I promised the good fellow I would do so, and I did; and one of the members of the firm went along with me. We had an enjoyable time, and an opportunity for seeing many of the inhabitants of that region who had been invited to the affair. Most of them were of Dutch descent; and the two sisters who respectively became Mrs. Haines and Mrs. Herne showed in their substantial figures and ruddy faces that they were descended from the people who emigrated from the dykes and marshes of Holland to live under the rule of Peter Stuyvesant and Wouter Van Twiller.
As for myself, I've abandoned the sea, and hope to spend the rest of my days on solid ground. The owners for whom I have sailed have made me some excellent offers, and if I needed the money you may be sure I should be off very soon on another voyage. I think I shall buy a farm near New York, marry, and settle down; and if time hangs heavy on my hands I can lighten it by running over in memory my experiences as a sailor in peace and war.
THE END.