Thenews of the destruction of theMainewas quite as exciting to our friends at Ion as to those of Woodburn. All saw that war between the United States and Spain could not be long delayed, and when it was declared, both Harold and Herbert Travilla volunteered their services as physicians and surgeons to the troops to be sent to Cuba or Puerto Rico. Their mother gave consent, though her heart bled at thought of the toils and dangers they would be called upon to endure, but she felt that they were right in their desire to help the poor Cubans to such freedom as we enjoy. No one had felt a deeper sympathy for the despoiled and starving reconcentradoes than she. Her sons were not going as soldiers, to be sure, but as greatly needed help to those who were to do the fighting.
Captain Raymond was strongly inclined tooffer his services to the government, but was deterred by the earnest, tearful entreaties of his wife and daughters. They urged him to refrain, for their sakes, as there seemed to be no lack of men who could be better spared—at least so it seemed to them.
"Oh, father," said Grace, "don't think of such a thing! There are plenty of other men who are not so much loved and needed in their own homes; so that the poor Cubans will be sure to get free without our risking the loss of the dearest father that anybody ever had."
It was shortly after breakfast on a beautiful May morning, and the whole family were together on the front veranda, the captain occupying an easy chair, while looking over the morning paper. Grace had come close to his side, and was standing there as she spoke.
"Is that your opinion of him?" he asked, smiling up into her eyes.
"Yes, sir; and always has been," she answered, accepting a silent invitation to a seat upon his knee, and putting an arm around his neck. "Oh, father, I don't know how I couldlive without you!" she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears at the very thought.
"Nor I," said Lucilla. "No greater calamity than the loss of our father could possibly befall us. And there are plenty of other people to look after the Cubans."
"So I think," said Violet. "If our country was in peril it would be a different matter. And, my dear, as your eldest son is in the fight—such a dear fellow as he is too!—I am sure that ought to be considered your full share of giving and doing for the Cuban cause."
"I should think so indeed!" chimed in Lucilla and Grace in a breath.
"And, oh, I can't bear to think that my dear brother Max may get wounded!" exclaimed Elsie; and Ned added, "And if he does, I'd just like to shoot the fellow that shoots him."
"We must try not to feel revengeful, my little son," said his father.
"Well, papa, please promise not to offer to go into the fight," pleaded Grace, and the others all added their earnest solicitations tohers, till at length they won the desired pledge. They were too dear to the captain's heart to be denied what they pleaded for so earnestly and importunately.
Grace was feebler and oftener ailing that spring than she had been for several years before, and Dr. Arthur Conly, or one or the other of his partners,—Harold and Herbert Travilla,—was often there to give advice and see that it was followed. It had been Harold oftener, of late, than any one else, and he had grown very fond of the sweet girl who always listened with such deference to his advice, and called him "uncle" in her sweet voice. The thought of leaving her gave him a keener pang than anything else, as he contemplated leaving his home for the labors and dangers of the seat of war. He was glad indeed when he learned that the captain would remain at home to take care of her and the rest of his family.
Grace noticed with pleasure that as the time of his leaving drew near his manner toward her grew more affectionate, till it seemed almostas tender as that of her father, and she thought it very nice that Uncle Harold should be so fond of her. She looked up to him as one who was very wise and good, and wondered that he should care particularly for her, as she was not really related to him at all. He was fond of Lucilla also, but Grace seemed to him the lovelier of the two. He had always been fond of her, but did not know until about to leave her for that dangerous field of usefulness that his affection was of the sort to make him long for her as the partner of his life. But so it was. Yet could it be? Would the captain ever consent to such a mixture of relationships? He feared not; and at all events it was quite certain that he would not be allowed to try to win his coveted prize for years to come—she being so young, and far from strong and well. Then as he was about to risk his life on battlefields, it would be cruelty to her to try to win her love before he went.
He resolved to go without revealing his secret to any one. But he had never had an important secret from his mother; all his lifehe had been used to talking freely with her, telling of his hopes, aims, and wishes, his doubts and perplexities, and almost before he knew it he had said enough of his feelings for Grace to show to that mother's keen-sighted affection how the land lay.
"Grace is very lovely, and a dear child," she said low and gently; "but, as you know, she is not well or strong. Also she is so young that her father would not hear of her marrying for years to come."
"No, mother, nor would I advise it; unless," he added with a low, embarrassed laugh, "to a physician who would take special care of her health."
"You refer to one physician in particular, I perceive," returned his mother, with a low, musical laugh, and laying her hand in his, for they were sitting side by side on the veranda. "Well, my dear boy. I advise you to wait till your return home before you say anything to either her or her father. But have you thought what a mixture of relationships such a marriage would make? Your brother-in-law wouldbe also your father-in-law, and Grace aunt to her half-brother and sister."
"Yes, mother, it would cause some awkward relationships; but as there is no tie of blood between us, perhaps that need not matter. But I shall say nothing till I come home, and not then without the captain's permission."
"That is right. But do you think Grace suspects?"
"Hardly, mother; I am only her 'uncle,' you know," Harold answered, with a laugh in which there was little or no mirth.
"Although I am certainly very fond of Grace," said his mother, "I cannot help regretting that your affections have not gone out to some one else rather than to her—because of her feeble health and the connection through your sister and her father."
"Yes, they are objections," he returned, with a sigh; "but mother dear, you will not consider them insuperable if I can persuade the captain not to do so?"
"Oh, no! not if you win, or have won, her heart. I should not think of raising the leastobjection, and surely the captain, who is a devoted father, would not, should he see that her affections are engaged."
"That is my hope," said Harold; "and, as I have said, I do not intend to offer myself without his knowledge and consent, though I had hard work to refrain to-day when Grace and I were left alone together for a few minutes, and she expressed, with tears in her sweet blue eyes, such anxiety at the thought of my being in danger of wounds or death in the coming struggle in Cuba. Mother dear, Herbert and I will not, of course, be in as great danger as will the fighting men of our army and navy, but there is a possibility that we may not return unharmed, and in case I should not I would not have Grace know of my love and intention to—ask her to become my wife."
"I think you are right, my son," his mother said, with emotion. "But, ah, I hope and shall pray constantly that my dear boys may come back to me unharmed."
"And it will be a great help and comfort to them to know that their dear mother's prayersare following them," rejoined Harold, tenderly pressing the hand she had laid in his.
The next moment Herbert joined them, and he too had a farewell talk with his mother, for the brothers were to leave for Tampa the next morning to join the troops about to sail for Cuba.
