"All right, Fred," Tom cried; "since you counsel such action, we'll range ourselves under Yaspard's banner, and it shall be 'Boden and Lunda against the world.'"
"Stop! stop! you misunderstand me, Tom. I said that I was glad that there were plenty of foes of the black flag, and that you would find it so; but in saying that I did not desire you to sail under it. And, Yaspard, I think you are a little adrift about your Vikinging. It was only a section of the gallant Vikinger who made piracy their profession, or need its hateful sign. Why identify yourself with that lot? There are plenty of black flags flying all over the world, and not so many of the Red Cross, my lad. Our boys still call me their captain, so if you will all take your captain's advice, I'd say—let the black flag be the pall of the feud. Sail with a noble minority under the Christian badge, as many a Viking did, and then it should be right well, 'Boden and Lunda against the world.'"
"Good for you, Fred," said Harry; but Tom declared he couldn't see through allegories; and that fighting the "world" in that fashion didn't solve Yaspard's difficulty about his jolly game; and he turned to Yaspard for assistance in the argument.
But our hero was "all with" Fred, and could see no fault in him.
"Obedience and no argument is the first rule of all who elect to follow a chief," Yaspard said decidedly. "You must see as your captain bids you, Tom."
"That's right," Harry Mitchell struck in; "we all agree with Fred. Good-bye to the black flag; and may Balder guide you to fresh fields of adventure, Sir Viking, for we look to you to provide us with something 'worthy of our steel.'"
"Quotations from Scott and Garth Halsen are always dodging among Harry's yackles,[1] ready to dance on the tip of his tongue when the smallest opportunity occurs," remarked Tom.
"Practical Tom Holtum aspires to poetic language," retorted Harry, with some heat.
"There they go!" exclaimed Bill, giving a small kick to each, as he happened to be seated between them. "Always sparring at each other like young cocks."
"Sailing under the black flag, eh?" said Mr. Adiesen to Tom and Harry, who looked a little ashamed, but joined in the laugh at Bill's next speech.