plan of operations, which was approved. The men
were to be kept ready for action, and the lieutenant himself was to
await my report at the 'Green Dragon,' one of the hotels in the town.

"At that time there was in the outskirts of Cork a sort of tavern and
lodging-house, called the 'Molly Bawn.' This establishment was
frequented by the lowest class of seamen and 'tramps.' Thither I
wended my way. It was late when I arrived in front of the place; and
whilst hesitating whether I should venture into such a precious
menagerie, I happened to look round, and, by the light of a dim lamp
that burned at the corner of the street, I caught a glimpse of the
lieutenant leaning against the wall, quietly smoking an Irish dudeen."

"Like Rono the Great in the island of Hawai," suggested Jack.

"Something. This, however, cut short my deliberations. I walked in.
There was a crowd of men and women drinking and smoking about the bar.
These, however, were not the people I sought. The regular tenants of
the house were not amongst that lot, and it was essential for me to
find out in what part of the premises they were stowed. I commenced
proceedings by ordering a noggin of whisky, and making love to the
damsel that brought it in. After having formally made her an offer of
marriage, I asked after the landlord. She told me he was engaged with
some customers, but offered to take a message to him.

"'Then,' said I, 'just tell him that a friend of One-eyed Dick's would
like to have a parley with him.'"

"And who was One-eyed Dick?" inquired Fritz.

"One of the crew of a piratical craft captured by one of our cruisers
a few months before, and who at that time was safely lodged in
Portsmouth jail.

"The girl soon returned. She told me to walk with her, and led me
through some narrow passages into what appeared to be another house.
She knocked at a door that was strongly barred and fastened inside. A
slight glance at these precautions made me aware that there was no
chance of making a capture here without creating a great disturbance.
So, after reflecting an instant, I decided upon adopting some other
course.

"When the door was opened I could see nothing distinctly; there was a
turf-fire throwing a red glare out of the chimney, a dim oil-lamp hung
from the roof, but everything was hidden in a dense cloud of tobacco
smoke, through which the light was not sufficiently powerful to
penetrate."

"The atmosphere must have been stifling," observ