Bythe last of May there were sixteen thousand men at Tampa under the command of General Shafter, but it was not until the 14th of June that they set sail for Cuba. On a clear, scorchingly hot morning, June 22d, they landed at Daiquiri, twelve miles east of the entrance to Santiago Bay. From all accounts things seem to have been wofully mismanaged, so that our poor soldiers had no facilities for landing. Those who loaded the ship, it would appear, must have been great bunglers—either exceedingly ignorant in regard to such work or most reprehensibly careless. In consequence, scarcely anything could be found when wanted. Medical stores were scattered among twenty vessels; so that when fever broke out in the trenches before Santiago it was almost impossible to get the needed remedies; probably—though there were neverenough on the field—some medicines were left on the ships and carried back to the United States. All this made the work of the physicians doubly trying. Besides, they were too few in number, the wounded many more than it had been expected they would be, and brought in faster than they could be attended to; the surgeons worked all night by the light of spluttering lamps, and there was not enough of even surgical instruments. But the poor wounded men were wonderfully brave and patient. Harold and Herbert Travilla felt that they had not engaged in a cause which did not need them. After the fighting began their labors were exhausting; all the more so because of the drain upon their sympathies.
On the morning of July 2d our troops were found safely intrenched on the ridge of the hill above Santiago. The day before had been one of heavy losses to our army—many officers and men killed and wounded. And now, just as light began to show in the east, the Spaniards opened a heavy fire on our works. Our men made few replies, for ammunition wasgetting scarce; and so anxious for it were the soldiers that they hailed an ammunition train with great joy, though they were half starved and knew that no provisions could come while the road was crowded with such trains.
The war artist, Frederic Remington, tells of the delight with which the poor hungry fellows hailed a pack-train loaded with ammunition, though they knew that no food would be brought them that night. "The wounded going to the rear cheered the ammunition, and when it was unpacked at the front the soldiers seized it like gold. They lifted a box in the air and dropped it on one corner, which smashed it open.
"'Now we can hold San Juan hill against them garlics; hey, son?' yelled a happy cavalryman to a doughboy.
"'You bet! until we starve to death.'
"'Starve nothin'—we'll eat them gun-teams.'"
The soldiers refilled their cartridge belts, then crouched all day in trenches, watching for an assault, and firing just often enough to keepthe enemy from advancing upon them. While doing so they could hear the thunder of the navy's guns far away in the southwest, where it was engaging a battery. At the same time, down in the harbor of Santiago, Cervera was getting ready to make his rush out of the harbor the next day.
The Spaniards made a dash at our men about half-past nine that night, and drove them back for a few minutes from several points on their line, but they soon returned and drove the Spaniards back with heavy loss.
The next day, July 3d, was Sunday, and on the great ships of the American squadron, floating heavily in a half-circle about the mouth of Santiago harbor, the men were swarming on deck in fresh clean white clothes, ready for muster. About nine o'clock the flagshipNew Yorkshowed the signal: "Disregard flagship's movements," and steamed away toward the east. Admiral Sampson had gone in it for a conference with General Shafter, whose troops were then resting aftertheir dreadful fight on San Juan hill and El Caney.
Of our ships on watch outside of the harbor, theBrooklynwas to the southwest, theTexasdirectly south, while the three big battleships,Indiana,Iowa, andOregon, made a curve inshore east of the Morro. The little picket boatVixenwas there also, and theGloucesterfarthest east and nearest inshore. TheNew York, now absent, was the one ship supposed to be able to compete with the Spaniards in speed, and her departure left a broad gap in the blockading line.
The lookouts on the fleet had reported fires burning on the hills all the night before, and Commodore Schley, who was in command in Admiral Sampson's absence, signalled to theTexasthe query: "What is your theory about the burning of the block-houses on the hill last night?"
He sat on the deck waiting for an answer, and at the same time watching a cloud of smoke rising from the interior of the harbor behind the hills. It did not necessarily meananything serious, for about that time in the morning a tug was apt to make a visit to the Estrella battery. Still, they watched it, and presently the quartermaster on the forward bridge said quietly to the navigating officer, "That smoke's moving, sir." That officer took a peep himself, and what he saw nearly made him drop the glass. "Afterbridge there," he called loudly through a megaphone; "tell the commodore the enemy is coming out."
His words were heard all over the ship, and commodore, officers, sailors, powder-boys were all rushing for their station.
The cry rang out, "Clear ship for action," and gongs and bugles which call to general quarters clanged and pealed on the quiet air. There were echoes of the same sounds from the other ships, and the signals, "The enemy is escaping," ran to the masthead of theBrooklyn, theTexas, and theIowaat the same moment; for that suspicious smoke had been watched from all the ships.
It seemed that all the vessels of the blockadehad caught the alarm at the same time, and the flagship's signal was quickly changed for another—"Clear ship for action!"
But it was quite unnecessary. On every ship men were dropping off the white clothes which they had donned for general muster, and hurrying to their quarters without waiting for a command. Every wooden thing was tumbled overboard, water-tight compartments were hastily shut, hose was coupled up and strung along the decks ready to fight fire, battle-hatches were lowered, and in less time than it takes to tell of it all this was accomplished. Then at the sudden blast of a bugle the five hundred and more men to a ship stood at their posts, each one where he would be most needed in battle, and all perfectly silent. Doubtless every eye was turned toward Estrella Point, where the Spanish vessels, if indeed coming out, must first show themselves, and there presently a huge black hull appeared. It came out far enough to show a turret, and from that came a flash, and then the boom of a heavy shot, instantly answered by a six-pounderfrom theIowa. The battle had begun, and "Fighting Bob" Evans had fired the first shot.
That ship just coming out was theMaria Teresa, and she was followed by theVizcaya, theCristobal Colon, and theAlmirante Oquendo. All the American ships were standing in toward the harbor to meet them, firing rapidly from every gun that could be brought to bear. It was uncertain at first which way the Spaniards would turn when they had passed the shoals that extend half a mile beyond the mouth of the harbor. If they turned eastward they would have to run into the midst of the most formidable ships of our squadron. If they went directly west they might outrun the battleships and escape. TheBrooklynwas the fastest ship on the blockade, and was also in the best position to head off the Spaniards should they take that course. But it was possible she might be lost, as she was no match for the number of the enemy that would be in a position to engage her when she came up to them. Commodore Schley says that the possibilityof losing his ship in that way entered very clearly into his calculations, but also that in sinking theBrooklynthe Spaniards would be delayed long enough for the battleships to come up to them and that then there would be no reason to fear their escape. The difficulty was that because theBrooklynwas on a parallel course with the Spaniards, and going in a directly opposite direction, she would have to make a complete circle in order to chase them; and had they had the speed with which they were credited, that would have put theBrooklynout of the fight, one of her engines being uncoupled, and in consequence her speed greatly reduced.
