r the enemy were so taken by surprise at the sudden alarm that they
were if possible more frightened than the Americans.

And so the men stopped for breath.

They stared at each other, as if hardly able to realize the peril into
which they had so suddenly been plunged.

"I think that was the quickest adventure I ever had in my life,"
muttered Clif.

The suddenness of it made him laugh; they had almost walked into a
Spanish fort.

But it was no laughing matter, certainly; it was a confounded piece of
ill-luck.

"For they'll be watching for us now!" muttered Clif. "I'm afraid that
will settle us."

"They'll follow our footsteps!" exclaimed one of the sailors.

That was so, and it was an unpleasant prospect; it was plain that if the
Americans wished to find any safety they must get some distance away
from that battery.

"We'll make one more effort to get back into the country," muttered
Clif.

And amid silence and anxious suspense they once more started up the
sloping seashore.

They crept along as it seemed by inches. But fortunately they did not
run across any more "guns." When they came across an embankment it was
of solid earth and marked the end of the beach.

And there were some trees and bushes there, so the Americans began to
feel more comfortable. For all they knew they might in the darkness have
been strolling into a town.

But they were apparently out in the open country, there seemed to be no
people and no houses near. So they started boldly forward.

It was then late at night, a dark and damp and windy night; so they were
not likely to find many people wandering about.

"What we want to do," Clif said, "is to get back in the country a while
where we can hide until morning. Then if we can find some Cubans we'll
be all right."

Clif was about tired to death. He had done far more work that day than
any of those sailors. But there was no time for resting then.

He gritted his teeth and started; they took their bearings from the sea,
and then went straight on, watching and listening carefully, but meeting
with no trouble.

At first their walk led through what had evidently once been a
cultivated country, for it was level and had but few trees upon it. At
present, however, it was overgrown with weeds.

Once they almost ran into a house, which it may readily be believed gave
them a start. It was creepy business, anyhow, this stumbling along
through the enemy's country without being able to s