so, he gave orders to steer toward the land, and the
steamer came to a standstill not far from the shore.

The Spanish army officer carrying the dispatches entered a boat that was
quickly lowered and when the prize crew from the Wilmington boarded the
steamer he was safe upon land and his escape was assured.

When the officer in charge of the prize crew had finished the
formalities, Clif attracted his attention. The cadet had apparently been
forgotten by his captors in the excitement of the chase and the calamity
that had come upon them. The American officer was astonished beyond
measure to find one wearing the familiar uniform in such a plight on
that boat.

"Why, Mr. Faraday," he exclaimed upon learning Clif's identity, and
having released him from his bonds, "we were not aware that they had an
American on board as a prisoner."

"I thought not, from the way you were firing at us," said Clif, with a
smile. "I thought more than once that you would send this particular
American to the bottom along with the shipload of the enemy. You were
firing too accurately to suit me this time."

"Well, the American boys do come pretty near hitting what they aim at,"
responded the officer, evidently pleased at the compliment to their
marksmanship. "But I am curious to know how it has happened that we find
you here."

Clif then briefly told of the adventures that followed his finding of
the unexploded shell, which he picked up from its lodgment in the boat
and held in his hand.

"So you have risked your life for that piece of steel!" exclaimed the
officer. "What can have been your purpose in that?"

"Does it not strike you, sir, that there is something peculiar about
it?" asked Clif, as the other examined it.

"Yes," replied the officer, "it is decidedly out of date, and might be
interesting as a relic, but not of sufficient importance to risk one's
life for."

"I had an idea that there was a mystery about it that was well worth
solving," replied Clif. "And with your permission, sir, I will put the
matter to a test."

"As you like," responded the officer, with the air of a man who is
indulging some childish fancy.

Clif was not slow to take advantage of the permission granted, and
carried the shell to a table that stood upon the after deck, the officer
meantime paying no further attention to him, but attending to some
further detail of transfer.

Clif had procured a fuse and inserted it into the shell and was upon the