But the Spanish vessels fell far behind their estimated speed, so that theBrooklynwas able to circle about and still overhaul the fleetest of them, and theTexas, the slowest of our battleships, held its own in the race.
TheMaria Teresapassed the shoals and turned west. The littleVixen, lying near theBrooklyn, when she saw theMaria Teresaturn toward her, fired off her six-pounders, thenslipped away, while the rest of the American ships came rushing down toward the enemy with their funnels belching black smoke, and turrets, hulls, and tops spurting out red flames and yellow smoke. They steamed toward the foe as fast as possible, at the same time firing fiercely from every gun that could be brought to bear, and paying no attention to the shore batteries which were firing upon them. TheIndianawas nearest the shore and nearest theMaria Teresa, the leading ship of the enemy, when the fight began. It is said that the water fairly boiled with the flood of projectiles from Morro and the broadside with which theMaria Teresaopened battle. As she turned toward the west the shot from theIndianastruck her more than once; but after that theIndianagave her attention to theVizcaya.
By this time all the American ships were engaged, but in the dense smoke it was almost impossible to make out how great was the success of any single one.
But Commodore Eaton, who was watching the fight from the tugResolute, says: "As theVizcayacame out I distinctly saw one of theIndiana'sheavy shells strike her abaft the funnels, and the explosion of this shell was followed by a burst of flame, which for a time obscured the after part of the stricken ship." TheIowaandOregon, belching forth great clouds of smoke until they looked like huge yellow clouds on the water, steamed straight toward the fleeing enemy. Says Mr. Abbott: "As the battleships closed in on their prey, they overlapped each other, and careless use of the guns or failure to make out accurately the target might have resulted in one of our ships firing into another. But so skilfully were they handled that at no time were they put in jeopardy from either the guns or the rams of each other, though at one time theOregonwas firing right across the deck of theTexas."
The end of theMaria Teresa, the first ship to leave the harbor, came upon her very swiftly, and was frightful. The shells and small projectiles searched out every part of her, spreading death and ruin, and soon settingher woodwork ablaze. The scarlet flames like snakes' tongues darted viciously from her sides; but her gunners stood manfully to their guns. Little smoke hung about her, and her bold black hulk seen against the green background of the hills made her a perfect target. A shot from theBrooklyncut her main water-pipe, and a shell—probably from theOregon—entered her hull and exploded in the engine room; a six-inch shell from theIowaexploded in her forward turret, killing or wounding every man at the guns; while the storm of smaller projectiles swept her decks, and with the noise of their bursting made it impossible for the men to hear their officers' commands.
Admiral Cervera was on that vessel. One of his officers, telling of it afterward, said: "He expected to lose most of his ships, but thought theCristobal Colonmight escape; that is why he transferred his flag to theMaria Teresa, that he might perish with the less fortunate." And this is the story told an American journalist by another officer who stood by the admiral's side while that dreadful fight went on.Of a shell from theBrooklynhe said: "It struck us in the bow, ploughing down amidships; then it exploded. It tore down the bulkheads, destroyed stanchions, crippled two rapid-fire guns, and killed fifteen or twenty men." Of a shell from theIowahe said: "It struck the eleven-inch gun in the forward turret of the cruiser, cutting a furrow as clean as a knife out of the gun. The shell exploded halfway in the turret, making the whole vessel stagger and shake in every plate. When the fumes and smoke had cleared away so that it was possible to enter the turret, the other gunners were sent there. The survivors tumbled the bodies which filled the wrecked turret through the ammunition hoist to the lower deck. Even the machinery was clogged with corpses. All our rapid-fire guns aloft soon became silent, because every gunner had been either killed or crippled at his post and lay on the deck where he fell. There were so many wounded that the surgeons ceased trying to dress the wounds. Shells had exploded inside the ship, and even the hospital was turned intoa furnace. The first wounded who were sent there had to be abandoned by the surgeons, who fled for their lives from the intolerable heat."
TheTeresacame under the fire of our guns about 9.35 that morning. Fifteen minutes later smoke was rising from her ports and hatches, showing that she had been set afire by the American shells. The shot from theBrooklynthat cut her water-main made it impossible to extinguish the flames, and the fire from the American ships grew more accurate and deadly every minute; so she was beached and her flag hauled down in token of surrender.
The men on theTexasraised a shout of joy. But Captain Philip spoke from the bridge: "Don't cheer, men; those poor fellows are dying."
For less than forty minutes Admiral Cervera had been running a race for life, and now, clad in underclothes, he tried to escape to the shore on a raft, directed by his son, but was captured and taken to theGloucester, where he was receivedwith the honors due his rank. His voyage from Santiago had been just six miles and a half, but had cost the lives of nearly half his officers and crew.
TheVizcayahad followed theTeresaat a distance of about eight hundred yards in coming out of Santiago harbor. Upon her decks, in Havana harbor, Cuba, Spanish officers had looked down with careless indifference upon the sunken wreck of our gallant battleship, theMaine, and it may be supposed that when she came ploughing out of the bay, Wainwright, late of theMaine, now on the littleGloucester, aimed some shots at her with a special ill-will. But theVizcaya, under gathered headway, rushed on to the west, passing the heavier battleshipsIowaandIndiana, but receiving terrible punishment from their guns. A lieutenant of theVizcaya, taken prisoner to the United States, in an interview by a newspaper reporter, told of the murderous effect of the shells from theIndiana.
"They appeared to slide along the surface of the water and hunt for a seam in ourarmor," he said. "Three of those monster projectiles penetrated the hull of theVizcaya, and exploded there before we started for the shore. The carnage inside the ship was something horrible and beyond description. Fires were started up constantly. It seemed to me that the iron bulkheads were ablaze. Our organization was perfect. We acted promptly and mastered all small outbreaks of flame, until the small ammunition magazine was exploded by a shell. From that moment the vessel became a furnace of fire. While we were walking the deck, headed shoreward, we could hear the roar of the flames under our feet above the voice of artillery. TheVizcaya'shull bellowed like a blast furnace. Why, men sprang from the red-hot decks straight into the mouths of sharks."
