They knew not whither
they were bound, and they cared little about the object of the voyage.
"How are we to get out of this any way?" asked Sukey one day, when the
three were together for a moment.
"Lave it all to me!" said Terrence.
"I am perfectly willing to leave it all to you, Terrence. Do just as you
will, so you get me on shore."
Before they had been a month on the ship, they chased a French
merchantman for twenty-four hours, and at times were near enough to fire
a few shots with their long bow-chaser; but a fresh breeze sprang up,
quickly increased to a gale, and the Frenchman escaped.
This was the nearest approach to a naval engagement they experienced
during their stay on the war frigate. They cruised along the coast of
Ireland and Scotland, went to Spain, entered the waters of the
Mediterranean for a few weeks, and then returned to the Atlantic,
sailing for the West Indies.
Not only were the officers of the _Macedonian_ brutal; but the crew was
made up of a motley class of human beings of every class of viciousness
and brutality.
"Now boys, if ye want to kape out of trouble," said Terrence, "do'nt ye
get into any fights with thim divils, or ye'll be brought up to the
quarter-deck and flogged."
His advice was appreciated, and both Fernando and Sukey did their best
to avoid trouble with any of their quarrelsome neighbors.
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