at a Spanish officer had
succeeded in rallying some of his men, and they were now forming in
solid line to repulse the charge of the Americans.

The first result of this was a shower of bullets from the Spanish rifles
that fortunately for the most part went wide of the mark. But one
slightly wounded a sailor at Clif's side, as a sharp exclamation of pain
quickly told him.

It also aroused his native caution. What was the use, he quickly
thought, of holding his men there in the full glare of the moonlight as
a target for the enemy's guns, when a more certain conflict could be
carried on from the shelter of the trees just behind him? He had too few
men to risk losing any on those uneven terms.

He quickly ordered his men to drop back into the woods. But it was with
great difficulty at first that he could inforce his commands upon the
now thoroughly aroused sailors. They wanted to continue their impetuous
charge.

But a second volley from the remaining troops showed them the wisdom of
Clif's decision, and with a return volley they fell back into the
darkness and shelter of the trees.

"Now, boys," cried Clif, "every man behind a tree and fight for all you
are worth. Let every shot tell."

The wisdom of Clif's stand became at once apparent. From the ambush of
the woods they could fire with little fear of stopping a Spanish bullet
with their own bodies.

And they did fire, and that to good purpose.

The Spaniards were now bolder and bore down upon the ambushed Americans
with some semblance of order. But at each volley from the sailors there
was a wavering in the ranks of the foe, and Clif could see that more
than one dropped wounded from the ranks.

"We'll lick 'em yet!" cried Clif, with enthusiasm. "Keep it up, boys!"

But the Spaniards advanced steadily in spite of their losses. They, too,
were fully aroused at the thought that they had been so roughly handled
by such a small number of men.

Clif and his gallant band were compelled to drop back from tree to tree.
It began to look as though the Spaniards would in the end become
victorious.

But with the Americans it was do or die. There was no hope of help or
succor from any source. No reinforcements were at hand, and none could
be sent in time from the flagship, even did those on board suspect the
plight in which that boat's crew found itself.

But desperate cases require desperate measures, and Clif was equal to
the emergency. When it became evident that