nto the Pacific,"
quite sufficed to enable the Japanese to adopt preventive measures in
time.

While the American Army of the North was advancing on Nogi's forces in
the Blue Mountains, the Army of the South was to attack the Japanese
position in Arizona by way of Texas. For this purpose the three brigades
stationed in the mountains of New Mexico were to be reenforced by the
troops from Cuba and Porto Rico and the two Florida regiments. All of
these forces were to be transported to Corpus Christi by water, as it
was hoped in this way to keep the movement concealed from the enemy, in
order that the attack in the South might come as far as possible in the
nature of a surprise, and thus prevent the sending of reenforcements to
the North where, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, the main battle was
to be fought. But unfortunately our plan of attack did not remain
secret. Before a single soldier had set foot on the transport ships
which had been lying for weeks in the harbors of Havana and Tampa, the
Japanese news bureaus in Kingston (Jamaica) and Havana had been fully
informed as to where the blow was to fall, partly by West Indian
half-breed spies and partly by the obliging American press. One regiment
of cavalry had already arrived at Corpus Christi from Tampa on July
30th, and the Cuban troops were expected on the following day.

* * * * *

Two American naval officers were standing on the small gallery of the
white light-house situated at the extreme end of the narrow tongue of
land lying before the lagoon of Corpus Christi, gazing through their
glasses at the boundless expanse of blue water glittering with myriads
of spots in the rays of the midday sun. Out in the roads lay seven large
freight steamers whose cargoes of horses and baggage, belonging to the
2d Florida Cavalry Regiment, were being transferred to lighters. A small
tug, throwing up two glittering streaks of spray with its broad bow, was
towing three barges through the narrow opening of the lagoon to Corpus
Christi, whose docks showed signs of unusual bustle. Short-winded
engines were pulling long freight-trains over the tracks that ran along
the docks, ringing their bells uninterruptedly. From the camps outside
the town the low murmur of drums and long bugle-calls could be heard
through the drowsy noon heat. A long gray snake, spotted with the dull
glitter of bright metal, wound its way between the white tents: a
detachment