Stars and Stripes flying.

"It means!" cried Young Glory, "that the fight is over. The Spanish
cruiser has struck her colors. Our men have surrendered. The Cristobal
Colon is ours!"

The Nashville had won this great fight against odds, and it was all
owing to Young Glory's daring suggestion that the Spaniard should be
boarded.

Instantly the prisoners were disarmed.

"Place them below!" ordered Captain Long, "with a guard over them!"

Mr. Tyler walked up.

"Shall you navigate this ship, sir, entirely with our men?"

"Have we enough?"

"I think so until we get outside. Then we shall fall in with the
Brooklyn."

"Very well."

Young Glory dashed along the deck.

"Sir! Sir!"

"Well!"

"Danger threatens us."

"Where?"

"Some boats are putting off from San Juan."

Instantly it was seen that quite a flotilla was approaching. No doubt
the reason they had not done so before was because they thought that the
Spanish cruiser stood in no need of aid.

"The Stars and Stripes flying from this ship have brought them out,"
said Captain Long.

"Give them a broadside, sir. We'll fight them with their own guns,
sir."

"Yes, one of the big guns of this ship is in order. See what you can do
with it, Young Glory."

The sailors of the Nashville took a keen delight in handling the Spanish
gun and turning it against the on-coming flotilla. Young Glory aimed
very carefully.

Boom!

The first shot told. The great shell from the ten-inch rifle struck the
leading gun-boat of the flotilla.

"She's done for!"

"Wait!"

"Yes, she is. Look, she's filling."

"Hurrah!"

The men cheered frantically as they saw that the gun-boat had heeled
over to the side, and was fast going down.

The rest of the gun-boats lay to. They were afraid they might share the
same fate.

"We'll be off with our prize," said Captain Long.

"Who takes charge, sir?"

"You. I'll get back to the Nashville. Let there be no delay."

"There need be none. The engineers had orders some time back to spread
the fires."

Back to the Nashville went Captain Long, taking a number of his men with
him. The wounded Americans had already been carried to the Nashville,
where they were receiving every attention from the surgeon.

Such of the Spaniards as were injured in the fight were left on the
cruiser to the care of their own medical officers.

The two boats were still lying side by side, when round the distant
headland appeared the bow of a bat