ct to leave off till midnight," said the one-eyed
mariner, helping himself to an additional slice. At last their meal
came to a conclusion.

"Where are you bound for?" asked the Count of the skipper of the sloop.

"For Amsterdam," answered the skipper.

"Then, Baron, don't you think that it would be as well if we were to
proceed on board this vessel, supposing the captain is willing to give
us a passage?" said the Count.

"As to that, we might do worse," answered the Baron. "We shall thus at
all events accomplish our passage to Amsterdam by water as we intended,
and the Zuyder Zee is not likely to prove as boisterous as the Northern
Ocean."

The skipper of the sloop having no objection to take the Count and the
Baron, the arrangement was at once concluded.

"By-the-by, my friend," said the Baron, "I hope you will manage to
obtain some more nutritious and palatable provender than these red
cheeses and hard biscuit for the voyage: they are all very well once in
a way for supper, but I should not like to have nothing else to live
on."

The skipper promised to send to Yollendam, or if not to Edam, to obtain
provisions for his passengers.

"And pray, Mynheers, what are you going to do with your boat," asked the
one-eyed mariner.

"I forgot all about her," exclaimed the Count. "We will present her to
you, my worthy friend," he said. "You shall become her skipper, and, if
you please, you are welcome to sail round the world in her, provided we
are not compelled to accompany you."

The one-eyed mariner gratefully accepted the gift. "I am a made man,"
he said, "and need no longer be at the beck and call of Captain Jan
Dunck, supposing he and the _Golden Hog_ are still afloat. I will
obtain fishing lines, and go out and fish and sell my fish, and build a
cottage, and marry a wife, and live happy and independent to the end of
my days."

A bright idea seemed to strike the Count. "Friend, if you happen not to
have found a wife in these parts, pray come over to Belgium, and I will
there introduce you to a charming person, Johanna Klack by name, and you
can take her away with you and settle at Marken or Urk, or any other
island in or about the Zuyder Zee."

"Excellent! the brightest idea, my dear Count, to which you ever gave
birth," exclaimed the Baron. "By all means, worthy Pieter, come. Don't
trouble yourself to look out for a wife here; they're all very good in
their way, but Johanna Klack is super-excellen