ming in on them, like a sneak below the waterline, and taking them in
the dark while asleep. We were always on the alert, and doubly so at
that time, for only a short while previously, the Confederates had sunk
another of our ironclads, the _Housatonic_, with one of their
torpedo-Davids,--little boats that were so called because, compared with
the great ironclads they were meant to attack, they somewhat resembled
David when he went out against Goliath.

"Well, as I said, the _Wabash_ was at anchor, and it was night--not very
late, about ten; but it was very dark.

"Fortunately the deck was in charge that night of a young officer named
Craven, and never was an officer worse named or better deserving to be
called Courage. He had his wits about him. At the hour I have named,
he observed something on the starboard-quarter, about 150 yards off. It
resembled a plank on the water. In reality it was a torpedo-David. It
was opposite the main-mast when first observed, going rapidly against
the tide. At that moment it turned and made straight for the ship.
Craven was up to the mark. He commenced with volleys of musketry; beat
the gong for the crew to assemble at quarters; rang four bells for the
engine to go ahead; opened fire with the watch and the starboard
battery; and gave orders to slip the cable.

"His orders, you may be sure, were obeyed with promptitude. The gong
sent every man from his hammock as if he had received an electric shock.
Jack-in-the-box never came out of his box more promptly than each man
shot up the hatchway. An exaggerated idea of the effect of torpedoes--
if that were possible--had got possession of us. We were at our
quarters in a moment; the ship moved ahead; the chain slipped; and the
torpedo-boat passed us about forty yards astern. A round shot from us
at the same moment appeared to strike it. We cheered. A second shot
was fired, and appeared to send it to the bottom, for we saw it no more.

"But now _our_ turn came," continued the skipper, refilling his pipe.
"Puff! you see we were not so well situated as the Southerners for the
use of this weapon, for we had to go in to attack their forts, while
they had only to defend themselves, which they did largely with sunk
torpedoes.

"We had long been desirous of revenging their attacks in a similar
fashion, and at last we were successful on the 27th of October. I had
the good luck to be one of the expedition. It was risky work, of
cours