, gave an eager exclamation.

"She's got one funnel," he exclaimed, "and it's black, with a red top;
and so it's not an American warship."

And after that there was nothing now to be done except wait until the
two approached nearer.

It was evident from the gradual change of course the Uncas was obliged
to make that the vessel she was following was headed in a southerly
direction.

"That would take her toward the western end of Cuba," Clif thought to
himself. "Perhaps she's sighted us and is running away."

She must have been a very shy vessel to have taken alarm at so great a
distance; but from the slowness with which she came into view that
seemed to be the case. And Clif paced the deck impatiently.

It was not very much longer before he went off duty again; but he did
not go below. For perhaps an hour he remained on deck watching the
strange vessel.

It seemed an age, but Clif had his reward. The chase loomed gradually
nearer. The black and red smoke pipe came into view, and then, when the
Uncas rose, the top of the black hull as well.

And suddenly the lieutenant handed the glass to Clif.

"You may see now," he said. "She is a merchant steamer, and she flies
the Spanish flag."

Clif nearly dropped the glass at those startling words. The lieutenant
said them as calmly as if he were telling the time of day.

"You don't seem very much excited," the cadet thought.

And yet the lieutenant's statement proved to be true. It was several
minutes before Clif got a favorable view; but he kept his eyes fixed on
the smoke and he finally caught a glimpse of the hull.

And sure enough there was the hated red and yellow ensign waving
defiantly from the stern; it was blown off to one side by the breeze,
and could be plainly seen.

Clif was fairly boiling over with excitement at that discovery.

"We've got our prize!" he chuckled. "I brought the luck after all."

Lieutenant Raymond was not nearly so little moved as he chose to
pretend; he had announced his discovery in that careless way half in a
spirit of fun.

The news got round among the crew, and however the officer may have
felt, there was no indifference there.

The engines of the Uncas began to work even more rapidly, and cartridges
were hastily brought up for the rapid-firing guns. Nobody meant to let
that steamer get away.

She must have suspected her danger by that time, for the smoke grew
blacker. But the crew of the Uncas knew that there were few m