Every rag of sail was now piled on to the ship, and as many of the others
were showing nothing above their topgallant sails she rejoined the rest
just as darkness fell.

"There, you see!" O'Grady said, triumphantly, "look what she can do when
she likes."

"We do see, O'Grady. With twice as much sail up as anything else, she has
in three hours picked up the mile she had lost."

"Wait until we get some wind."

"I hope we sha'n't get anything of the sort--at least no strong winds; the
old tub would open every seam if we did, and we might think ourselves
lucky if we got through it at all."

O'Grady smiled pleasantly, and said it was useless to argue with so
obstinate a man.

"I am afraid O'Grady is wrong as usual," Dick Ryan said to Terence, who
was sitting next to him. "When once he has taken an idea into his head
nothing will persuade him that he is wrong; there is no doubt the
_Sea-horse__ is as slow as she can be. I suppose her owners have some
interest with the government, or they would surely never have taken up
such an old tub as a troop-ship."


CHAPTER II

TWO DANGERS