But theVizcayalasted longer than theAlmirante Oquendo, which followed her out of the harbor. TheVizcayaturned at the mouth of the harbor and went west, theBrooklyn,Oregon, andTexasin hot pursuit, while theIndianaandIowaattacked theOquendo. Shehad been credited with as great speed as that of her sister ships, but this day moved so slowly that she fared worse than any of her comrades. She stood the fire of her foes five minutes longer than had theTeresa, then with flames pouring out of every opening in her hull, she ran for the beach, hauling down her flag as she went, in token of surrender, while at the same time men were dropping from her red-hot decks into the water.
Thus, in the first three-quarters of an hour two great Spanish war vessels were destroyed, and the American fleet was concentrating its fire on the other two.
The fighting men on the vessels were not the only ones who did noble work for their country that day. In the engine rooms and stoke-holes of the men-of-war, on that scorching hot July day, men worked naked in fiery heat. They could hear the thunder of the guns above them, and feel the ship tremble with the shock of the broadsides. How the battle was going they could not see. Deep in their fiery prison, far below the lapping waves that rushed alongthe armored hull, they only knew that if disaster came they would suffer first and most cruelly. A successful torpedo stroke would mean death to them, every one. The clean blow of an enemy's ram would in all probability drown them like rats in a cage, even if it did not cause them to be parboiled by the explosion of their own boilers. A shot in the magazine would be their death warrant. All the perils which menaced the men who were fighting so bravely at the guns on deck threatened the sooty, sweating fellows who shovelled coal and fixed fires down in the hold, with the added certainty that for them escape was impossible, and the inspiration which comes from the very sight of battle was denied them. They did their duty nobly. If we had not the testimony of their commanders to that effect, we still should know it, for they got out of every ship not only the fullest speed with which she was credited under the most favorable circumstances, but even more—notably in the cases of theTexasandOregon, which, despite bottoms fouled from long service intropical waters, actually exceeded their highest recorded speed in the chase. On theOregon, when she was silently pursuing theColonat the end of the battle, Lieutenant Milligan, who had gone down into the furnace room to work by the side of the men on whom so much depended, came up to the captain to ask that a gun might be fired now and then. "My men were almost exhausted," said Milligan, "when the last thirteen-inch gun was fired, and the sound of it restored their energy, and they fell to work with renewed vigor. If you will fire a gun occasionally it will keep their enthusiasm up." On most of the ships the great value of the work the men in engine rooms were doing was recognized by the captain's sending down every few minutes to them an account of how the fight progressed. Each report was received with cheers and redoubled activity.
On theBrooklyn, when theColonwas making her final race for life, Commodore Schley sent orderlies down to the stoke-holes and engine room with this message: "Now, boys, it all depends on you. Everything is sunk excepttheColon, and she is trying to get away. We don't want her to, and everything depends on you." TheColondid not get away.
TheVizcayawas still making a gallant running fight, and in some degree protecting the magnificentCristobal Colon. While these fled, disaster fell upon the two torpedo-boat destroyers,PlutonandFuror. Instead of dashing at the nearest American ship—which would have been their wisest course—both followed the example of the cruisers, and turned along the shore to the westward. Either of them would have been more than a match for the littleGloucester, but her commander, Richard Wainwright, sped forward in a cloud of smoke from her own guns, receiving unnoticed shots from the batteries and the nearer Spanish cruisers, though one six-inch shell would have destroyed her. The batteries of thePlutonandFurorwere of twice the power of theGloucester's, and they had, besides, the engine of destruction which they could send out from their torpedo tubes. Butin a few minutes Wainwright was engaged with them both at short range and under the fire of the Socapa battery. The other American battleships had been firing at them, but desisted when they perceived that theGloucesteralone was capable of managing them. In a very few minutes they both began to smoke ominously, and their fire became much less rapid. Then theFurormoved as if her steering gear had been cut. Wainwright and his men redoubled their efforts at the guns. Suddenly, on theFuror, amidships, there shot up a great cloud of smoke and flame, with a deafening roar and shock that could be felt across the water, even amid the thunders of the guns. A shell from one of the battleships had struck her fairly, and broken her in two, exploding either the magazine or the boilers, or both, and she sank like a stone.
Wainwright pursued the other torpedo boat, thePluton, more vigorously. She was already badly crippled, and tried hard to escape; but at last, fairly shot to pieces, she hauled down her flag, and ran for the line of breakingsurf, where her men leaped overboard to escape the fierce flames that were sweeping relentlessly below from bow to stern.
The sight of their danger and distress changed Wainwright from a pitiless foe to a helping friend. He manned his boats and went to the rescue of those still alive on the burning ship. Many were saved, and the Americans had hardly left the smoking ship when it blew up with a resounding roar, and vanished as had its companion. Just forty minutes they had lasted under the American fire, and without being at any time a serious menace to our ships.
The battle had now lasted for about three-quarters of an hour. TheInfanta Maria Teresaand theOquendowere blazing on the beach with their colors struck. The battleshipIndianahad been signalled to turn in toward the shore and give aid to the survivors on the burning ships. Only two Spanish vessels were left—theVizcaya, running and fighting bravely in a hopeless struggle for life, and theCristobal Colon, which was rushing atgreat speed down the coast to the westward. In the chase of these two vessels theBrooklynheld the place of honor. Her position on the blockade at the time that the enemy came out was a commanding one, and her speed kept her well to the front. At the beginning of the fight theTexaswas next her. In this battle she developed marvellous speed, and fought with reckless gallantry. TheOregonwas third at the start, but by a wonderful dash passed theTexasand actually caught up with theBrooklyn, whose tars turned out on deck to cheer her—the wonderful fighter from the Pacific coast dockyard. TheIowawas only a short distance in their rear, and the fire of the four was now concentrated upon the unhappyVizcaya, which had escaped serious injury while the attention of the entire American fleet was given to theOquendoand theTeresa, but now with four of the best fighting machines in the world devoting their entire attention to her, she began to go to pieces. The heavy shells and smaller projectiles that struck her made a great clangor, and caused her greatframe to quiver. When an hour had passed theBrooklyn,Oregon, andTexaswere the only ones still pursuing her. TheIndianahad been left behind, and theIowahad stopped to aid the burning and drowning men on the blazing warships. The fire of the three warships was concentrated on theVizcaya. Word was passed to the turrets and tops of theBrooklynto aim at theVizcayaonly. They were scarcely more than half a mile from her, and the effect of the shots began to tell. One of theBrooklyngunners reported to the lieutenant who had charge of that turret that he didn't see any of the shots dropping into the water. "Well, that's all right," replied the officer; "if they don't drop into the water they are hitting." And so they were. The beautiful woodwork inside of the vessel was all in a blaze. The hull was pierced below the water line, the turrets were full of dead and wounded men, and the machinery was shattered. Captain Eulate, her commander, was a brave officer and a gentleman, but he found himself compelled to abandon the fight, so turned his ship's prow toward that rockyshore on which lay the wrecks of theOquendo, theTeresa, and theFuror.
