ith a coat on his back, but the perspiration was
rolling down his cheeks and dropping off in black beads and his face
was besmeared and almost unrecognizable.

"Just before the last shot was fired, my son was sent to find the
executive officer to deliver him a message from the bridge. He hurried
to the deck, and, in clouds of black smoke endeavored to locate the
lieutenant. He looked in vain, however, and finally stepped up to a
man who at first appeared to be clothed in pajamas, and my son was
just going to inquire for the first officer, when the smoke cleared
away a little revealing our fastidious but brave officer dressed in
his nightgown, with his sword strapped around his waist, and a pistol
stuck in his belt."

Doubtless many more anecdotes could be told in connection with that
day's history.

[Illustration: (Battle at sea)]

CHAPTER XI.

CLOSING EVENTS.

That Sunday morning, after General Shafter received the telegram from
the War Office, he took a step which in the end proved very
successful. He sent men to Santiago bearing a flag of truce and a
message to the Spanish general. When a flag of truce is sent to an
enemy all fighting stops for a number of days or hours, according to
the time fixed for the truce, or quiet, and plans are then made. This
message told the Spanish general that if he did not surrender within a
certain time the American Army would attack the city. The Spanish
general sent word back that he would not surrender, but that he would
give notice to the people in Santiago that they might leave the city
before the attack. Of course, before that day was over, our Army heard
of the great victory of our Navy, and felt more hopeful.

During the week that followed that important Sunday, crowds of women,
children, and old men; Spaniards, Cubans, and people of other nations,
went out of Santiago. They hardly knew where to go. Men who saw that
sight said it was pitiful. All the roads leading from Santiago were
filled with people and wagons, toiling on to some place of safety.
Most of these people had very little food, except the fruit then ripe
on the mango-trees, and so had to be fed by our Army and by the Red
Cross Society. Ever since General Shafter's army had landed, it had
been feeding the hungry Cubans in the country around Santiago--people
who were nearly starved on account of their long war with Spain. Food
was scarce in our Army, because there was trouble in landing the
supplies