result was published in the wheel house, came to be a moment of
considerable interest.... We had beside, romps in plenty. Puss in the
Corner, which we rebaptized, in more manly style, Devil and Four
Corners, was my favorite game; but there were many who preferred
another, the humor of which was to box a person's ears until he found
out who cuffed him."

The voyage, which lasted ten days, was uneventful except for some rough
weather when Stevenson found his cabin most stuffy and uncomfortable. He
was not really ill, however, and spent much of the time finishing a tale
called "The Story of a Lie," while his table played "Bob Jerry with the
ink bottle." On his arrival in New York the story was sent back to
London with the following letter to Sidney Colvin:


"On Board S.S. Devonia an hour or two out of New York, Aug., 1879.

"MY DEAR COLVIN:

"I have finished my story. The handwriting is not good because of the
ship's misconduct; thirty-one pages in ten days at sea is not bad. I am
not very well; bad food, bad air and hard work have brought me down.
But the spirits keep good. The voyage has been most interesting and will
make, if not a series of Pall Mall articles, at least the first part of
a new book. The last weight on me has been trying to keep notes for this
purpose. Indeed I have worked like a horse and am tired as a donkey. If
I should have to push on far by rail, I shall bring nothing but my fine
bones to port.

"Goodbye to you all. I suppose it is now late afternoon with you all