As theVizcayaswung about, a shell from theOregonstruck her fairly in the stern. An enormous mass of steel, charged with explosives of frightful power, it rushed through the steel framework of the ship, shattering everything in its course, crashed into the boiler, and exploded. Words are powerless to describe the ruin that resulted. Men, guns, projectiles, ragged bits of steel and iron, splinters, and indescribabledébriswere hurled in every direction, while flames shot up from every part of the ship. A fierce fire raged between her decks, and those who were gazing at her from the decks of the American men-of-war could see what looked like a white line reaching from her bow to the water, which was in fact the naked men dropping one after another over the side to seek the cool relief of the ocean from the fiery torment they were enduring.
TheColonwas now left alone, and was doing her utmost to escape. The men on our foremostpursuing ships soon perceived that there could be no hope of escape for her. Commodore Schley saw it, and began to lighten the strain on his men. They were called out on the superstructure to see what had been done by the guns of the fleet and to watch the chase. They came pouring out from the turrets, up from the engine rooms and magazines—stalwart fellows, smoke-begrimed and sweaty. Almost abeam they saw theVizcayawith men dropping from every port. Far astern were the smoking wrecks of theTeresaandOquendo, ahead on the right was theColon, fleeing for her life, while theBrooklynrushed after her relentlessly.
As the men crowded on along the decks and on the turret top, they suddenly and spontaneously sent up a cheer for Admiral Schley. The admiral, on the bridge above them, looked down upon them with moistened eyes. "They are the boys who did it," he said to one who stood beside him, and he spoke truly.
Then the men cheered theOregon, which was coming up gallantly, and her men returned thecheer. Now all felt that even the last of Cervera's vessels was sure to be soon taken, and signals of a social and jocular character were exchanged. One from theBrooklynsuggested to theOregonthat she try one of her thirteen-inch guns on the chase. The great cannon flashed and roared from the forward turret, and the shell, which rushed past theBrooklynwith a noise like a railway train, fell short. On they rushed, theOregonvisibly gaining on the fastest ship of the Spanish navy; a battleship built for weight and solidity overhauling a cruiser built for speed! Another shell was sent, and fell so near theColonthat the captain seemed to read in it the death-warrant of his ship. He turned her toward the shore and beached her, hauling down his flag as she struck. Captain Cook went in a boat to take possession of the prize, his crew being ordered not to cheer or exult over the vanquished. TheColonsurrendered at 1.10P.M., ending a naval battle that lasted less than four hours, and possessed many extraordinary and unique qualities. It completed the wreck of Spanishnaval power and dealt the decisive stroke that deprived Spain of her last remnant of American colonies. It was of absorbing interest to naval experts in all parts of the world, and it was unique in that while the defeated fleet lost six ships, more than six hundred men killed and drowned, and eighteen hundred prisoners, many of them wounded, the victors had but one man killed and one wounded.
No wonder that when the fight was over, the victory won—such a victory too—a Christian man, such as Captain Philip of theTexas, whose crew were cheering in a very delirium of joy, should call them about him, and, uncovering his head, say in a reverential tone: "I want to make public acknowledgment here that I believe in God the Father. I want you all to lift your hats and from your hearts offer silent thanks to the Almighty."
And truly they had abundant reason for great thankfulness, having escaped with so few casualties, while the foe suffered so terribly, scores of them being literally roasted alive, for the whole interior of the ships,Vizcaya,Oquendo, andTeresabecame like iron furnaces at white heat. Even the decks were red hot, and the wounded burned where they lay. So crazed by the sight of the agony of men wounded and held fast by the jamming of gratings, were some of those otherwise unhurt, that they could hardly be induced to respond to efforts for their own rescue. They would cling to a ladder or the side of a scorching hot ship and have to be literally dragged away before they would loose their hold and drop into a boat below. Our sailors worked hard on blistering decks, amid piles of ammunition that were continually being exploded by the heat, and under guns that might at any minute send out a withering blast, risking life and limbs in succoring their defeated foes; for it is not too much to say that in that work of mercy the bluejackets encountered dangers quite as deadly as those they had met in the fury of battle.
The poor marksmanship of the Spaniards saved our ships from being much damaged. A good many shots struck: theBrooklynbore inall some forty scars of the fight, twenty-five of them having been shells; but she was so slightly injured that she could have begun all over again when theColonturned over on the shore. TheIowawas hit twice, theTexasthree times, one shell smashing her chart-house and another making a hole in her smokestack. The injuries to the other ships were of even less importance.
Thatmorning that Cervera attempted his flight from Santiago, General Shafter sent into the Spanish lines by a flag of truce a demand for the surrender of the city. "I have the honor to inform you," he said, "that unless you surrender I shall be compelled to shell Santiago de Cuba. Please instruct the citizens of all foreign countries, and all women and children, that they should leave the city before 10A.M.to-morrow."
That flag of truce had been gone only two or three hours when there came a sudden rumor that the Spanish fleet had gone to destruction, depriving Santiago of her chief defence. Our soldiers were so sure of the prowess of our sailors that they hailed the rumor as fact,—as news of a victory,—and when later in the evening the actual intelligence of Schley's glorious triumph reached them they went wild with joy;danced on the crest of the defences, in full view of the Spaniards, venturing to do so because—as there was a truce—no jealous sharpshooter would dare fire on them. And the band played patriotic and popular airs, particularly "There'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town To-night." Bonfires were made and salutes fired.
Drs. Harold and Herbert Travilla, wearied with their labors for the sick and wounded, rejoiced as heartily as any one else over the good news, yet at the same time felt pity for the suffering of those of the foe who had perished so miserably by shot, shell, and fire. They would have been glad to aid the wounded prisoners, but their hands were already full, in giving needed attention to our own men so sorely injured by Spanish shot and shell. So incessant and arduous had been their labors in that line, and so fierce and exhausting was the heat, that they were themselves well-nigh worn out. There had been hope that the city would surrender, but on the night of the 3d—the day of the naval battle—four thousand freshSpanish troops entered it, and the hoped-for surrender was not made.
The Americans in the trenches were hot, hungry, and water-soaked, and some of them grew very impatient. Said one of the Rough Riders: "Now that we've got those Dagoes corralled, why don't we brand them?"
