then that he sent his famous message to the naval board:

"I've got them now, and they'll never get home." With the Spanish fleet in Santiago harber, and Sampson and Schley both at the mouth, there was little to fear for the transports taking troops to Cuba. The army of invasion had been concentrating at Tampa, Fla., and Key West. As it would require some of the blockading squadron to convoy the fleet of transports with the invading army, Sampson and Schley, in fear of the escape of Cervera while their squadron was away, decided to place an obstruction in the mouth of the harbor. For this service the Merrimac, an old craft which had been used as a collier, was chosen, and Naval Constructor Hobson and seven men were selected to run the vessel into the channel and sink her.

On June 3, 1898, Hobson and his brave men ran the vessel into the harbor mouth, and the Spanish gunners assisted them in the task of sinking her. The ship settled to the bottom, Hobson and his men were captured, and well treated by the Spanish officers. The American vessels continued to bombard the earthworks at Santiago harbor almost daily, but it required a land force to take the city.

The battle-ship Oregon, having made her wonderful voyage around South America, was ordered to join the blockading fleet at Santiago. On June 10 forty

marines from her went ashore at Guantanamo, and occupied the left entrance of the bay, until the troopship Panther arrived with six hundred marines under Lieutenant-Colonel Huntington, at three o'clock in the afternoon.

From the time Colonel Huntington's marines first landed, the Spaniards gathered about them in the bushes, and the conflict was almost continual. The incessant crack of Mauser rifles and the whiz of bullets in their camp, even while burying their dead, made their position the most unpleasant imaginable. But for the battle-ship and gunboats which ran up to the bay and raked the hills with shot and shell, they would have been captured.

But the gallant marines, under their brave old gray-bearded commander, held their ground and fought against overwhelming odds, continually crying for reenforcements.

'Send on the army! Send on the army!"

CHAPTER XVI.

LA QUASINA.

"WELL, Nathan, we are off at last!" said Lieutenant Stevens to the soldier, whom he found seated on a coil of rope on the forward deck of one of the transports.

"Yes, leftenant, an' I'm mighty glad of it. I didn't like layin' there in that hot, sandy place. I come to shoot Spanyards, an' I want to git at it."

In his hand the soldier held a letter written by the lieutenant's mother, whose handwriting he recognized at a glance. At the end of the page was some childish scribbling with two circles, in one of which was "kiss from Zeb," and the other "kiss from Emma."

"Reckin they are better off'n I could do for 'em." "Oh, this will soon be over, Nathan; you will go home and find them well and happy. Then we don't know what may turn up. There may be a brighter future for you yet."

Nathan thrust the letter in the side pocket of his blouse, and took out the same small photograph

which he had removed from the wall on the side of the shanty. He gazed reverently, almost worshipfully on the fair, plain face of the woman who had been all the world to him. Nathan did this every day, in fact many times a day. His comrades observed his strange actions, but asked no questions, and he never made any explanation.

The lieutenant stood in respectful silence until Nathan had returned the photograph and brushed his sun-burned hand across his eyes, then he asked: "Do you feel any signs of seasickness, Nathan?" "No." His mind evidently was not on the voyage nor the dangers that might be in store for him, for he almost immediately said: "Leftenant, I'd give a mighty sight to see George Phipps."

"Why?"

Nathan fidgeted uneasily on his seat a moment, and added:

"It mayn't be exactly right in me to feel th' way I do 'bout George; but I can't git it out o' my mind that he killed her."

"Don't think of it, Nathan.

Close the door on

the past with all its sorrows, and set your face firmly on the future."

"I try to, leftenant, but we can't always think just what we want to, an' we can't always forgit, neither."

The invading army of General Shafter, which had

On

been so long mobilizing at Tampa, Fla., and had been detained from sailing on account of the various rumors of Cervera's fleet, sailed June 15, 1898. the 25th of May, the President had issued his second call for 75,000 men, none of whom were used, tho all were mustered into the service.

General Shafter's invading army numbered 15,337 men and officers, on twenty-six transports. The army of invasion left Edgermont Key at noon on Tuesday, June 14, convoyed by a fleet of seven warvessels. Next day, at Rebacca Shoals lighthouse, the fleet was joined by six more formidable warships, and the voyage began.

When the transport fleet left Port Tampa, the intention of those in authority was to take the western course, around Cape Antonio, but later it was decided to go via the Florida Straits, that being a shorter distance. After the fleet got into the rough waters of the straits, the transports were formed into three lines, about one thousand yards apart, while six hundred yards separated the ships. The easily advancing transports presented a very impressive spectacle, stretching for miles over the blue waters. It was one of the largest fleets gathered together in years. The grim-looking men-of-war hovered like watch-dogs on the outskirts of the human-freighted ships.

During the night, every possible precaution was