Page:Under three flags; a story of mystery (IA underthreeflagss00tayliala).pdf/328

 the doomed yacht. The cruiser is within range and though her commander must be aware that the American vessel is sinking he is firing on her.

"The coward!" grits Van Zandt. "But the Semiramis will not strike her flag. She sinks with the stars and stripes flying."

"Pull hard!" shouts Capt. Beals. "Pull hard! She's going down!"

CHAPTER LVII.

AN INTERNATIONAL EPISODE.

"Ashley, we will give you something to write about," remarks Capt. Meade, as the America steams out of the harbor of Santiago.

"What's that, captain? A thrilling description of a voyage from Santiago de Cuba to Key West?"

The commander of the cruiser smiles good-naturedly. "More excitement than that, and something that will cause the little senorita to cling frantically to your arm."

"Ah, then, you may open the ball at once."

"Not yet; not for an hour. In short, we are going to burn some powder by and by. A little target practice, and if you have never seen anything of the sort you will be rather interested."

"Confound his target practice," Jack mutters disgustedly, as Capt. Meade bustles away. "The only powder-burning I want to see is the shelling of the dingy old city of Santiago by the Spanish fleet."

But Ashley's temporary annoyance is soon forgotten in the pleasure of assisting Juanita up and down the steep ladders, of explaining the machinery, the guns, the great searchlight and the thousand and one interesting features of the cruiser.

The target practice, he also finds, is a decidedly interesting affair, after all, which conclusion may have been