of
brave sailing. We still had a big pay-day coming to us, and for
thirty-seven days, without a drink to addle our mental processes, we
incessantly planned the spending of our money.

The first statement of each man--ever an ancient one in homeward-bound
forecastles--was: "No boarding-house sharks in mine." Next, in
parentheses, was regret at having spent so much money in Yokohama. And
after that, each man proceeded to paint his favourite phantom. Victor,
for instance, said that immediately he landed in San Francisco he would
pass right through the water-front and the Barbary Coast, and put an
advertisement in the papers. His advertisement would be for board and
room in some simple working-class family. "Then," said Victor, "I shall
go to some dancing-school for a week or two, just to meet and get
acquainted with the girls and fellows. Then I'll get the run of the
different dancing crowds, and be invited to their homes, and to parties,
and all that, and with the money I've got I can last out till next
January, when I'll go sealing again."

No; he wasn't going to drink. He knew the way of it, particularly his
way of it, wine in, wit out, and his money would be gone in no time. He
had his choice, based on bitter experience, between three days' debauch
among the sharks and harpies of the Barbary Coast and a whole winter of
wholesome enjoyment and sociability, and there wasn't any doubt of the
way he was going to choose.

Said Axel Gunderson, who didn't care for dancing and social functions:
"I've got a good pay-day. Now I can go home. It is fifteen years since
I've seen my mother and all the family. When I pay off, I shall send my
money home to wait for me. Then I'll pick a good ship bound for Europe,
and arrive there with another pay-day. Put them together, and I'll have
more money than ever in my life before. I'll be a prince at home. You
haven't any idea how cheap everything is in Norway. I can make presents
to everybody, and spend my money like what would seem to them a
millionaire, and live a whole year there before I'd have to go back to
sea."

"The very thing I'm going to do," declared Red John. "It's three years
since I've received a line from home and ten years since I was there.
Things are just as cheap in Sweden, Axel, as in Norway, and my folks are
real country folk and farmers. I'll send my pay-day home and ship on the
same ship with you for around the Horn. We'll pick a good one."

An