eks, stood at their guns and worked like demons as they
swabbed their cannon and crowded into them shot after shot. Hissing
projectiles that missed the opposing ships and plunged into the bay,
were throwing volumes of splashing foam into the air. Dewey's vessels
were moving in a figure eight and using alternately the several guns
on their port and on their starboard sides, while the Spanish ships
moved about promiscuously among each other in an awkward fashion,
over a small area, and fired only as an opportunity offered.

"Thank God, I'm out of range of the demons," said Marie to a Spanish
officer who had come to her side.

Just then, there was a lull in the battle. Dewey's ships ceased firing
and withdrew to the middle of the bay. No apparent damage had been
sustained by the vessels of either command.

"The old fellow is going to quit," said Marie to the Spanish officer
who stood erect with his field glasses carefully trained on Dewey's
squadron.

"They're coming this way, Marie," said the officer.

"My God! where will we go, if they come past the island and open
fire on us again?" shouted Marie. "We haven't a mounted gun left to
shoot with."

The officer remained quiet. Presently he said, "They've stopped and
are dividing up their ammunition. Evidently they are going to resume
the fight."

He guessed it right. In thirty minutes Dewey's vessels were heading
straight for the Spanish fleet. His first shot set on fire the
beautiful Spanish flag-ship, the "Reina Christina." Then her magazine
blew up. She was hastily scuttled on the beach near Cavite and deserted
amid great disorder by that portion of her crew which was able to
leave. The dead and the dying were left to their fate. Magazines in
several other Spanish ships soon blew up. In a few minutes most of them
were on fire. Dewey's gunners were doing deadly execution. Hundreds
of Spanish soldiers could be seen jumping from their burning vessels
into the ocean.

"Now what is he going to do?" said Marie, with some excitement, as
she saw one of Dewey's ships, the "Concord," disengage herself from
the rest of the fleet and head straight for a large Spanish gun-boat
that was lying off to herself and whose sole business it seemed was
to keep up a deadly fire on Dewey's flagship, the "Olympia." The
Concord literally disembowled her.

"The heartless wretches!" exclaimed Marie, as she watched another
American ship, the "Petrel," leave the line of battle and make a r