oid harming him.

A gun on each boat had been fired, and it now became a race as to
which could reload and fire again. The American won, because of a
slight advantage at the start. No attempt was made on the tugboat
to bring the second piece into action. The captains of each craft
displayed admirable skill. Captain Winton tried to keep out of range
of his enemy, but Captain Ortega swung around so as to hold him in
direct line all the time.

Starland's mate and one of his seamen were handling the cannon on the
yacht. The latter had served at Manila and knew his business. As cool
as if taking part in the naval maneuvers, he waited until sure the
second shot would do the business. Without giving heed to the crew
striving desperately to bring the other gun to bear, he crouched till
the gun was pointed exactly right and then blazed away.

He had aimed at the screw of the tugboat and he struck it so fairly
that the stem snapped off and the blades dropped to the bottom of the
river. This was at the suggestion of the mate, who, not wishing to
kill any one, only sought to put the other craft out of action.

It was done. The tug was as helpless as a log, but not until Captain
Ortega called from the pilot house, making known the nature of the
disaster, did General Yozarro understand the mortal injury his navy
had received.

"Bully!" shouted the Major; "put the next shot through her boiler!
Don't mind me! I can swim and don't care for a little thing like being
blown up!"

General Bambos heard the terrifying news and climbed tremblingly to
his feet.

"Don't let them fire again! We shall all be killed!"

"Only one thing can save you," replied the Major aglow with the light
of triumphant battle; "run up the white flag! The next shot will send
you to kingdom come!"

It was General Yozarro, who, catching the panic, whipped out his white
silken handkerchief, and standing within arm's length of his prisoner,
excitedly fluttered it aloft.

"Cease firing!" commanded Major Starland; "they have surrendered!"

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

The notice was in the nick of time. The gun on the yacht was loaded
and trained again, and, had it been fired, would have played the
mischief on the Atlamalcan boat.

Captain Winton began edging the _Warrenia_ toward the other, with the
purpose of running alongside and receiving its submission. Reading his
intention, Major Starland called:

"Don't do that! You can't trust these scoundrels! The