ly 2d, the crew of the flag-ship
_New York_ was astir, eating a hurried breakfast.

At 5.50 general quarters was sounded, and the flag-ship headed in toward
Aguadores, about three miles east of Morro Castle. The other ships
retained their blockading stations. Along the surf-beaten shore the smoke
of an approaching train from Altares was seen. It was composed of open
cars full of General Duffield's troops.

At a cutting a mile east of Aguadores the train stopped, and the Cuban
scouts proceeded along the railroad track. The troops got out of the cars,
and soon formed in a long, thin line, standing out vividly against the
yellow rocks that rose perpendicularly above, shutting them off from the
main body of the army, which was on the other side of the hill, several
miles north.

From the quarter of the flag-ship there was a signal, by a vigorously
wigwagged letter, and a few minutes later, from a clump of green at the
water's edge, came an answer from the army. This was the first cooeperation
for offensive purposes between the army and navy. The landing of the army
at Daiquiri and Altares was purely a naval affair.

[Illustration: U. S. S. NEWARK.]

With the flag in his hand, the soldier ashore looked like a butterfly.

"Are you waiting for us to begin?" was the signal made by Rear-Admiral
Sampson to the army.

"General Duffield is ahead with the scouts," came the answer from the
shore to the flag-ship.

By this time it was seven A. M. The admiral ran the flag-ship's bow within
three-quarters of a mile of the beach. She remained almost as near during
the forenoon, and the daring way she was handled by Captain Chadwick,
within sound of the breakers, made the Cuban pilot on board stare with
astonishment.

The _Suwanee_ was in company with the flag-ship, still closer inshore, and
the _Gloucester_ was to the westward, near Morro Castle. From the
southward the _Newark_ came up and took a position to the westward. Her
decks were black with fifteen hundred or more troops.

She went alongside of the flag-ship, and was told to disembark the troops
at Altares.

Then Admiral Sampson signalled to General Duffield:

"When do you want us to commence firing?"

In a little while a white flag on shore sent back the answer:

"When the rest of the command arrives; then I will signal you."

It was a long and tedious wait for the ships before the second fifty
car-loads of troops came puffing along from Altares.

By 9.30 th