nly even at seven miles' distance.
Fifteen minutes later she was storming by, a half-mile to windward; a
beautiful picture, long and white, with an incurving ram-bow, with
buff-colored turrets and superstructure, and black guns bristling from
all parts of her. The Stars and Stripes flew from the flagstaff at the
stern; white-clad men swarmed about her decks, and one of them, on the
forward bridge, close to a group of officers, was waving by its staff a
small red-and-white flag. Captain Bacon brought out the American
ensign, and with his own hands hoisted it to the monkey-gaff on the
mizzen, dipped it three times in respectful salute, and left it at the
gaff-end. Then he looked at the cruiser, as every man on board was
doing except the man washing clothes in the lee scuppers. His business
was to wash clothes, not to cross a broad deck and climb a high rail to
look at passing craft; but, as he washed away, he looked furtively
aloft, with eyes that sparkled, at the man on the mainroyalyard.
Johnson was standing erect on the small spar, holding on with his left
hand to the royal-pole,--certainly the most conspicuous detail of the
whole ship to the eyes of those on board the cruiser,--and with his
right hand he was waving his cap to the right and left, and up and
down. There was method in his motions, for when he would cease, the
small red-and-white flag on the cruiser's bridge would answer, waving
to the right and left, and up and down.

A secondary gun spoke from a midship sponson, and Captain Bacon
exclaimed enthusiastically, "Salutin' the flag," and again dipped his
ensign. Then, after an interval, during which it became apparent that
the cruiser had altered her course to cross the ship's stern, there was
seen another tongue of flame and cloud of smoke, and something seemed
to rush through the air ahead of the ship. But it was a splash of water
far off on the lee bow which really apprised them that the gun was
shotted. At the same time a string of small flags arose to the
signal-yard, and when Captain Bacon had found this combination in his
code-book, he read with amazement: "Heave to or take the consequences."
By this time the cruiser was squarely across his wake, most certainly
rounding to for an interview.

"Heave to or take the consequences!" he exclaimed. "And he's firin' on
us. Down from aloft, all hands!" he roared upward; then he seized the
answering pennant from the flag-locker and displayed it from the rail,