econd, in like
fashion, dropped into the sea. At that the gunner said things to himself
under his breath (it was in the forward turret of the _Iowa_), and tried
it once more.

"For a moment after it the cloud of gun smoke shrouded the turret, but as
that thinned away the eager crew saw the 12-inch shell strike into the
hull of the _Infanta Maria Teresa_. Instantly it exploded with tremendous
effect. Flame and smoke belched from the hole the shell had made, and
puffed from port and hatch. And then in the wake of the driven blast
rolled up a volume of flame-streaked smoke that showed the woodwork had
taken fire and was burning fiercely all over the after part of the
stricken ship.

"The yell that rose from the Yankee throats at that sight swelled to a
roar of triumph a moment later, for as he saw that smoke, the captain of
the _Teresa_ threw her helm over to port, and headed her for the rocky
beach. The one shell had given a mortal wound.

"And then came Wainwright of the _Maine_,--Lieut.-Commander Richard
Wainwright, who for weeks conducted the weary search for the dead bodies
of shipmates on the wreck in the harbour of Havana. He was captain of the
_Gloucester_, that was once known as the yacht _Corsair_. A swift and
beautiful craft she, but only armed with lean 6-pounders.

"'Ahead, full speed,' said Wainwright.

"And fortune once more favoured the brave, for in the wake of the mighty
_Maria Teresa_ came Spain's two big torpedo-boats, called destroyers,
because of their size,--the _Pluton_ and the _Furor_. Either was more than
a match for the _Gloucester_, for one carried two 12-pounders, and the
other two 14-pounders, besides the 6-pounders that both carried.

"Moreover, both overmatched the speed of the _Gloucester_ by at least ten
knots per hour. But both had thin-plated sides. The shells of the
_Gloucester_ could pierce them, and at them went Wainwright, with the
memory of that night in Havana uppermost in his mind.

"The two boats--even the whole Spanish fleet--were still within easy range
of the Spanish forts, and to reach his choice of enemies the _Gloucester_
was obliged to risk not only the land fire, but that of the _Vizcaya_ and
the _Teresa_. Nevertheless, as the torpedo-boats steered toward the
_Brooklyn_, evidently bound to torpedo her, Wainwright headed them off,
and they never got beyond range of the forts.

"The shots they threw at him outweighed his three to one, but theirs flew
wild, and his