est
sea-fight the world has known. Rise up, Daniel, and see the surgeon."

But Finnegan only snored.

THE WIGWAG MESSAGE

As eight bells sounded, Captain Bacon and Mr. Knapp came up from
breakfast, and Mr. Hansen, the squat and square-built second mate,
immediately went down. The deck was still wet from the morning washing
down, and forward the watch below were emerging from the forecastle to
relieve the other half, who were coiling loosely over the top of the
forward house a heavy, wet hawser used in towing out the evening
before. They were doing it properly, and as no present supervision was
necessary, the first mate remained on the poop for a few moments'
further conversation with the captain.

"Poor crew, cap'n," he said, as, picking his teeth with the end of a
match, he scanned the men forward. "It'll take me a month to lick 'em
into shape."

To judge by his physique, a month was a generous limit for such an
operation. He was a giant, with a giant's fist and foot; red-haired and
bearded, and of sinister countenance. But he was no more formidable in
appearance than his captain, who was equally big, but smooth-shaven,
and showing the square jaw and beetling brows of a born fighter.

"Are the two drunks awake yet?" asked the latter.

"Not at four o'clock, sir," answered the mate. "Mr. Hansen couldn't get
'em out. I'll soon turn 'em to."

As he spoke, two men appeared from around the corner of the forward
house, and came aft. They were young men, between twenty-five and
thirty, with intelligent, sun-burnt faces. One was slight of figure,
with the refinement of thought and study in his features; the other,
heavier of mold and muscular, though equally quick in his movements,
had that in his dark eyes which said plainly that he was wont to
supplement the work of his hands with the work of his brain. Both were
dressed in the tar-stained and grimy rags of the merchant sailor at
sea; and they walked the wet and unsteady deck with no absence of
"sea-legs," climbed the poop steps to leeward, as was proper, and
approached the captain and first mate at the weather rail. The heavier
man touched his cap, but the other merely inclined his head, and
smiling frankly and fearlessly from one face to the other, said, in a
pleasant, evenly modulated voice:

"Good morning. I presume that one of you is the captain."

"I'm the captain. What do you want?" was the gruff response.

"Captain, I believe that the etiquette o