afloat. There was never a bend in Flanagan's back; royalty and
commonalty were all the same to him. And those who came to criticize
generally remained to admire; for Flanagan was the kind of sailor fast
disappearing from the waters, a man who had learned his seamanship
before the mast.

"Captain, how long will it take us to reach Funchal in the Madieras?"

"Well, Commodore, give us a decent sea an' we can make 'er in fourteen
days. But I thought we wus goin' t' th' Banks, sir?"

"Changed my plans. We'll put out in twelve days. Everything
shipshape?"

"Up to the buntin', sir, and down to her keel. I sh'd say about
six-hundred tons; an' mebbe twelve days instead of fourteen. An'
what'll be our course after Madeery, sir?"

"Ajaccio, Corsica."

"Yessir."

If the admiral had said the Antarctic, Flanagan would never have batted
an eye.

"You have spoken the crew?"

"Yessir; deep-sea men, too, sir. Halloran 'll have th' injins as us'l,
sir. Shall I run 'er up t' N' York fer provisions? I got your list."