forgetting our pain,Love make again,With better luck still.Sing, lads, sing;Sing, lads, sing.Our voices we'll raise;Be merry still;If dead to-morrow,We brave all sorrow.Life's a weary maze–When we end our days,'Tis better luck still.

As the wounded men occupied the major part of the lower deck, and there was no accommodation for the numerous party of men and women on board, the carousing was kept up until the next morning, when, at daylight, the cutter was run into Cherbourg. The officers who came on board, went on shore with the report that the cutter belonged to the English government, and had been occupied by Sir Robert and his men, who were well known. The consequence was, an order for the cutter to leave the port immediately, as receiving her would be tantamount to an aggression on the part of France. But this order, although given, was not intended to be rigidly enforced, and there was plenty of time allowed for Sir Robert and his people to land with their specie and baggage.