On the 6th something happened that broke the monotony and gave great joy to the soldiers in the trenches. A cavalcade of men was seen coming from the beleaguered city, the first of whom was quickly recognized as Lieutenant Hobson, who with his seven comrades had gone out one night, weeks before, on a vessel, theMerrimac, to sink her across the narrow entrance to the channel leading into Santiago harbor, and so bottle up the Spanish fleet.
They failed, and were taken prisoners by the Spaniards, and had been spending weeks shut up in Morro castle, but now were exchanged for seven prisoners taken at San Juan. At sight of them the American soldiers seemed to go mad with joy. They yelled, danced, laughed, and even wept for joy. Then the band on theforemost line struck up "The Star Spangled Banner," and all stood silent at a salute. But the moment the music ceased it seemed as if Bedlam had broken loose. The regulars crowded about the heroes, cheering them, shaking them by the hand, while they from their ambulance yelled compliments and congratulations to the tattered and dirty soldiers.
And when those returned sailors reached the fleet after dark, they found the ships' companies turned out as if to greet an admiral at least, coming to visit them, and as their launch was seen approaching from the shore the cheers of their brother tars made the hills of Cuba ring almost as had the thundering fire of Morro and Estrella when levelled against them nearly six weeks before.
The surrender of Santiago took place on the 18th of July. By that time there was a great deal of sickness among our troops, and our friends Harold and Herbert Travilla were kept very busy attending to the sick and wounded. So overworked were they, and so injuriously affected by the malarious climate, that both becameill; Herbert so much so that he could scarcely keep about, and his brother began to question whether it were not his duty to take or send him home, or farther north, to join their mother and a number of the relatives and connections who were spending the summer on the Hudson, or at some Northern seaside resort, which he was at liberty to do, as they were serving as volunteer surgeons, and without pay.
On the morning after the surrender Herbert found himself entirely unfit for duty, and on his account Harold felt much depressed as he went through the hospital examining and prescribing for his patients. Presently he heard a quick, manly step, then a familiar voice saying in cheery tones:
"Good-morning, Harold! How are you?"
The young doctor turned quickly with the joyous exclamation:
"Why, Brother Levis! can it be possible that this is you?" holding out his hand in cordial greeting as he spoke.
"Not only possible, but an undeniable fact," returned Captain Raymond, with his pleasantsmile, and giving the offered hand a warm, brotherly pressure.
"And you came in your yacht? Have some of the family come with you—my mother——"
"Oh, no!" returned the captain quickly; "at present it is much too warm for her—or any of our lady friends—in this locality. She and my family are at Crag Cottage, and by her request I have come to take you and Herbert aboard theDolphinand carry you to her. And I didn't come alone; your brothers Edward and Walter are with me, and your cousin Chester also."
"Oh, what delightful news!" exclaimed Harold, his eyes shining with joy. "And your yacht is here?"
"Lying down yonder in the harbor, just waiting for two additions to her list of passengers. But where is Herbert?" looking about as if in search of him.
"Lying in our tent; on the sick list, poor dear fellow!" sighed Harold. "Can you wait five minutes for me to get through here for the present? Then I will take you to him."
"Certainly; longer than that, if necessary. Ah, I see it was time—high time for me to come for you boys."
Harold smiled in a rather melancholy way at that.
"I have grown to feel quite old since we have been here in the midst of so much suffering, and obliged to take so heavy a load of care and responsibility—performing serious operations and the like," he said with a sigh. "I must find you a seat," he added, glancing about in search of one.
"No, no," the captain hastened to say; "I should prefer walking around here and making acquaintance with some of these poor brave fellows—if you think it would not be unpleasant to them."
"I think they would be pleased to have you do so," was Harold's reply.
A few minutes later he and the captain went into the tent where Herbert lay in a burning fever. The very sight of the captain and the news that he had come to carry him and Harold north to cooler climate, mother, andother dear ones seemed so greatly to revive him that he insisted upon being considered quite able to be taken immediately on board the yacht, and his brother and brother-in-law promptly set about preparations to carry out his wish.
"You will go too, Harold?" he said inquiringly to his brother.
"To theDolphin? Yes, certainly, old fellow; you are my patient now, and I must see to it that you are well accommodated and cared for," returned Harold in a sprightly tone.
"And you are going with me to see to that throughout the voyage?"
"I don't know," Harold returned in a tone of hesitation; "these poor, wounded, and sick fellows——"
"You'll be down on your back as sick as any of them if you stay here another week," growled Herbert. "And with nobody to take care of you you'll die, and that'll break mother's heart. And as you are working without pay, you've a right to go as soon as you will."
"Yes," said the captain, "and if you fall sick you'll be no service, but only in the way. Better let me attend to the necessary arrangements for you, and carry you off along with your brother."
After a little hesitation Harold consented to that, saying that after seeing Herbert on board the yacht he would return, make all necessary arrangements, bid good-bye to his patients, then board theDolphinfor the homeward voyage.
"That's right, brother mine," Herbert said, with a pleased smile; "I'd be very unwilling to go, leaving you here alone; and what would mother say?"
It took but a few minutes to pick up their few belongings, and they were soon on the deck of the yacht receiving the warm greetings of their brothers and cousins, who, however, seemed greatly concerned over their weary and haggard looks.
"You are worn out, lads," said Edward, "and the best and kindest thing we can do will be to carry you up north to a cooler climate;and to mother and the others, who will, I hope, be able soon to nurse you back to health and strength."
"So say I," said Chester.
"And I," added Walter. "I have always found mother's nursing the best to be had anywhere or from anybody."
"Yes," said the captain, "and there are sisters and others to help with it at Crag Cottage, where I hope to land you a few days hence."
In a brief time Herbert was comfortably established in one of the neat staterooms, and left in Edward's charge, while Harold went ashore to make his farewell visit to his hospital patients, while Chester and Walter accompanied the captain in paying a visit to some of the men-of-war officered by old acquaintances and chums of the last-named when he belonged to the navy.
It was most interesting to them all to see both the men and the vessels that had taken part in that remarkable battle, and to hear accounts of its scenes from the actors in them.In fact, so much interested were they that Captain Raymond said he could not have Edward and Harold miss it; they must visit the vessels later, leaving Chester and Walter in charge of Herbert, since he was too ill to accompany them.
That afternoon the plan was carried out, and that night theDolphinstarted on her return voyage to the north. The change from the rough camps on Cuban soil to the luxurious cabin of theDolphinwas very agreeable and refreshing to the young volunteer physicians, but they were too thoroughly worn out with their toils, anxieties, and privations for even so great and beneficial a change to work an immediate cure. They were still on the sick list when they reached Crag Cottage.
