a sigh of relief, as he spread out the chart of the Massachusetts coast and glanced at

nemy's guns," laughed Lieutenant-Commander David Rexdale. "Don't talk abou

ould be drilled in various man?uvres, including target-practice. Lieutenant Richard Staples, his executive, had been the captain's classmate at Annapolis. He was lanky and tall, and at the Academy had soon gained the sobriquet of "Telegraph Pole," or "Tel.," for short; a name that had stuck to him thus far in his naval career. He was

rt in the blockade of Santiago, and while not as modern in her appointments as some of her bigger and younger sister-ships, had given a good account of herself in the stirring days when Cervera's fleet was

little fellow, barely tall enough to meet naval requirement as to height; the other a finely educated and elegant young gentleman who had attended a medical college before enlisting, and whose fund of scientific and historical knowledge

re in the best of spirits as the gunboat, her red, white, and blue "commission pennant" strea

amiliarly he might address an old acquaintance in private, should hold aloof at mealtimes. He was waited upon by two small Japanese men, or boys, who had easily obtained the situation when the vessel went into commission at the Charlestown Navy Yard, where sh

en the dinner was finis

s,

e the cabin-door. On receiving the su

to step this way, if he

he man turned on his

ut ten miles off Nantucket. I shall come on the bridge and con the ship myself when we sight the Shovelful Lightship, and I shall be glad

waiters and the orderly, as well as the surgeon, who just t

the lashings of the guns, overhauling rigging and such naval apparatus as the warrant officers knew would be needed on

ing the rail, Oshima, on his way to the gall

th an oath. At the same time he gave the

r size, Sam!" cried one o

d you, too, if you say much," ret

ords. The little stewards were favourites on board, a

e brushed his neat jacket where the former's hand had touched it. Then he said quietly,

oily waste and springing to his feet. "We'll see

ze him around the waist, to dash his slight antagonist to the deck. Had he succeeded, Oshima's usefulness to the United States Navy would have ended then and there. A do

p on the deck. As the men applauded wildly and swung their caps, the Jap looked a moment at his fallen foe with a smile of contempt, then turned away, for the master-at-arms, hearing the noise of the scuffle, was approach

nal meditations by the sound of cries from the forward part of the ship. Annoyed by this breach of discipline, he called sharply to one of the ensigns, who

houts arose, followed immediately by a rush of footsteps. At the same time

gave orders for the drill at four bells, and three bells

winging outside from the davits for the purposes of drill. Already the man on watch at the taffrail had cut away the lashings of a patent life-preserver and sent it into the sea, where it floated with sig

an overboard" signal. "Oars! Let fall! Give way!" And off went the boat, plunging and foaming

"But why," he added in a lower tone, "did you have the dr

is is no d

dr

mehow. I gave no orders for the drill, but that bugler is a quick fellow and know

much ripple on the water for this, and he was obliged to turn back upon his chest and maintain his position with as little exertion as possible, not struggling to reach the ship, which was drawing rapidly away. He had seen the "man overboard" drill many times, an

lled both him and the life-preserver out of the water. Five minutes later-the ship having reversed her screw again,

e accident happened. Sam knew there were no talebearers among his mates and felt safe. He made a surly apology to the little chap, saying he was mad at having been thr

the lights of Nantucket twinkling far on her beam to the south an

feet high, with a small red flag at the top. Three leg-of-mutton sails, or "wings," gave the craft the appearance, at a distance, of a small catboat under sail. The Osprey

firing begun with a six-pounder on the forecastle

avoid injury. The first shot, weighing between thirty and forty pounds, was dropped

the captain of the gun-crew, which compri

y so recorded, in a memorandum to be i

Oto, who, being a sort of privileged character,

could do better, Jap!

ut remained m

iece of ordnance?" asked Liddon, s

hat target," he added simply, to

d, saluting, said: "The Japanese yonder says he is used to

e that no one outside the gun-crew should fire. He spoke in a low tone to Staple

e piece, and fire," o

a moment around the delicate machinery; then he swung the great muzzle slightly upward and to the r

from the men; for as the smoke drifted aw

s a hair!" exclaimed Rexdale, scanning the wreck

the little fellow, cl

owled Sam, who was

t-class shot," said a grizzled old gunner

Rexdale, returning his glasses to their case. "We've no more time for prac

importance could be gained. It was learned, indeed, that one of the ordinary seamen, Dick Scupp by name, was more "chummy" with Oto and Oshima than any one else on board. He was a simple, long-legged, awkward young fellow from northern Maine, who had enlisted at the outbreak of the Spanish War

panese lad had passed through the whole course at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduating-under his full