Once more the vessels were in the open sea clear of San Juan de Porto Rico. The Brooklyn lay to, and a boat put off. In obedience to a signal from the cruiser, the gun-boat and her prize waited till the boat came up. In the cutter was Captain Miles, the commander of the Brooklyn.

"A great and glorious victory, Captain Long," said he, stepping aboard the Nashville.

"Yes, sir, thanks to the men you lent me, and especially Young Glory.

Through his advice, as I don't mind admitting, the Spaniard was taken."

"Well, I congratulate you. The country will be crazy when they hear what you've done. You will, of course, return home."

"I want you to lend me some men, Captain Miles, to work the two ships."

"I must do so. Such a valuable prize as the Spanish cruiser must be taken care of."

And Captain Miles went back to his ship, sending shortly after for the necessary help.

Then the ships parted company. The Brooklyn remained in the neighborhood of San Juan, looking for Spanish ships, and the gun-boat and its prize steamed away through the Caribbean Sea.

CHAPTER XII.

THE SPANISH PLOT--YOUNG GLORY'S DANGER.

During the night the two ships parted company.

The wind blew fiercely, and the gun-boat being of light draft went in towards the land, the cruiser with its deeper draft preferring to weather the storm in the open sea.

In the morning nothing could be seen of the gun-boat, but this was no reason for delay. Apparently the Spanish cruiser was well able to take care of itself, and as the destination of the ships had been determined upon, they might go there, either in company or separately, it mattered not which.

They were bound for Key West.

The prisoners for the most part were kept below. They numbered over four hundred, and it was not safe to allow such a number of men, even though unarmed, to wander at large through the ship.

The officers were free to do what they pleased.

They pa.s.sed the time on deck mostly, keeping strictly to themselves, and wearing savage and sullen faces as they paced to and fro.

"Faith, it's a handsome lot they are," muttered Dan. "It's myself'll be glad when we've landed you. I'd rather sail in a cattle ship."

"No accounting for tastes, Dan," laughed Young Glory.

"It's an eye we must kape on the dons," said Dan.

"An eye?"

"Faith, two. It's the slippery spalpeens they are."

"But they won't try to slip away."

"Arrah, it's worse they'll do!"

"What?"

"Shure, it's many they are to us. If we're not afther watchin' them closely, they'll try an' take the ship!"

Young Glory laughed.

"Fists against rifles don't count for much. We're armed and they're not.

Don't forget that."

"I don't, but it's yourself knows they're as full of treachery as a sausage is of meat."

"I have no fear of them, and I'm quite sure, Mr. Tyler feels the same.

Of course he's taking every precaution, but unless those four hundred men below can get out of their quarters, what harm can the officers and the few men who are at large do?"

Dan scratched his head.

"It's a warnin' I've given ye! Don't be afther blamin' me if it happens!"

"That's like Dan," said Young Glory, looking after him. "Prove to him he's wrong, and he won't admit it. He only gets sulky. Well, this time he's clearly out of it, and I'll make him say so when we reach Key West."

It was drawing towards evening now. Young Glory, having nothing better to do, stood and looked over the rail at the setting sun, until it had sunk below the horizon, and all was dark.

Then he threw himself down near a boat which was on the deck, and the lapping noise of the waves, coupled with the want of rest he was suffering from, sent him to sleep.

He had not the faintest idea how long he had been dozing, when he suddenly woke with a start, as men will when aroused from a deep sleep.

But he never uttered a cry, and at once he fell back intending to go to sleep again. It was against the rules to do so, but in his tired state he never thought of this.

In a minute he would have been asleep but for the fact that he heard some men talking, and out of mere curiosity he listened to what was being said.

"Some of the Spanish officers," he muttered. He knew this, for the language they were using was Spanish.

The young sailor was able to hear every word, and before the talk had proceeded far, he was taking in every word, feeling as wide awake as ever he had been in his life.

"Juan," said one man, "I've interested you already by what I've said."

"I confess it, Manuel."

"And you would like to hear more?"

"Of course."

"I can't understand, Juan, how it is you are ignorant of what is going on. They know you're to be trusted."

"I should hope so," was the indignant answer. "Perhaps it is because I have kept myself away from the others. I have felt heart broken over our defeat."

"All the more reason why you should do what you can to repair it."