bar in his hands, called out tauntingly:

"Here, you dagoes, give me a low ball, will you? Put 'em over the
plate!"

As a shell would fly past with a shriek, he would strike at it, shouting
at the same time:

"Put 'em over the plate, I say. Do you expect me to walk up to the
fo'c's'le to get a rap at 'em? Hi, there! wake up!"

Then as a shot fell short, he laughed: "Look at that drop, will you? Do
you think I'm going to dive for it?"

A moment later a shell flew past so close that the windage almost
staggered him, but the daring lad only cried banteringly: "That's more
like it. One more a little closer and I'll show you a home run worth
seeing."

And so it went until he was espied from the bridge and peremptorily
ordered down.

In the meantime, while this little episode was in progress, we on the
gun deck were laboring without cessation. A dozen shots had been fired
from Number Eight alone, when suddenly another fort secured the range,
and began a deadly fusillade.

The situation was becoming extremely serious!

CHAPTER XV.

COALING IN THE TROPICS.

The well-directed fire of the forts at the entrance to Cienfuegos was
rapidly making the "Yankee's" position untenable, and it soon became
apparent that we would have to give way before overwhelming odds.
Fifteen minutes after the battle began between the Spanish gunboat and
the "Yankee," the former beat a hasty retreat, steaming back into the
harbor.

It was plainly evident, however, that she had been badly hulled, as she
yawed wildly while passing from sight behind the headlands. This of
itself was victory enough for the present, and at the end of twenty
minutes' firing, we withdrew out of range.

Our object in the first place was, as we ascertained from forward during
the day, to intercept a Spanish blockade runner, the "Purissima
Concepcion"; so we laid off the harbor and waited for the coming of the
ship, which was supposed to have left Jamaica for Cienfuegos. The day
was spent in cleaning up after our brief but lively battle, and when
night came, we were again shipshape.

Shortly after daybreak the following morning, the lookout aloft reported
that a steamer, evidently a man-of-war, was emerging from the harbor.
The crew were called to "general quarters" at once, and every
preparation made to give the stranger a lively reception. She proved,
however, to be the German warship "Geier" bound for Santiago.

"In time of peace prepare for war" is a go