the gunboats in
refuge there ventured out, and, attaching themselves to the stranded
ship, succeeded with great difficulty, and the aid of a flood-tide, in
getting her afloat again, and towing her down-stream to safe quarters
under the guns of the fort.

The following morning both Terry and Captain Afleck were able to get
ashore; and, rejoiced at regaining their liberty, they at once set
about ascertaining how they might make their way back to Boston.

This was a problem by no means easily solved. They were both penniless
and without friends, save such as they had made during their brief but
exciting stay on board the _Minnesota_. Under other circumstances, no
doubt, the captain of the frigate, as some reparation for running down
the _Sea-Slipper_, would have exerted himself to send them forward; but
he, poor fellow, had been severely wounded in the fighting, and the
other officers were too deeply engrossed in the pressing duties of the
moment to give any attention to less important matters.

It was in this crisis that Terry's really daring and devoted services
to the wounded during the thick of the battle brought forth fruit. He
was wandering disconsolately about the beach at Fortress Monroe,
wondering how he could make his way back to Halifax and set himself
right at Drummond and Brown's, when one of the _Minnesota's_
lieutenants came along, and hailed him pleasantly,--

"Where away, Terry? You look kind of down on your luck this morning."

"Indeed that I am, sir," responded Terry promptly. "I've just been
axin' myself how I'm to get back to Halifax, and faith I can't make it
out at all, at all."

"Oh, you want to get back to Halifax, do you?" said the lieutenant.
"Well, I can't say about that, but it's only fair you should be sent
back to Boston, for you would have been there long ago if we hadn't run
you down, wouldn't you?"

"It's the truth you're sayin', sir!" answered Terry; "and," here an
eager appealing look came into his face, "if you can say a word to the
captain, sir, and have Captain Afleck and myself given a lift that way,
it's more obliged than I can tell you we'd both be."

The lieutenant evidently took kindly to the suggestion, and clapping
the boy on the back, he said,--

"I'll do it, Terry. You did us all a good turn on board the
_Minnesota_ by taking water round when nobody could attend to it. Our
captain's in hospital, but I'll speak to the officer in command in his
place, and he'