Under The Star Spangled Banner Part 28

"Matanzas, for instance," said a voice at his elbow, with such suddenness that both lads sprang round, to find themselves face to face with Samuel K. Billing. "Say, boys," the latter continued, rubbing his hands together with pleasure, "Matanzas has turned up. It's over there, on the port bow. I tell you it's nearing a stiff naval action. The commodore has decided to attack the place."

Both lads turned their eyes to the sh.o.r.e, and, with the aid of gla.s.ses, saw a low-lying town on the fringe of a bay, the entrance to which was crossed by rocky reefs, through which, however, a wide and very deep channel was left. To right and left forts could be seen, while on a slope farther inland a host of men were busily erecting a sand-bag battery. It was a fine morning, and the unruffled surface of the sea showed the wind had dropped.

"Look, there's Morillo Battery pointing out right clear between the headlands!" exclaimed the lieutenant, jerking his thumb in the direction of a stone-faced fort far on the inland slope. "That promontory on the right has a powerful erection known as Fort Maya, while on the left there is another of just about equal strength, called Rubal Caya. All are armed with modern quick-firing guns, so we may expect a peppering.

Say, boys, have you ever heard the sing of a sh.e.l.l?"

"Never. What is it like?" Hal asked.

"Poom! A burst of smoke from the distant gun, if black powder is used, and then a faint kind of whisper, getting bigger every second till it's just shrieking overhead. If she don't it's a dib, dib, dib in the water, a bit of a splash here and there as the sh.e.l.l ricochets, and then plump she goes to the bottom. Hallo! there's the signal flying to the _Puritan_ and _Cincinnati_. We're steaming in. So long, till next time."

He hurried off, leaving Hal and Gerald in possession of a pair of gla.s.ses. For the moment they were occupied in looking at the other ships in company with the _New York_, and at the latter herself. No one took the least notice of them, and in consequence they walked the length of the decks. What a fine cruiser the _New York_ was! From amidships three mighty funnels poured forth volumes of smoke, while the steam sizzled and roared into the air. From her masts bristled many quick-firers, pointing from the tiers of batteries which are known as "fighting tops,"

and which are slung at various elevations. And from the decks six long cannon of eight inches' caliber grinned through the ports, the breeches surrounded by eager gunners. Others stood at hand by the ammunition lifts, prepared to supply more cartridges. On the bridge walked the admiral and his officers, smart, cool, and collected, and with eyes fixed upon the distant sh.o.r.e.

Poom! A flash and a billow of smoke burst from Point Maya, and out flew a sh.e.l.l, singing merrily, till it plunged into the sea some distance from the _New York_.

"The ball opens," said Hal quietly. "Wait till we are closer in. Then it will be warm work. I reckon we are about six thousand yards from the sh.o.r.e, and the Dons judged the distance badly."

His words were cut short by a series of rapidly repeated reports from the guns of the _Puritan_. Her quick-firers were at work, and found the range almost immediately. Then followed two roaring explosions, so great in volume that they smothered all the others, and deafened everyone within hearing.

"By Jove! the turret guns!" exclaimed Gerald, putting his fingers to his ears.

The _Puritan_ had, in fact, slewed her turret round, and discharged two of her biggest sh.e.l.ls, weighing a thousand pounds apiece. Instantly, up went every gla.s.s on the ship, and all eyes gazed eagerly sh.o.r.ewards to see what result would follow.

"Hit! Hit! Right up against the battery! There, there, away to the right!" cried Hal. "I saw the dust and bits fly sixty feet into the air."

In the direction in which he pointed, a dark brown column suddenly spurted up into the air, and floated for some moments like a cloud in front of the battery. Then, as the onlookers from the ships kept their gaze fixed upon the sh.o.r.e, the column suddenly subsided, and when they looked again there were the batteries, surrounded by trees and green fields, while there was no sign of damage produced by the sh.e.l.ls.

"Hallo! They are opening on us, and here come the sh.e.l.ls!" shouted Gerald, a moment later.

As he spoke, all the Spanish forts fired, and though none of the missiles actually hit the _New York_, they hurtled unpleasantly close overhead.

"This is hot!" cried Gerald, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.

"Every time I hear that screech I want to bob badly, and my heart goes down into my boots."

