ng to do?"

"Now that's sensible. Let me see, Misther Williams, what's the nearest
port? Isn't there a town above on this coast?"

"Yes, not more than ten miles away around that point o' land we'll find
a willage."

"Why not put in there?"

"Yes, we kin; but, hang it, how am I a-goin' to git back to Baltimore?"

"Oh, that's aisy enough. Run in after night."

"Yes, an' be sunk by the blasted Britishers!"

"He won't know ye after dark."

"But, Terrence, what are we to do?" asked Fernando.

"It's do, is it?--faith, do nothin'!"

"But the academy?"

"It will get along without us."

"But can we get along without it?"

"Aisy, me frind; don't be alarmed. We'll be back in a week or a
fortnight at most. It will all blow over, and no one will ask us any
questions. Lave it all to me."

Fernando had almost come to the conclusion that he had left too much to
his friend. Terrence had only got him out of one scrape into another,
until he had come to mistrust the good judgment and sound discretion of
his friend. Not that he doubted the good intentions of Terrence. He had
as kind a heart as ever beat in the breast of a young Irishman of
twenty-three; but his propensity to mischievous pranks was continually
getting him and his friends into trouble.

Fernando went to the fore part of the boat and sat by Sukey.

For a few moments both were silent. Fernando was first to speak.

"Sukey, how is all this to end?" he asked with a sigh.

"I don't know," Sukey answered, in his peculiar, drawling way. "We
needn't complain, though; because we came out best so far."

"But it was terrible, shooting at him. I might have killed him."

"He might have killed you, and that would have been worse."

"I never thought of that."

"No doubt he did."

"I wish we were back in the college; but I greatly fear we will be
expelled in disgrace. It would kill our mothers."

"No; I think they would get over it; but I tell you, Fernando, my
opinion is, it don't make much difference."

"Why?"

"The United States and England are going to fight. I got a paper last
night, and it was chock full of fight, and as for your shootin' the
lieutenant, I am sure everybody, even your mother and the faculty, will
be glad of it. I only blame you for one thing."

"What is that, Sukey?"

"When you had such a good chance, why didn't you aim higher?"

The expression on Sukey's face was too ludicrous for even the young
duelist, and he laughed in spite of