Ah! if there were only a few Roundheads formed at the big-gate, how they would scatter them! About the third year of the war, Mr.Keith, now a brigadier-general, having been so badly wounded that it was supposed he could never again be fit for service in the field, was sent abroad by his government to represent it in England in a semi-confidential, semi-diplomatic position.

He had been abroad before--quite an unusual occurrence at that time.
General Keith could not bring himself to leave his boy behind him and have the ocean between them, so he took Gordon with him.
After a perilous night in running the blockade, when they were fired on and escaped only by sending up rockets and passing as one of the blockading squadron, General Keith and Gordon transferred at Nassau to their steamer.

The vessel touched at Halifax, and among the passengers taken on there were an American lady, Mrs.Wickersham of New York, and her son Ferdy Wickersham, a handsome, black-eyed boy a year or two older than Gordon.

As the two lads were the only passengers aboard of about their age, they soon became as friendly as any other young animals would have become, and everything went on balmily until a quarrel arose over a game which they were playing on the lower deck.

As General Keith had told Gordon that he must be very discreet while on board and not get into any trouble, the row might have ended in words had not the sympathy of the sailors been with Gordon.