ck.

Boom! boom! boom! The Mexican artillery now started into life,
driving its shells toward the invaders.

"The real fight is going to begin now," uttered Dave, peering
eagerly for a first glimpse of the artillery smoke.

"I hope the ships tumble down whole squares of houses!" was Danny
Grin's fervent wish.

"If they start that, we're in a hot place," smiled Trent, coolly.

From the harbor came the sound of firing.

"Why, there's only one of our ships firing!" exclaimed Darrin.
"The '_Prairie_' is using some of our guns!"

Presently the heavier detonations died out. So splendidly had
the "_Prairie's_" gunners served their pieces that the Mexican
artillerymen had been driven from their positions.

"These Mexicans will have to wait until they get out of range
of the Navy's guns before they can hope to do much with their
artillery," laughed Lieutenant Trent, then turned again to see
what his sailormen were doing in the way of "getting" Mexican
snipers from other roofs.

Every minute a few bullets, at least, hissed over the roof on
which the detachment was posted.

Trent, believing that he was exposing more men than were needed,
ordered twenty seamen to the floor below.

By one o'clock the firing died slowly away. Though the Mexicans
had made a brave resistance, and had done some damage, they had
been so utterly outclassed by better fighting men that they wearied
of the unequal struggle.

"But when the enemy get heavy reinforcements from the rear," Trent
predicted, as he stood looking over the city, "they'll put up a
fight here in Vera Cruz that will be worth seeing!"

"I can't help wondering," mused Dave Darrin aloud, "what the rest
of the day will bring forth."

"It will be the night that may bring us our real ordeal," hinted
Lieutenant Trent.

CHAPTER XVIII

IN THE HOUSE OF SURPRISES

"Dalzell, I wish you would take four men and find the commanding
officer ashore," requested Lieutenant Trent.

"Report to him our present position, as well as what we have done,
and get his instructions."

Saluting, Dan signed to four sailormen to accompany him. Within
an hour he had returned.

"We are going to hold what we have taken of the city, and probably
shall push our lines further into the town. It is believed that
after dark we shall have trouble with Mexican snipers."

"We have had some already," said the lieutenant grimly.

"We believe, sir," Dan reported, "that, after dark, there w