They have two horses and a pair of oxen. The horses have been named Foremast and Mizzen, and the oxen bear the nautical appellations of Starboard and Larboard, their position when under the yoke being indicated by their names. Their three cows are Washington, Hyacinth, and Marguerite, and the greediest of the pigs is designated by the name of one of the sailors of the old Washington who was famed for his abilities in the eating line. Haines told me, when I visited them, that the horses and oxen were bothered a good deal at first by the nautical expressions of their masters instead of "gee!" and "haw!" to which they had been accustomed, but a few weeks set them all right.
"Them oxen knows what 'Belay!' means just as well as I do," said Haines; "and you ought to see old Foremast and Mizzen heel over to leeward and lay to their work when I calls out 'Give way, boys!' They make me proud that I'm a farmer."
While Herne was feeding the pigs and chickens, Haines and I took a stroll over the farm in the direction of its western boundary. I remarked that their neighbor had a good house; whereupon Haines became visibly embarrassed, and with some hesitation told me that the house was the property of a nice widow, and her farm was quite as large and good as the one possessed by the two sailors.
"Are you acquainted with the widow?" I asked.
"Yes,--that is, Herne's acquainted with her, and I know her somewhat. Fact is, Herne's engaged to her, and I'm engaged to her sister, who lives with her, and we're to have a double wedding here about a month from now. Herne's going to live on the widder's farm; I'll buy him out in this; and we'll hope to be neighbors and friends a good many years. Won't you come out to the weddin', Cap'n, if you're not away at sea when it comes off?"
I promised the good fellow I would do so, and I did; and one of the members of the firm went along with me. We had an enjoyable time, and an opportunity for seeing many of the inhabitants of that region who had been invited to the affair. Most of them were of Dutch descent; and the two sisters who respectively became Mrs. Haines and Mrs. Herne showed in their substantial figures and ruddy faces that they were descended from the people who emigrated from the dykes and marshes of Holland to live under the rule of Peter Stuyvesant and Wouter Van Twiller.