For “Bill” had caught him by the slack of the shirt and one arm and was hustling him along the deck.  The “Kid,” looking aggrieved, went his way, and “Bill” returned.

“As I was saying,” he continued calmly; “the lazy fellow saw all those things, then he threw back his head and laughed and laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks.  ‘Whoop!’ he cried, ’this is the best piece of luck I’ve struck yet.  Hurray! blamed if it ain’t the resurrection day and I’m the first feller above ground.  Whoop!’”

After I had finished laughing I picked up a can of oil and asked: 

“Where’s the similarity, ‘Bill’?  It’s a good story, but you said this reminded you of it.”

“Humph! aren’t we going to see the resurrection of some of these old Spanish fossils around here to-day?” “Bill” demanded.  “And aren’t we the first volunteer force on the spot?  I guess that makes the story apropos.”

As the “Yankee” was the first vessel manned by Naval Reserves to reach the scene of hostilities, I could not deny “Bill’s” claim.  Seeing the success of one story, he was on the point of telling another, when word came to hasten the clearing of the ship for action, and we were compelled to devote our energies to the work in hand.

The decks were sanded—­a precaution that made more than one wonder if the spilling of blood was really anticipated; all boats and spare booms were covered with canvas to prevent the scattering of splinters, the steel hatch covers were closed down, hammocks were broken out of the racks and made to serve as an added protection to the forward wheel-house, and everything possible done to make the ship fit for action.

The time taken to gain this end did not exceed ten minutes, which was almost a record.  Signals were displayed stating that we were in readiness, then all hands were called to general quarters.  As we hurried to our stations I saw the entire blockading fleet moving slowly shoreward.

“We are going to bombard the Dagoes this trip for sure,” observed the first captain of Number Eight as we lined up.  “I see their finish.”

“Don’t be too sure,” said “Stump.”  “There’s many a slip between the muzzle and the target.  Maybe we won’t do much after all.  Just to make it interesting I’ll bet you a dinner at Del’s that we will only chuck a bluff.  What d’ye say?”

“Done, if you make it for the whole ship’s company,” chuckled the first captain.

“Stump” shook his head.

“A dinner at Del’s for over two hundred hungry Reserves, and on a salary of $35 per month.  Nope.  Not on your life.”

“Cast loose and provide,” came the order.

There were a few moments of rapid work, then the battery was reported in readiness for firing.  Through the open port we could catch a glimpse of the other vessels of the fleet, and the spectacle formed by the low-lying battleships, the massive cruisers, and the smaller, but equally defiant gunboats, was one long to be remembered.