boatman, pointing her out as
she lay some distance from the shore. Her masts had already been
replaced, and her yards were across, though the sails were not as yet
bent; this, however, I did not observe.

"I hope I have not detained her, uncle," I said; "I should be sorry to
have done that."

The major seldom indulged in a laugh, but he did so on this occasion
till the tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Midshipmen are not of so much account as you suppose, Terence," he
said, still laughing. "If you were to go on shore and not return on
board in time, you would soon discover that the ship would not wait for
you a single moment after the captain had resolved to put to sea."

As we approached, the sentry hailed to know who we were. In my
eagerness I replied, "Major McMahon and the new midshipman, Mr Terence
O'Finnahan," whereat a laugh came forth from one of the ports at which,
as it appeared, some of my future messmates were standing.

"You'd have better have held your tongue," said my uncle. "And now,
Terence, remember to salute the flag as you see me do," he added, as he
was about to mount the side of the ship. He went up, I followed, and
next came Larry. On reaching the deck he took off his hat, and I doffed
mine with all the grace I could muster, Larry at the same time making a
profound bow and a scrape of his foot. The master's mate who received
us, when my uncle inquired for Captain Macnamara, pointed to the
after-part of the deck, where my future commander, with several other
well-dressed officers, was standing. My uncle at once moved towards
him, and I and Larry followed in the same direction. The captain, a
fine-looking man, seeing him approach came forward, and they exchanged
cordial greetings.

"I have come expressly to introduce my nephew Terence to you,
Macnamara," said my uncle. "You were good enough, in a letter I
received from you a few days ago, to say that you would receive him as a
midshipman on board your ship. He's a broth of a boy, and will be an
ornament to the service, I hope."

"Can't say that he is much of an ornament at present," I heard one of
the officers remark to another. "Looks more like a mummer or
stage-player than a midshipman."

Looking up, I observed a smile on their countenances, as they eyed me
from head to foot.

"Wishing to present the boy in a respectable way to you on the
quarter-deck of His Majesty's ship, we had a uniform made for him at
Ballinahone, which