nd,--

"I presume you are the captain of the schooner we have been so
unfortunate as to collide with. I assure you I profoundly regret the
mishap. If the blame lies with us, you may rely upon my giving you
every assistance in obtaining due reparation. Won't you please be
seated?"

Not deeming himself included in this invitation, and finding the
atmosphere of the brilliant cabin by no means congenial, Terry beat a
retreat to the maindeck, leaving Captain Afleck to give his version of
the _Sea-Slipper's_ disaster.

On the deck he was soon surrounded by a number of the sailors, who
questioned him about the schooner, and why no lights had been hung out.
He felt very ill at ease amongst them for the reason indicated, but
knew better than to show it, and answered every question as promptly
and as fully as was possible; so that the sailors voted him quite a
bright chap, and one of them was moved to ask,--

"Say, young fellow, wouldn't you like to be one of us? I reckon ye
could join all right, for there's none too many boys aboard just now,
and there's more wanted."

To this proposition Terry gave such an emphatic negative as to rather
raise the ire of the speaker, who, growing red with indignation,
exclaimed,--

"Consarn you, my young turkey-cock, you needn't be so touchy. Better
boys than you would be glad enough of the chance."

Now it was not because he thought himself above the business that Terry
had so flatly declined the sailor's suggestion, although of course the
prospect that had opened out before him at Drummond and Brown's had
entirely banished the notion he once cherished of following the sea.
His reason was simply his antipathy to the North, which rendered the
idea of entering its service most unwelcome.

With a boy's rashness, he was about to say something in reply to the
sailor's taunt that would have made clear his mind in the matter, and
probably got him into trouble for being a "Secesh" sympathizer, when
happily at that moment Captain Afleck appeared and called him to him.

Terry instantly noted the gravity of his face, and felt sure that he
had some bad news to tell; and so indeed it proved for both of them.

The war-ship _Minnesota_, on which they were passengers in spite of
themselves, was on her way to Hampton Roads, Virginia, to strengthen
the Federal naval force there, it having been reported that some novel
and menacing additions had recently been made to the Confederate navy.
As an