art was safe.

And, presently, the fight diminished, and so, at last, came to an end,
the ship having drawn well away from the point, and being now in the
open. And after that I ran down to my sweetheart, and opened her door,
and thus, for a space, she wept, having her arms about my neck; for she
had been in sore terror for me, and for all the ship's company. But,
soon, drying her tears, she grew very indignant with her nurse for having
locked her into her room, and refused to speak to that good woman for
near an hour. Yet I pointed out to her that she could be of very great
use in dressing such wounds as had been received, and so she came back to
her usual brightness, and brought out bandages, and lint, and ointment,
and thread, and was presently very busy.

Now it was later that there rose a fresh commotion in the ship; for it
had been discovered that the captain's wife was a-missing. At this, the
bo'sun and the second mate instituted a search; but she was nowhere to be
found, and, indeed, none in the ship ever saw her again, at which it was
presumed that she had been dragged over by some of the weed men, and so
come upon her death. And at this, there came a great prostration to my
sweetheart so that she would not be comforted for the space of nigh three
days, by which time the ship had come clear of those strange seas, having
left the incredible desolation of the weed-continent far under our
starboard counter.

And so, after a voyage which lasted for nine and seventy days since
getting under weigh, we came to the Port of London, having refused all
offers of assistance on the way.

Now here, I had to say farewell to my comrades of so many months and
perilous adventures; yet, being a man not entirely without means, I
took care that each of them should have a certain gift by which to
remember me.

And I placed monies in the hands of the buxom woman, so that she could
have no reason to stint my sweetheart, and she having--for the comfort of
her conscience--taken her good man to the church, set up a little house
upon the borders of my estate; but this was not until Mistress Madison
had come to take her place at the head of my hall in the County of Essex.

Now one further thing there is of which I must tell. Should any,
chancing to trespass upon my estate, come upon a man of very mighty
proportions, albeit somewhat bent by age, seated comfortably at the door
of his little cottage, then shall they know him for my frie