rried an extra squad of armed marines.

When the expedition returned it had in tow five decked sloops, one of
which contained a quantity of fresh fish. Orders were given to attach
the latter to our stern, and to fire the others and set them adrift.
Before this was done, however, enough fish to supply the wardroom and
cabin messes were taken out.

"The crew can have its share to-morrow," quoth the captain.

The "crew" waited impatiently, but when the morrow came it was found
that, through some one's blunder, the sloop containing the fish had been
burned, and an empty one towed to sea with us. The joke, if it might be
so termed, was on the crew.

The watchword heretofore on the "Yankee," as on every one of Uncle Sam's
ships, had been "Remember the Maine." Hereafter it was "Remember the
fish." This was done so persistently that the officer who was
responsible for the blunder was dubbed "Fish," and whenever he went near
any member of the crew he was likely to hear, in a low tone, "Remember
the fish."

After leaving the Isle of Pines the eastern shore of Cuba was rounded
and a straight run made for Key West. At noon on the 27th of June, just
twenty-nine days after the "Yankee" sailed from New York, we again
entered a home port. The time was brief as time goes, but our varied
experiences in foreign waters made the sight of the stars and stripes
flaunting over American soil particularly pleasing.

As we neared our anchorage the most entrancing rumors were rife. We were
to get shore liberty without doubt, and the ship was to be coaled by
outside labor. We took no stock in the latter rumor till an officer
voiced it--then we believed. Our clean blues were furbished up, lanyards
scrubbed, and money counted. We understood that there was little to see
at Key West; that it was a dull and uninteresting place. Still it was
land, and we had not set foot ashore for almost three months.

If we had not been so anxious to get ashore we might have been able to
appreciate the marine picture.

The harbor, if it could be called a harbor, was full of war vessels,
prizes, and colliers. Three grim monitors tugged at their anchor chains,
apparently impatient at the restraint, while a few graceful, clean-cut,
converted yachts swung with the tide.

The gunboat "Wilmington," and the cruisers "Newark" and "Montgomery,"
floated with a bored air. In ship's language they said, Why are we
loafing here? Why not be up and doing?

The "Lancaster,"