In another two minutes the boat was hauled alongside.

The two lads scrambled up the rope, the boat was cast adrift, and the steamer was again ploughing her way eastward.
The boys found that they were on board the transport "Ripon," having the Coldstream Guards on board, the first detachment of the army on its way east.
Considerable excitement was caused by the sudden and unexpected boarding of the ship by the two young officers, and great curiosity was expressed as to how they had got into such a position.

As Hawtry said, however, that they had been twenty-four hours without food, they were at once taken to the saloon, where breakfast was on the point of being served.

No questions were put to them until they had satisfied their hunger; then they told the story of their adventures, which caused quite an excitement among the officers.
The "Ripon" had sailed from Southampton docks on the 23d of February, in company with the "Manilla" and "Orinoco." The next four days passed pleasantly, the boys being made a good deal of by the officers of the Coldstream Guards, but they were not sorry when, on Saturday evening, the lights of Malta were seen, and soon after midnight they dropped anchor in Valetta Harbor.

The next morning they were delighted at seeing the "Falcon" lying a few cables' length distant, and, bidding good-bye to their new friends, they hailed a shore boat, and were soon alongside the "Falcon." The first lieutenant was on deck.
"Young gentlemen," he said sternly, "you have committed a very serious offence, and are liable to be tried by court-martial for having deserted your ship.