a row-boat on the upper Missouri."

"You are used to boats, then?"

"Yes, to row-boats."

"If you are not in a hurry, you may go down the river with me; and I
intend to take a little turn out in the lake," he continued, as he
hauled the sail-boat up to the shore.

"Thank you, sir; I should like to go very much," I replied.

[Illustration: THE SAILING EXCURSION. Page 90.]

The craft was called the Florina, though why she had what seemed to me
such an odd name, I did not know at that time. I afterwards ascertained
that he was engaged to a young lady who bore that interesting name,
though, for reasons which will appear in the sequel, he never married
her. I was delighted with the boat when I went on board of her, and
glanced into her comfortable cabin, which was furnished like a parlor.
He had evidently spent a good deal of money upon her, and I soon found
that Miss Florina was an occasional guest on board.

She was sloop-rigged, and carried a large jib and mainsail. Everything
about her was fitted up in good style; indeed, the carpenters, riggers,
and painters had been at work upon her for a month. I was rather sorry,
as I looked at her, that I was not a rich man, able to own just such a
craft, for I could conceive of nothing more pleasant than coasting up
and down the lake, exploring the rivers, bays, and islands. I thought I
could live six months in the year on board of the Florina very
comfortably. But, then, I was not a rich man; and I had a great work
before me, with no time to waste in mere amusements.

"Now take off those stops, Phil."

"Stops?"

"Those canvas straps with which the mainsail is tied up," he explained.

I concluded that the mainsail was the big sail nearest to me, and I
untied the "stops," making a note of the name for future use.

"That's it; now stand by the jib halyards," added Mr. Whippleton.

"I'll stand by 'em till doomsday, if you will only tell me what they
are."

"I call things by their names in order that you may learn them,"
laughed the junior partner, as he went forward and cast off the ropes
indicated, which were fastened to a couple of cleats on the mast. "One
is the throat, and the other is the peak-halyard."

We hoisted the sail, and I observed the use of the halyards, and how to
manage and make them fast. I was confident that I should not have to be
shown a second time how to do anything. Fortunately there are so few
ropes on an ordinary sloop that my weak head coul