"It was an accident, sir," Terence said, reluctantly, "that General Fane
happened to be on board Sir Arthur Wellesley's ship at Vigo when my
colonel went there to make a report of some circumstances that occurred on
the voyage."

"Well, what were these circumstances?" the general asked. "You have shown
us that you have the details of a campaign at your finger ends, surely you
must be able to tell what those circumstances were that so interested
General Fane that he selected you to fill a vacancy on his staff."

Terence felt that there was no escape, and related as briefly as he could
the account of the engagement with the two privateers, and of their narrow
escape from being captured by a French frigate.

"That is a capital account, Mr. O'Connor," Sir John Cradock said, smiling,
as he brought it to a conclusion. "But, so far, I fail to see your
particular share in the matter."

"My share was very small, sir."

"I think I can fill up the facts that Mr. O'Connor's modesty has prevented
him from stating," one of the officers said.

"It happened that before we sailed from Ireland six weeks ago, an officer
of the Mayo Fusiliers, who had been invalided home in consequence of a
wound, dined at our mess, and he told the story very much as Mr. O'Connor
has told it, but he added the details that Mr. O'Connor has omitted.
Restated that really the escape of the wing of the regiment was entirely
due to an ensign who had recently joined--a son of one of the captains of
the regiment. He said that, in the first place, when the cannon were found