Crag Cottagehad been at Evelyn's desire so added to in the past years that it could now accommodate a large number of guests. There were so many who were near and dear to her, and whom she loved to gather about her, that she could not be content till this was done. Now the families of Fairview, Ion, and Woodburn were all spending the summer there; also Ronald Lilburn and Annis, his wife—though just now several of the gentlemen had gone to Cuba to learn of the welfare of Harold and Herbert Travilla, about whom their mother had grown very solicitous. They had been gone long enough for hopes to be entertained of their speedy return, but there was no certainty in regard to the time of their arrival at the cottage.
It was late in the afternoon. The elder people were gathered on the front porch overlookingthe river, most of the younger ones amusing themselves about the grounds. Grandma Elsie was gazing out upon the river, with a slightly anxious expression of countenance.
"Looking for theDolphin, mamma?" asked her daughter Violet.
"Yes; though it is hardly time to expect her yet, I fear."
"Oh, yes, mamma, for there she is now!" exclaimed Violet, springing to her feet in her delight, and pointing to a vessel passing up the river, which had just come into sight.
Many of those on the porch and the young folks in the grounds had also caught sight of her, and a joyous shout was raised: "TheDolphin!theDolphin!there she is! the folks have come!"
"Oh, can we run down and get aboard of her, mamma?" asked Elsie Raymond. "I'm in such a hurry to see papa and get a kiss from him."
"You won't have long to wait for that, I am sure," returned her mother, with a smile."But it will be better to wait a few minutes and get it here. There are so many of us that if we should all go down to the landing we would be very much in the way."
Others thought the same, and the ladies and children waited where they were while Mr. Leland and Edward, his eldest son, went down the winding path that led to the little landing-place at the foot of the hill, to greet the friends on board the yacht and give any assistance that might be needed.
They found all well but the two doctors, Harold able to walk up to the house with the help of a sustaining arm, Herbert having to be borne on a litter. The mother's heart ached at sight of his wan cheeks and sunken eyes, but he told her the joy of her presence and loving care would soon work a change for the better. He was speedily carried to a comfortable bed, and everything done to cheer, strengthen, and relieve him.
Nor was Harold's reception any less tenderly affectionate and sympathizing. His mother was very glad that he was not so ill as his brother,and hoped the pure air and cooler climate would soon restore him to his wonted health and strength.
"I hope so, mother dear," he said, forcing a playful tone and a smile, "and that they will soon do as much for Herbert also. He, poor fellow, is not fit to be up at all, and I think it will be well for me to retire early."
"You must do just what you deem best for your health, my dear boy," said his mother. "But shall I not send for a physician, as I fear neither of you is well enough to manage the case of the other?"
"No, no, mother, please don't!" exclaimed Herbert; "Harold is well enough to prescribe for me, and I prefer him to any other doctor."
"As I should, if he were quite well," she said, regarding Harold with a proud, fond smile, which he returned, saying in cheerful tones, "My trouble is more weariness than illness, mother, and I hope a few days of rest here in the pleasant society of relatives and friends will quite restore me to wonted health and vigor."
"I hope so, indeed," she said, "and that Herbert may not be far behind you in recovering his."
In the meantime joyful greetings were being exchanged among the relatives and friends upon the porch, and the returned travellers were telling of what they had seen and heard in their absence, especially on the coast of Cuba. It was all very interesting to the auditors, but the tale was not half told when the tea-bell summoned them to their evening meal.
Chester had a good deal more to tell Lucilla as they wandered about the grounds together after leaving the table. And she was greatly interested.
"I should like to get aboard a battleship," she said; "particularly theOregon. What a grand vessel it must be!"
"It is," said Chester, "and did grand work in that battle; a battle which will go down in history as a most remarkable one. I am proud of the brave tars who fought it, and not less so of the fine fellows who kept up the firesunder the engines, which were as necessary to the gaining of the victory as was the firing of the guns."
"But, oh, the terrible carnage!" exclaimed Lucilla, with a shudder.
"Yes, that was awful; and what a wonder—what a cause for gratitude to God—that but one was killed and so few badly wounded on our ships."
"Yes, indeed! and truly I believe that was because we were fighting for the deliverance of the downtrodden and oppressed. Don't you, Chester?"
"Most assuredly I do," was his emphatic rejoinder. "Has there been any news from Manila?" he asked presently.
"No," she said, "but we are looking every day for a letter from Max. Oh, I do hope he is still unharmed! That victory of Dewey's seems to me to have been as great and wonderful as this later one at Santiago."
"So I think. Ah, Lu, darling, I wish Max might be ordered home soon, both for his own sake and ours."
"Yes; but try to be patient," she returned, in a light and cheery tone. "I am sure we are having pleasant times as things are, and we are young enough to wait, as my father says. I am still almost three years younger than he thinks a girl ought to be to undertake the cares of married life."
"I don't mean you shall have much care, and I am sure you are fully capable of all you would be called upon to do. My darling, if you don't have an easy life it shall be from no fault of mine."
"I am sure of that, Chester, and not in the least afraid to trust my happiness to your keeping. But I am willing to wait somewhat longer to please father and to have Max present—especially as Eva's bridegroom. Oh, I think a double wedding will be just lovely!"
"If one didn't have to wait for it," sighed Chester. "Yet it is a great consolation that we can be together pretty nearly every day in the year."
"Yes, you are a very attentive lover, and I appreciate it."
Later in the evening, when most of the guests had retired to their apartments for the night, the captain and his eldest daughter had a bit of private chat upon the porch, for she still retained her love for that, and it was hardly less enjoyable to him.
"You don't know how I missed this bit of private talk with you, father, while you were away on your little trip," she said, with a loving look up into his eyes as she stood by his side with his arm about her waist.
"Probably not more than I did, daughter mine," he returned, stroking her hair caressingly, then pressing his lips to her forehead and cheek. "Pacing the deck alone I missed my little girl more than I can tell her."
"Ah, didn't you almost wish you had granted my request to be allowed to go along with you?" she asked, with a pleased little laugh.
"No, my child; you are too great a treasure for me willingly to expose you to the risks of such a voyage at such a time."
"You dear father! you are so kindly careful of me, and of all your children."
"It behooves a man to be careful of his treasures," he said. "I should have greatly enjoyed your companionship, daughter, if I could have had it without risk to you."
"I should have liked to see the warships and the scene of the battle," she said. "What a terrible battle it was, father—for the Spaniards, at least."
"Yes," he sighed. "May the time soon come when men shall learn war no more, but shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks."
