_.

The garrison on Corregidor was awakened, but not until after the last
vessel in that ominous procession had steamed past.

It was the first gun in the battle of Manila Bay, and it neither worked
harm nor caused alarm.

Again and again in rapid succession came these flashes of light, dull
reports, and sinister hummings in the air, before the American fleet gave
heed that this signal to heave to had been heard.

Then a 4-inch shell was sent from the _Concord_ directly inside of the
fortification, where it exploded.

The _Raleigh_ and the _Boston_ each threw a shell by way of salute, and
then all was silent.

The channel, which had been thickly mined, according to the Spanish
reports, was passed in safety, and the fleet, looking so unsubstantial in
the darkness, had yet to meet the mines in the bay, as well as the Spanish
fleet, which all knew was lying somewhere near about the city.

On the forward bridge of the _Olympia_ stood Commodore Dewey, his chief of
staff, Commander Lamberton, Lieutenant Rees, Lieutenant Calkins, and an
insurgent Filippino, who had volunteered as pilot.

In the conning-tower was Captain Gridley, who, much against his will, was
forced to take up his position in that partially sheltered place because
the commander of the fleet was not willing to take the chances that all
the chief officers of the ship should be exposed to death on the bridge.

The word was given to "slow down," and the speed of the big ships
decreased until they had barely steerageway.

The men were allowed to sleep beside their guns.

The moon had set, the darkness and the silence was almost profound, until
suddenly day broke, as it does in the tropics, like unto a flash of light,
and all that bay, with its fighting-machines in readiness for the first
signal, was disclosed to view.

From the masthead of the American vessels rose tiny balls of bunting, and
then were broken out, disclosing the broad folds of the stars and stripes.

Cavite was hardly more than five miles ahead, and beyond, the city of
Manila.

The _Reina Christina_, flying the Spanish rear-admiral's flag, lay off the
arsenal. Astern of her was moored the _Castilla_, her port battery ready
for action. Slightly to seaward were the _Don Juan de Austria_, the _Don
Antonio de Ulloa_, the _Isla de Cuba_ and _Isla de __Luzon_, the _El
Correo_, the _Marques del Duero_, and the _General Lezo_.

They were under steam and slowly moving about, apparently read