Young Glory and the Spanish Cruiser Part 26

"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 sh.e.l.l 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 battle ship.

For a moment the men were aghast. It might mean the approach of a new and stronger enemy. Then a great cheer rose from every throat. They saw the Stars and Stripes bravely fluttering in the breeze, and knew what it meant. It was the Cruiser Brooklyn entering the harbor.

The cruiser fired her saluting guns.

Boom! Boom!

But the cheers from her men drowned the noise of the guns.

The blue jackets were wild with delight when they saw the American flag at the masthead of the Spanish cruiser.

At this moment a diversion occurred.

Overlooking the harbor was a fort. Now its guns began to fire at the two ships, the cruiser and the gun-boat. Previously they had refrained, because they were afraid they might do as much damage to friend as foe.

Short-handed as he was, it was a difficult matter for Captain Long to handle his guns. But there was no necessity for his doing so. The Brooklyn took the work in hand instantly.

Boom!

The first shot struck the fort. It was old. Its weapons were antique, and it had no chance whatever against the great guns of the American cruiser. Shot after shot struck it, crumbling the masonry to powder.

"The batteries are silenced!" cried Young Glory.

"But not our men!"

The cheer that went up confirmed the last statement.

Already the Nashville and the Cristobal Colon were under way, steaming rapidly out of the harbor. A few distant guns from sh.o.r.e thundered at them, but they made a noise, and that was all. They were quite powerless to do any damage.