pulled the breech lever and the breech plug came out, allowing
"Stump," who wore heavy gloves for the purpose, to extract the empty
shell. This he dropped in the concrete waterway, then ran to his place
at the training wheel; a fresh shell had been put in the gun, meanwhile,
and it was ready for business again. A number of good shots were made by
different gunners. Enough to show that, amateur tars that we were, there
was the making of good gunners in us. As the "Kid," in his overweening
confidence, said, "Ain't we peaches? When we get down south we will have
a little target practise, and the 'dagos' will be so scared that they
will haul down their colors tight away."

During the day we steamed slowly along, a bright lookout being kept by
the men at the foremast-head for suspicious steamers. After dinner at
eight bells (12 o'clock), the smoking lamp, which hangs near the scuttle
butt aft, was kept lighted about fifteen minutes. Smoking is allowed
aboard only when the smoking lamp is lighted, and as "Hay" was wont to
say, it was lighted "when you did not want to smoke." At ten minutes
past one "turn to" was piped by the boatswain's mates, followed by the
call for sweepers. Then came the order, "Stand by your scrub and wash
clothes." So the "Kid" and I hastened forward, both anxious to see if
our initial clothes-washing venture was a success. We had depended on
the sun to bleach our much be-scrubbed clothes, but--well--I would have
left them where they were if I could. As for the "Kid's"--after holding
them off at arm's length for a while, he remarked, "Why, I would not use
such rags to clean my bicycle at home," and threw them overboard. He was
always a reckless chap.

The infantry drill we had at afternoon quarters at 1:30, served to keep
us busy. The same thing had been gone through on the "New Hampshire"
many a time and oft. We found it rather difficult to march straight and
keep a good line on a swaying deck. So we were kept at it until we had
got the hang of it. We were still parading to and fro on the spar deck,
when some one sighted land off the starboard bow. The dismissal call was
given none too soon, for the curiosity as to what we were heading for
made discipline lax and attention far from close.

We soon learned that this was Block Island.

The gig was lowered, and the captain and mail orderly went ashore.

"Now we'll get our real orders," said Potter. "Ho! for the Spanish
main," he shouted, forgetting h