and nearer. Bill
adjusted his sight and looked and looked, but still did not fire.

"'For heaven's sake, hurry up!' said the division officer, getting
nervous.

"'In a minute, sir,' said Bill. 'As soon as I get a good bead.'

"He was as cool as an ice machine, and as deliberate as an old hen, but
he could shoot, so we held ourselves in as best we could and watched.
After waiting for what seemed an hour, Bill pulled the lanyard and the
old gun roared. As soon as the smoke cleared away, we looked to see the
result of the shot. There was some wreckage floating where the torpedo
boat had been--that was all. Bill's shot went home, and exploded in the
boiler room, and the whole craft went up in an instant."

We looked again admiringly at the man sitting there so unconcernedly,
and then in obedience to the boatswain's call, went aft and aboard our
cutter.

All the ammunition for the fleet was unloaded by Tuesday. We still
carried a small quantity of both powder and shell for the
"Massachusetts."

Tuesday afternoon we anchored alongside the sailing collier "Frank A.
Palmer," and began to coal. The "Yankee's" sister ship "Prairie,"
manned by the Massachusetts Naval Reserves, lay on the other side; we
exchanged visits and found them good fellows, and we yarned away to our
heart's content.

We had now become, in a degree, used to coaling; our muscles were
hardened and some long-needed labor-saving devices had been introduced,
so the work was a little easier.

Coaling continued till Friday night. During the morning of that day we
were told that if two hundred tons were put aboard, a chance would be
given us on the morrow to see the wrecks of Cervera's once fine vessels.
It was all the incentive we needed, and the coal came aboard in a steady
stream. A little after seven the required amount was in the bunkers, and
by eight o'clock the stages and other coaling paraphernalia were stowed
away and the "Yankee" had cast loose and was anchored by herself.

The following morning dawned bright and clear. Admiral Sampson came
aboard at 8:30. We manned the "cat falls" and got under way at once.

On the way down to the wrecks, the ship was cleaned, so by the time we
reached the ruins of the Spanish vessels, the "Yankee" was spick and
span.

We passed the wrecks of the two torpedo boats, passed the mouth of
Santiago harbor, till finally we came to the "Almirante Oquendo" and the
"Maria Teresa," fifteen miles west of old Morro.