s, who was
confident that he should be the person chosen to arrange the plans and
issue the commands.

"I know I am wholly right," added Pelham, who was equally confident that
he should enjoy the undivided sway of the League. "If you are chosen
captain I will cheerfully obey your orders. I go a step farther: whoever
is elected captain should appoint his own officers."

"I will agree to that also," replied the complaisant Shuffles.

"Very well, then; the understanding is, that when one of us is elected
captain, he shall appoint his own officers, and do all the planning and
all the commanding," answered Pelham.

"Exactly so; we are now in about longitude thirty-one, and Cork Harbor
is in longitude eight, according to Bowditch, for I was looking the
matter up in the steerage to-day. We have to make about twenty-three
degrees more. A degree of longitude, in latitude fifty-one, is
thirty-seven and three quarters miles, which would make it eight hundred
and sixty-eight miles more to run in order to reach Queenstown. You see
I am posted," said Shuffles.

"I see you are. By the way, had you noticed that Queenstown is not in
the Navigator, or on the older maps?" added Pelham.

"Yes; the place was called the Cove of Cork until 1849, when, in honor
of her majesty's visit to the town, the name was changed to Queenstown."

"All right," said Pelham.

It need not be supposed that the distance to Queenstown and the change
in the name of that place had anything to do with the League. The fact
was, that Mr. Fluxion had passed near the conspirators, and had paused a
moment in the waist to glance up at the fore-top-gallant sail, which was
not in good trim; and the conversation had been changed to suit the
occasion. In talking of the affairs of the "Chain," it was required that
one of the party should look forward, and the other aft, if there were
two of them; and that the third, if there were three, should stand back
to the nearest rail. It was further required that the conversation
should not take place in a situation where it would be possible for any
one to overhear them. The lee side of the waist,--the midshipman of the
watch always being on the weather side,--the top-gallant forecastle, and
the tops were the favorite resorts of the conspirators. If any one
approached, the parties in conversation were instantly to change the
topic, as Shuffles had done.

"I think it is about time for the election to take place," continued
Sh