BILLISSHIPPED. 39 



ship you give you a seaman's lay, and if there is 

 a vacancy among the boatsteerers during the 

 cruise, you shall have it, provided you are smart." 

 Expressing himself highly satisfied with this, 

 Bill signed his name to the articles as Ezekiel 

 Nickerson and hastened from the presence of the 

 shipper, who felt highly elated at securing so elig- 

 ible an individual little thinking that scarce 

 half an hour before he had sent him from his 

 office. Said Bill when he came back " so good a 

 joke as that ought to be washed down with some 

 brandy" and accordingly he got tipsy in honor 

 of the event. 



