ed arrest, was confident that never would hand of human
justice be laid on me, but I dimly felt that there was a divine justice
which would exact retribution. I felt that if there was mind behind this
frame of matter we see, then He who made the natural law and decreed a
penalty for every infraction must have made an infallible decree for
every violation against the moral law. If so, where could we poor
insects go or hide, or how scheme or dodge to escape the divine
vengeance?

But as I stood on the deck that night and watched the mountains sink
into the sea I felt this all dimly, and tried to shake off the feeling.
I stood fascinated, with many conflicting emotions sweeping through my
mind, sadly watching the receding shores of Spain, and just as the
highest mountains were sinking in the sea my servant appearing at my
side informed me that dinner was ready and my wife waiting. Sending him
away and turning my face to the land, I strained my eyes through the
gathering gloom to discern the distant shore. Then with a bitter feeling
in my heart I set out for the saloon, but stopped and quoting these
lines--

"The day of my destiny is over,
And the star of my fate hath declined"

--went below.

Soon, under the warming influence of wine, forgetting all my forebodings
and looking into my wife's face beaming with love and content, I could
not refrain from saying to myself: I am a fool to doubt that happiness
is mine. Am I not Fortune's favorite? With love, youth, enthusiasm,
health and wealth on my side, what else save happy days and nights and
long years filled with content can be mine?

So, shaking off my forebodings, the eighteen days of our voyage over
green Neptune's back were ideal, and we became objects of envy to all
the passengers.

Our ship was the Martinique, with French officers and crew, and a fine,
manly lot of men they were. The passengers were mostly colonial people
returning home to the French colonies in the West Indies. They were
nice, refined people, but we were rather reserved and kept to ourselves.
One of the passengers had a dozen Spanish fighting cocks, and they
afforded us much amusement. There were frequent mains on the after deck
and sometimes on the dinner table. These were very popular, particularly
with the ladies, who were continually asking to have the cocks brought
on after dessert. A space would be made in the centre of the table and
two cocks placed on it. How they loved fighting!