id them.

He did it by creeping along very slowly, in absolute indifference to the
galling fire from the shore guns. He knew that there must be a channel,
for he and the Spaniard had come in by it.

He had only a vague idea where it was. But the Uncas stopped and then
crept slowly forward, heading north.

And after five minutes of torment they knew that they were safe. They
were far enough from shore to start up again and get away from those
Spanish guns. The gallant tug was quite battered by that time, but
nobody cared for that in the wild rejoicing that prevailed.

The vessel swung around to port.

"And now for that prize!" muttered the lieutenant.

And he went for her, too, full speed ahead. He was mad now.

The vessel had gotten a start of about two miles. She had apparently
exhausted her resources in the neighborhood of Cuba, for she was heading
north, out to sea again.

"And so it's only a question of time," chuckled Clif. "We've got her!"

And so they had. The Spaniards must have realized it, too.

"Mr. Faraday," said the lieutenant, "try a shot from the starboard gun."

The shot was fired; and it did the work.

The merchantman had evidently had enough, and saw that there was no
further hope.

For in full view of the shore batteries she swung round and came slowly
to a halt, a signal that she surrendered. It made the Americans give
another cheer, and it must have made the Spaniards on shore fairly yell.

For they began banging away, even at that distance, though they couldn't
come anywhere near the tug.

As for the Americans, they sighed with relief. They had worked hard for
that victory. And they felt that they had earned it. The race was over
then, and they were happy.

Clif was so wearied by his heroic labor at that gun (he must have lifted
and rammed some two hundred six-pounder cartridges) that he sat down on
the wreck of the machine to wait until the two vessels drew near.

And the lieutenant gave up the wheel to one of the men and came out to
look his capture over at leisure.

She was a fairly large vessel and seemed to have a big carrying
capacity. What she was loaded with no one could guess, but at any rate
she was a big prize for a small crew like that of the Uncas.

"I think I'll retire from business after to-day," Clif heard the old
boatswain remark.

That personage had had one arm badly damaged in the struggle that had
taken place in the morning with the Spanish gunboat; but h