did fire
toward shore, and the soldiers in waiting evidently saw the flash, and
knew about where to hunt for it. I think, sir, that when these papers
are examined it will be found that they contain information that the
Spanish army ashore wants the worst way."

This proved to be the case. Clif was given custody of the peculiar shell
and the papers it had contained, and after a little delay was taken in
the boat to the Wilmington.

Signals were exchanged between this vessel and the flagship, and in due
time Clif was rowed to the latter and ordered to report to the rear
admiral.

He turned the shell and its contents over to that officer with an
explanation of all that had taken place.

"I see that you had good cause for desiring to go back to find this
shell," said the rear admiral when Clif had finished. "We have learned
from the prisoner whom you secured after a struggle in your boat, that
they had stolen your boat to facilitate the transfer of some papers.
They were late and missed seeing the boat that fired this shell. Now
that you have secured these papers I will call your knowledge of Spanish
into requisition and allow you to transcribe these for me."

And this Clif did; and when he had completed the task it was found that
the most important work he had done that night, was in securing that
shell and unraveling its mystery.

As he issued from the admiral's room Cadet Wells, one of Clif's best
friends, approached him.

"Faraday, old fellow," he said, "I've got news that will interest you."

"I'm listening."

"It's about that exception among Spaniards, the lieutenant who helped
you and Miss Stuart escape."

"Ah! what of him?" asked Clif, eagerly.

"You know he left us on a Spanish boat that brought you over under a
flag of truce. Well, we couldn't touch that boat then, of course, but
yesterday she ventured too far out, and the New York sunk her. We saved
all her crew and from one of them I learned what became of Hernandez. It
seems he sought a lonely part of the boat while she was on the way from
us to the shore, and knelt to pray. An officer of the boat saw him thus
and withdrew. A moment later all hands were startled by a pistol shot.
Hurrying below they found Lieutenant Hernandez prone on the deck, a calm
smile on his face, a bullet in his brain."

Faraday was deeply affected.

"And thus," he said gravely, "perished one of Spain's real heroes."

[THE END.]

[Transcriber's Note: In the or