harf, upon which there was
still a huge pile of bales of cotton.

"Back her, Mr. Amblen," said Christy, as he hastened aft to avoid a
collision with the other schooner.

But the tide had begun to recede, and had carried the first vessel to a
safe distance from the wharf.

The soldiers reached the edge of the wharf, and were probably under the
command of the orderly by this time. At any rate they marched farther
down the pier, where they could be nearer to the Havana as she backed
away. Then the troops fired a volley at the steamer; but in the darkness
they did no serious injury to the party, though two seamen were slightly
wounded.

"Cast off the fasts!" shouted Christy, when he realized that some of his
men were in a fair way to be shot down before they could get the two
schooners alongside and properly secured for the trip to the Bronx, and
the order was promptly obeyed. "Now, check her, Mr. Amblen;" and two
bells were sounded on the gong, after one to stop her.

The second schooner kept on her course out into the bay to join the
first one cast loose; but Christy feared that they might get aground,
and give them trouble. The seventeen soldiers whom he had counted in
their bunks appeared to have been reinforced either by the return of the
absent party, or by the civilians in the place, for they presented a
more formidable front than the smaller number could make. Whatever the
number of the defenders of the place, they could harass the expedition
while the men were preparing for the final departure.

"With what were those two guns charged, Mr. Flint?" asked Christy.

"With solid shot, sir," replied the second lieutenant.

"Open fire on the wharf, and then load with the shrapnel," added
Christy.

The two guns, which had been placed in proper position for use on the
top-gallant forecastle, were aimed by Flint himself, and discharged. The
report shook the steamer, and Christy, who retained his position on the
quarter deck, heard a scream of terror, coming from a female, issue from
the companion way, at the head of which a seaman had been placed as a
sentinel over the officers below.

"What was that, Neal?" asked the commander of the expedition.

"It was the scream of a lady, sir, and that is all I know about it,"
replied the man. "I haven't seen any lady, sir, and I think she must
have been asleep so far. The captain tried to come on deck a while ago,
but I sent him back, sir."

By this time the two field pi