"Hold! there!"
"I hear you!"
It was Captain Long who answered.
"Strike your flag and surrender, and you shall be treated as prisoners of war."
"Hear my answer?" exclaimed Captain Long, furiously.
Boom! Boom!
The guns of the Nashville poured in a broadside. That was the American reply.
"Sink the dogs!" roared Captain Moret, savagely. "Sink them, they deserve no better fate."
The last broadside of the Nashville had done some damage, but what could not be seen for the clouds of smoke that obscured the view.
The two ships were close to each other now.
Boom! Boom!
The guns of the cruiser were replying now. Here the size of the Nashville was her safeguard. She lay low in the water, and being so near to the cruiser the shot of the latter pa.s.sed over her decks. One of the topmasts was carried away, and two men were crushed by its fall, so the gun-boat got off lightly.
"Ready, men, ready."
Mr. Tyler, as executive officer stood ready to lead the boarders. Young Glory and Dan Daly, burning with impatience, were near him.
Slowly, amid the smoke, the two ships drifted towards each other. Then with a crash they met. Quick as lightning ladders were thrown from the gun-boat on to the cruiser.
The men swarmed up the sides of the Cristobal Colon like cats.
Captain Moret was astounded. He had never dreamed that the Americans would resort to such desperate tactics. Being completely surprised, he had made no preparations to repel boarders, and such of his men who were not at the guns were in the tops.
The result was that the blue jackets of the Nashville obtained a secure footing on the cruiser"s deck.
But Captain Moret was not idle.
"Sweep these dogs from the deck!" he cried, savagely.
Bang!
Dan fired and missed the captain by a hairbreadth.
"It"s a more civil tongue in your head I"d have ye kapin"!" cried the Irishman.
The Spaniards had formed to repel the attack now. By the hundred they rushed on to the deck of the ship. From the tops Spanish riflemen kept up a withering fire on the enemy.
Captain Long saw this. Instantly he put his riflemen at work.
With deadly aim the American riflemen fired. One by one the Spaniards dropped dead in the tops, and those who did not, climbed down from their elevated positions to seek a less dangerous spot.
A hand to hand fight was going on.
The Americans and Spaniards had met on the deck of the cruiser in a fierce contest. Nothing was heard but the clash of steel, the firing of pistols, and the shouts of the fighters.
The Spaniards were three to one, for the Americans had left a large part of their force on the gun-boat. It was quite impossible to employ all the blue jackets in the attack on the cruiser.
Young Glory was in the front of the battle, laying about him with his cutla.s.s. Mr. Tyler, leading the sailors, was fighting by his side. Dan Daly was not far off, and Dan"s quaint remarks could be heard above everybody"s voice.
The Spanish officers kept somewhat in the background, urging their men to the attack, by every means in their power.
"Arrah! it"s hidin" ye are!" shouted Dan. "It"s here ye ought to be.
It"s yer foine gold lace I"d be afther seein"!"
But even this invitation did not tempt the officers of the cruiser to come to closer quarters.
One by one the men dropped. The enemy"s loss was far the greater, but they were able to sustain it better than the Americans.
Mr. Tyler saw this, and wished to end matters.
"Follow me!" he cried, bravely, turning to his men and waving his sword.
With a cheer, led by Young Glory, the blue jackets sprang forward and dashed at the Spaniards. The latter, appalled by the fury of the attack gave way.
But it was only for an instant. The Spanish officers struck their men with the flat of their swords, compelling them to stand their ground.
More than one Spanish sailor was pistoled as an example to the others.
Like desperate men they rallied. On they came, bearing back the Americans by force of numbers.
To the ground fell Mr. Tyler.
A dozen Spaniards rushed at him.
"Take him prisoner!" cried Captain Moret.
Young Glory and Dan Daly flew to the rescue.
By the time they had reached their leader he was on his feet again with his face to the foe.
"Unhurt!" he cried, with a smile; "slipped, that was all!"
"An" that spalpeen slipped, too!" laughed Dan, as he cut a Spaniard down with a furious blow from his cutla.s.s.
Two men rushed at Dan to avenge their fallen comrade. Just at this instant, as Young Glory was going to Dan"s a.s.sistance, his sword slipped from his grasp falling to the deck, some distance away.
If Dan was to be saved no time must be lost. Young Glory saw this, and not an instant did he hesitate.
He flew at the nearest Spaniard, without a weapon, and seizing the man by the neck, Young Glory hurled him furiously away. The man rolled over and over on the deck, finally landing against one of the turrets, and lying there unconscious from the force of the blow.