ere glad that the monotony of their imprisonment on
board was about to come to an end, and their voyage to commence. The
sails were loosed from their gaskets, and the sounds of the drum and
fifes struck up as the capstans were manned, the soldiers lending a
hand at the bars, and the chains came clanking in at the hawse-holes.

"There is a vessel coming in round the point," O'Connor said. "But we
shall hardly get the last news; we shall be under way before she
anchors."

"She is signaling to the fort on the hill," Ralph said, as he watched
the flags run up on the signal-staff on the summit of Spike Island;
"and they are answering down below there at the station in front of
the commandant's house."

A moment later a gun was fired.

"That's to call our attention, I think," the skipper said, taking up
his glass and directing it to the shore. "Yes, there is our number
flying. Get the signal-book, boy. Mr. Smith, run up the answering
pennant."

As soon as this ascended the flags on shore were lowered, and a fresh
set run up--3. 5. 0. 4.

"Give me the book. 'The vessels are not to sail until further
orders,'" he read aloud.

"Hooray, lads!" Captain O'Connor shouted at the top of his voice. "We
are stopped until further orders."

A loud cheer broke from the troops, which was echoed by a roar from
the other vessel; and for a few minutes the greatest excitement
reigned. The men threw their caps into the air, and shouted until they
were hoarse. The officers shook each other by the hand, and all were
frantic with delight at the narrow escape they had had.

As soon as the brig had dropped anchor boats rowed off to her, but
nothing further was learned. Just as she was leaving Plymouth an
officer had come on board with dispatches, and instructions to the
captain to signal immediately he arrived at Cork that if the
Twenty-eighth had not already sailed they were to be stopped. Owing to
the lightness of the wind the brig had been eight days on her passage
from Plymouth.

For another fortnight the regiment remained on board ship. The
imprisonment was borne more patiently, now they felt sure that they
were not at any rate to be sent across the Atlantic. Then a vessel
arrived with orders that the Twenty-eighth were at once to proceed to
Ostend, and two hours afterward the transports set sail.

Belgium was hardly the spot which the troops in general would have
approved of as the scene of operations, for the disastrous expediti