had answered with a few shots from two light
guns cleverly concealed behind the deck-house near the stern of the
boat, sank stern first. It was at any rate a slight victory which
greatly raised the spirits of the crews of the gunboats.

Within the next few hours the Americans caught up with a few Malayan
sailing ships, to which they paid no attention; later on a little black
freight steamer, apparently on the way from Borneo to Manila, came in
sight. The little vessel worked its way heavily through the water,
tossed about by the ever increasing swell. About three o'clock the
strange ship was near enough for its flag--that of Holland--to be
recognized. Signals were made asking her to bring to, whereupon an
officer from the _Mindoro_ was pulled over to her in a gig. Half an hour
later he left the _Rotterdam_, and the latter turned and steamed away in
the direction from which she had come. The American officer had informed
the captain of the _Rotterdam_ of the blockade of Manila, and the latter
had at once abandoned the idea of touching at that port.

The news which he had to impart gave cause for considerable anxiety. The
_Rotterdam_ came from the harbor of Labuan, where pretty definite news
had been received concerning a battle between some Japanese ships and
the American cruiser squadron stationed at Mindanao. It was reported
that the battle had taken place about five days ago, immediately after
war had been declared, that the American ships had fallen a prey to the
superior forces of the enemy, and that the entire American squadron had
been destroyed.

At all events, it was quite clear that the squadron no longer needed to
be informed of the outbreak of hostilities, so Parrington decided to
carry out his orders and return to Manila with his four ships. As the
flotilla toward evening, just before sunset, was again passing through
the Strait of Mindoro, the last gunboat reported that a big white ship,
apparently a war vessel, had been sighted coming from the southeast, and
that it was heading for the flotilla at full speed. It was soon possible
to distinguish a white steamer, standing high out of the water, whose
fighting tops left no room for doubt as to its warlike character. It was
soon ascertained that the steamer was making about fifteen knots, and
that escape was therefore impossible.

Parrington ordered his gunboats to form in a line and to get up full
steam, as it was just possible that they might be able to