"Yes, it's precious unpleasant," Hal agreed rea.s.suringly; "but the Dons are making bad practice, so we can feel pretty secure. Still, that shriek is horrid. It knocks the courage out of a fellow, for, long before one expects it, you can hear a gentle whistle in the distance, gradually increasing till you'd think that the sh.e.l.l was close beside your ear. Then, while you are still crouching and wondering where it is going to land, you hear a dull poom! in the distance, a sharp report sounds ahead or astern of the ship, and up goes a column of water. You know that you are safe then, but it takes some time to get rid of the feeling of funk that settles upon you when the guns begin to open. But take a look through the gla.s.ses. Our sh.e.l.ls seem to be plumping into the batteries every time."

The American ships were, indeed, making excellent practice, and within fifteen minutes had silenced the batteries ash.o.r.e, each mighty sh.e.l.l blowing showers of debris into the air. Then they steamed away, their guns being too hot to be pleasant, and now emitting only thin wreaths of smoke. Rubal Caya, undaunted, threw one last missile, which missed, and to it the _Monitor_ replied with a twelve-inch sh.e.l.l, which seemed to wreck the battery.

The losses of the Spaniards must indeed have been heavy, though they were never accurately known. In any case the earthworks were considerably battered. But this bombardment opened the eyes of many people, for it proved that fortifications do not suffer very severely under heavy fire. The heaps of debris flying into the air make it appear as if havoc were being wrought, whereas the destruction brought about at such very long ranges is nothing compared with that produced in the old days of muzzle-loaders, round shot, and a point-blank range.

"Wall, young sirs, we've had one day at it, and a precious hot one it's been," remarked Lieutenant Samuel K. Billing, "and I reckon we've wiped the eyes of the Dons. There's information to hand that one of our gunboats got mauled a few days ago. So, you see, it's only right that we should have the best of it to-day, and get some luck to make up for the other. Say, Mr. Marchant, sir, how'd you and your chum care for a little excursion? Just a game that's goin' to be started along the coast."

"I am sure we should like it very much," Hal answered. "What exactly is it?"

"That's tellin', sir. You'd like to join, you say, and so you shall; but keep it a dead secret. If the commodore knew that I had let the cat out of the bag, it would be a case of an explosion bigger than those over there."

Hal and Gerald wondered what particular excursion they were to take part in, but four days pa.s.sed without anything happening. On the fourth night, however, they were turned out of their bunks by their naval friend again.

"Say, boys," he said in a whisper, "the time's come along. Get on deck right away, and make for the after gangway. There's a kettle alongside that's smokin' like a kitchen. It's the _Hudson_, an armed revenue cutter. Come, shake the sleep out of your eyes, or I withdraw my promise."

They needed no second bidding, but, jumping hastily into their clothes, ran on deck. A rope ladder was hanging overboard, and they descended by this means to the cutter, which was, in reality, a small gunboat.

"Sheer off there!" someone cried, showing a light, and at once the little vessel quivered as her screw revolved. Hal and his friend turned, to find the lieutenant of the _New York_ standing beside them.

"Naval instruction," he said, as if to explain his presence there.

"That's what I am flying after; trying to get hold of the games these kettles play."

"Humbug!" exclaimed another officer, approaching at the moment. "You know as well as anyone that it is a lark, a bit of extra excitement that you're wantin'. But you're forgetting, Samuel. Introduce me."

"Right away, Lieutenant Ben Carson."

They shook hands, and Hal inquired of the newcomer their destination.

"We're bound for Cardenas," was the answer. "It's a bit of a warm place to walk into. Reefs and that sort outside. There are three Spanish boats, the same as this, in the harbor, and they are a nuisance. I'll allow that they've proved too much for us up to this, but we'll do for them this time. Say, Mr. Marchant, have you ever been under fire?"

"Once or twice," Hal answered, "and I cannot admit that it was particularly enjoyable."

"That's so; I judge that there are few who revel in the experience," was the answer. "But you must get used to it, and will have another chance, for we're goin' into that harbor right now."

That this was the intention of the _Hudson_ was soon made clear. Joined by the gunboats _Wilmington_ and _Machias_, and by the torpedo boat _Winslow_, she lay off the harbor of Cardenas till morning dawned. Then, the men and officers having breakfasted, the little fleet steamed in, piloted through a side channel in the reefs by a Cuban who was well acquainted with them.

