cured. On
one side of the cable-house was an old fort or lookout, such as the
Spaniards used to have all along the coast. On the other side was a
light-house. The Americans wished to destroy communication between
Cienfuegos and Santiago, so they sent an expedition to cut the cable
and destroy anything that would be of use to the Spaniards.

The ships that were sent to do this work were the Marblehead, the
Nashville and the Windom. You will remember that the Nashville fired
the first gun in the war with Spain. She is not a pretty boat at all.
She is built differently from other vessels of her class, and her two
tall funnels, or smokestacks, give her an ungainly appearance. Her
commander was a splendid officer, though, and her crew were the
bravest of the brave. I must tell you a little of her work after she
captured the first prize of the war.

One day, while in company with the Marblehead and the Eagle, she saw a
big Spanish mail steamer leave the harbor of Cienfuegos and put to
sea, followed by nine Spanish gunboats. The Nashville started in
pursuit of the big steamer, leaving the other American ships to attend
to the gunboats. She soon overhauled the steamer, which proved to be
the Argonata, and took possession of her. Her cargo was a very rich
one, and among the passengers were twenty-nine Spanish soldiers and
officers. These were taken on board the Nashville. Meanwhile, the
Marblehead and the Eagle had disposed of the gunboats. It only took
them half an hour to drive them back into the harbor, with their
smokestacks shot off, and several of them in a sinking condition. The
Nashville then turned over her prize to the Marblehead and started for
Havana.

On her way she discovered a big gunboat, and, as the two ships drew
near, the Spanish officers, who had been allowed on deck, saw that she
was not an American vessel, and danced for joy. An instant later they
were shoved down a hatchway and placed in the hold. As the stranger
came closer it was plainly seen that she was nearly twice as large as
the Nashville and more heavily armed, but the commander of the
American vessel did not hesitate an instant. He cleared his ship for
action and trained his guns on her. Just then she hoisted English
colors and dipped them in salute to the stars and stripes that were
floating above the Nashville. She proved to be the Talbot, an English
ship cruising in those waters. The whole affair was a splendid display
of courage on the par