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160 ships in front of the river mouth, but no warships were among them.

Below Manila is situated a long peninsula, upon which was located Fort Cavité, the principal Spanish arsenal along the bay.

Back of the arsenal was a town of some four thousand inhabitants, and to one side of the fort was a long, low-lying land battery.

As the sun came up six warships, flying the Spanish flag, were discovered lying between Manila and Cavité. Several other warships were to the rear, half hidden by the arsenal just mentioned.

"There they are!" was the cry which swept from ship to ship. "Now for a fight to the death!"

The words had scarcely been uttered when the flagship opened fire. A second later the Boston belched forth with her forward guns.

The shock nearly threw me off my feet, and the noise fairly deafened me.

"My gracious, Dan, what a racket!"

"This is war, Oliver!"

"It sounds more like a hundred thunderstorms rolled into one."

All of the warships had now trained their guns on the enemy, and round after round of gigantic steel projectiles was hurled forth, to deal death and destruction.