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 is, I fancy, such as your officers are accustomed to wear on grand occasions," said the major, taking me by the arm as if to exhibit me to more advantage. "I thought rather that it was the fashionable dress worn by young gentlemen in the west of Ireland at wakes or weddings," remarked the captain; "but I confess, my dear McMahon, that I do not recognise it as a naval uniform, except in the matter of the buttons, which I see are according to the right pattern. The young gentleman will have to dress differently, except when he has a fancy to go to a masquerade on shore."