ery move. He was watching for a
chance to deliver one blow that would settle the combat. Several times
he had landed upon the Spaniard's head and face, inflicting severe
punishment, but not enough.

At last the moment came. The opening presented itself in the Spaniard's
guard, and with all the strength that was in him, Clif shot out his
right hand. It went home. With a force that seemed to lift the fellow
high into the air, his fist met the Spaniard's chin, and the latter fell
backward to the ground.

It was a clean knockout. Breathing heavily, the fellow lay where he had
fallen, unconscious of his surroundings.

Clif was panting from the exertion. He had received some punishment, and
the wound in his arm was throbbing fiercely.

But he paused only long enough to see that the fellow would not give him
further trouble, and then hurried toward the spot where the shell had
rolled.

"I guess that'll hold you for a while," he muttered, looking at his
fallen foe as he started away.

"But he'll come out of it after a time," he added. "Gorry! how my arm
aches all the way up to the elbow."

It took but a moment for him to find the shell, for he had seen it roll
from the other's hand.

"That's it," he exclaimed, as he picked it up. "I'd know it in a minute
by its shape and weight. Rather light for a cannon ball."

But he did not wait to examine it there. There would be time enough for
that when he reached the flagship.

With a parting look at his unconscious antagonist he started away.

"I'm sorry, my dear sir," he exclaimed, sarcastically, as he looked back
on reaching the top of the rampart. "You seemed so attached to this
shell, I'd like to take you along with it. But as I can only take one at
a time, I'll content myself with this."

Then he turned his back upon the scene of his contest, and started for
his boat as expeditiously as due caution would allow.

He met with no obstacle in the way, and found the boat just as he had
left it. He threw the shell in the stern, and with a feeling of
exultation sprang in after it and seized the oars.

A few steady strokes and he was on the way toward the flagship. But
there had been a change in those quiet waters while he was on the land.

He had not gone many boat lengths from shore before he discovered
looming up before him a slowly moving steamer. It was apparently hugging
the coast and proceeding with as little noise as possible.

"A boat trying to run the blockade