"It doesn't seem as though that time can be very near," she said. "Papa, do you think Max is in much danger there in Manila?"
"I hardly know, daughter; I hope we shall hear from him soon. I hardly think there will be much, if any more, fighting for him to do there at present. But his next letter will probably enable us to judge better about that."
"Oh, I hope it will come soon!" she exclaimed in a tone of ardent desire.
"As I do," he sighed. "I cannot but feel anxious about my dear boy; though the worst seems to be over, there."
The next morning's mail brought the desired letters to father, sisters, and ladylove. The captain's gave news of the doings of the army and navy, and after a private perusal he read the greater part of it aloud to the family and friends. It told of the irksomeness of their situation, the weariness of the watching and waiting for troops that did not come, the admiral's patience and forbearance in taking the delay so quietly, the troubles with the insurgents under Aguinaldo, and the commanders of the warships of several European nations. "We know," he said, "that those fellows are looking out for the first sign of weakness on our part, or the first disaster that might befall us, intending to take advantage of it to intervene. I can tell you, father, that Admiral Dewey is a credit to his country and that country's navy. He is very kind-hearted, and takes excellent care of his men; he is gentle, kind to all, but thorough, determined, andenergetic; everything under his control must be as perfect as possible. When it comes to the necessity for fighting he believes in being most thoroughly prepared, and striking quick, hard blows, soon putting the enemy in a condition where it cannot fight. He says little or nothing about what he expects, but seems to be always ready for whatever happens. The behavior of the foreign ships must be a constant worry to him, though he says little or nothing about it. The Germans here seem to study methods of annoying us. Their ships are constantly coming in or going out of Manila Bay at all hours, and on the most frivolous pretexts—sometimes at night, in a way that makes our lookouts think them Spanish torpedo boats; and should we send a shot at one of them it might cause the gravest international complications. And the German navy officers make the Spanish officers their chosen companions.
"The other day our admiral learned that one of the German vessels had violated neutrality by landing provisions in Manila. He summonedthe flag lieutenant to his cabin and when the officer came—'Oh, Brumby,' he said, 'I wish you to take the barge and go over to the German flagship. Give Admiral von Diederich my compliments, and say that I wish to call his attention to the fact that the vessels of his squadron have shown an extraordinary disregard of the usual courtesies of naval intercourse, and that finally one of them has committed a gross breach of neutrality in landing provisions in Manila, a port which I am blockading.' The admiral spoke in a quiet, gently modulated voice, but as the lieutenant turned to go he called him back and added in a wrathful tone, 'And, Brumby, tell Admiral von Diederich that if he wants a fight, he can have it right now.'
"The message had the desired effect, and we have had much less annoyance from the Germans since.
"The English squadron here is equal to the German, and I am glad to be able to say that the British officers lose no opportunity to show their friendship for us. I am told that theGerman admiral asked Captain Chichester, the British commander, what the English would do in case the Germans should protest against an American bombardment of Manila, and that the messenger received the answer: 'Say to Admiral von Diederich that he will have to call on Admiral Dewey to find out what the British ships will do in such an event. Admiral Dewey is the only man authorized to answer that question.' I cannot vouch for the exact truthfulness of this report," Max went on, "but I can for the hostility of the Germans and the friendliness of the English. And we hear reliable reports of sailors' fights in Hong-Kong, in which British and Yankee bluejackets fight shoulder to shoulder against German seamen subjects of the Kaiser."
"Oh, that is good!" exclaimed Lucilla, as her father paused in his reading, "and I hope we and the British will always be friends after this. Don't you think, father, that joining together we could rule the world?"
"Yes; and I hope, with you, that we may always be friends; though it is not necessarythat we should always take part in each other's quarrels."
"I hope Max is well?" said Violet inquiringly.
"Yes," said his father, "he tells me he is, and that he came through the battle without the slightest wound."
"I hope the President will let Dewey come home soon, and Brother Max with him," said little Elsie. "Doesn't he say anything about it, papa?"
"No, my child, except that he fears it will be months, if not years, before we see each other again. But we won't despair; it may be that the war will be short, and peace return our dear boy to us sooner than now seems likely."
The captain seemed to have finished reading the part of Max's letter which he thought best for all to hear, and was folding it up. "Mother," he said, turning to Mrs. Travilla, "the air out here is delightful this morning; don't you think it might do Harold good to lie yonder in the hammock? and thathe could come out with the assistance of my arm?"
"I certainly do," she said, "and thank you for your kind offer. Both he and Herbert will be deeply interested in the contents of Max's letter—if you are willing to let them see or hear it."
"Certainly, mother," the captain hastened to say. "I will carry it in and read it to them before we bring Harold out."
And so he did. They were both greatly interested, and upon the conclusion of the reading Harold was glad to accept the offer of the captain to help him out to the porch and into a hammock, where he could lie at ease and enjoy the companionship of other members of the party, older and younger. They were all ready to wait upon him and to do whatever they could for his comfort and entertainment. None more so than Grace, whose ministrations he seemed to prefer to any other. As the days went on they were often left alone together, while husbands and wives and lovers devoted themselves to each other; Mrs. Travilla herselfto her sicker son, and Evelyn to her housekeeping and correspondence, especially the letters to Max, her affianced.
Grace was fond of Harold, as she thought any one might be of so kind an uncle, whose medical skill had many times relieved suffering for her, and who had always shown kindly sympathy in her ailments. She wanted to make a suitable return for it all, so endeavored to amuse him with cheerful chat, music, and reading aloud anything that he seemed to care to hear.
He fell more deeply in love with her day by day, and often found it difficult to refrain from telling the tale to her, and pleading for a return. His mother saw it all, and at length advised him to speak to Grace's father, tell him the whole story, and crave permission to do and say what he could to win her heart.
"I have thought it might be best to wait some years, mother," he said. "I fear he will be astonished, indignant, and deprive me of her sweet society."
"Astonished he probably will be," she said,"but surely not indignant; and when he has fully considered the matter, remembering that there is no tie of blood between you, I think he will not withhold his consent, provided you are willing to defer marriage till she is of suitable age."
"I hope you are right, mother, but such a mixture of relationships as it would make—I fear he will think that an insurmountable difficulty."
"But to rob his dearly loved daughter of a life of wedded happiness he will think still worse, if I am not greatly mistaken in him. And as for the mixture of relationships, you can still be brother to him and your sister Violet, and Grace remain his daughter."
"You are the best of comforters and advisers, mother," he said, "and I will take your advice, and make a clean breast of it to the captain at the earliest opportunity."