"It's queer sort of work, this," remarked Lieutenant Billing, as the little cutter rushed into the bay. "For instance, the main channel's mined, and you'd get blown sky-high if you sailed that way. Then this place is full of rocks, so the fellow who is commandin' has to keep his eyes mighty wide open. But we're in the bay safe enough, and I guess the fun will commence right away."

At this moment the _Machias_ parted company, and steamed to the east, towards Diana Key, where Spanish barracks had been erected. Very soon her guns were heard in action, though not till hours after was it learned that she had put the Spanish garrison to flight, and had sent ash.o.r.e an armed boat's crew, who hoisted the Stars and Stripes over Cuban soil for the first time in the war.

"Now the band will play," cried the lieutenant excitedly, as the _Hudson_ steamed onward with her consorts. "Say, boys, we're after those gunboats, and I expect the sh.e.l.ls will be flyin' about our heads before very long. But we've got to find them first; they'll be about this way somewhere, but exactly where is the particular question. Now, where can they have hidden themselves?"

"What are those over there, then?" said Hal suddenly, lifting a pair of gla.s.ses to his eyes, and directing them across the bay to a long, narrow quay, constructed of stone, which projected far out into the water from the coast-line. "I can see something lying behind there. Perhaps it is a gunboat, for that is a likely place behind which to hide."

"Perhaps it is--there is no saying; but I can't make it look like a gunboat," was the answer. "Whatever it is, I reckon the _Winslow_ will soon rout it out. If it's one of those craft, her quick-firers will get to work precious soon, and I think that we shall have a rough time of it; for she's behind the breakwater, while we are stuck out in the open.

That won't beat us, though, and if she's there we're goin' to have her."

By this time the three vessels were well in the bay, and while the _Wilmington_ lay to off the town, the _Hudson_ and _Winslow_ rushed in towards the wharves in search of the Spanish gunboats.

These were a constant menace to the Americans, for while they lay under the guns of the forts it was difficult to get at them. And what splendid opportunities of producing havoc amongst the ships of the enemy were in the hands of their commanders! To bold, undaunted men, with plenty of spirit about them, there was practically no limit to the damage they might do. Themselves acquainted with the bay, and with every inch of the formidable reefs that formed a barrier round it, knowing well every turn and twist of the narrow and dangerous inlets and exits so much at their finger-tips that the darkest night was no bar to their traversing them, it was possible for them to keep Admiral Sampson's fleet in a state of perpetual alarm. For who could guess when those long sleuthhounds of the sea would leave their kennels beside the wharves, and slip out into the open? And who could hope to follow those long black hulls racing through the water? It was almost impossible to do so, and it is not to be wondered at that many a look-out man, when staring into the darkness, sent an alarm ringing through the American fleet when he had only imagined that he had sighted a Spanish gunboat. Then guns would begin to go off, and a perfect pandemonium would take the place of the silence that had reigned before. On one occasion, too, owing to mistakes in showing signals, the Americans almost fired on their own gunboats, which were patrolling the seas around them.

Meanwhile, the _Hudson_ and the _Winslow_ had been steaming closer to the low stone quay which jutted into the water, and had separated so as to form a smaller mark for the enemy, when there was a roar of exploding artillery, and a hail of sh.e.l.ls burst on and around the _Winslow_.

"Hillo, these fellows are where you said!" shouted Lieutenant Billing; "and what's more, the _Winslow's_ got badly hit, I fancy. Hooroo! we're bearing down to her a.s.sistance."

Slewing the helm round, the commander of the _Hudson_ rushed towards the quay from which the guns were firing, using his own batteries meanwhile.

Hal, with a pair of gla.s.ses raised, watched the conflict, and distinctly saw the Spanish gunboats firing over the top of the quay, while they themselves were more or less protected by the stonework.

"The _Winslow_ is disabled," he shouted, seeing the gunboat suddenly swerve from her course, while a hail of sh.e.l.ls burst about her decks.

"She's got her steering gear smashed. See, she's drifting nearer to the quay."

"Then we'll have her out of it," shouted the lieutenant. "Say, boys, get to one of those guns, and lend a hand."

He rushed forward, Hal and Gerald running to the after gun. Meanwhile, the _Hudson_ bore down rapidly upon the disabled _Winslow_, and at once found that she, too, had become a mark for the enemy. But, nothing daunted, her commander kept her straight ahead, in spite of the bursting sh.e.l.ls, until quite close to his damaged consort.