It was plainly evident, however, that she had been badly hulled, as she yawed wildly while passing from sight behind the headlands.  This of itself was victory enough for the present, and at the end of twenty minutes’ firing, we withdrew out of range.

Our object in the first place was, as we ascertained from forward during the day, to intercept a Spanish blockade runner, the “Purissima Concepcion”; so we laid off the harbor and waited for the coming of the ship, which was supposed to have left Jamaica for Cienfuegos.  The day was spent in cleaning up after our brief but lively battle, and when night came, we were again shipshape.

Shortly after daybreak the following morning, the lookout aloft reported that a steamer, evidently a man-of-war, was emerging from the harbor.  The crew were called to “general quarters” at once, and every preparation made to give the stranger a lively reception.  She proved, however, to be the German warship “Geier” bound for Santiago.

“In time of peace prepare for war” is a good adage, but the reverse is also true.  Peaceful pursuits are of a necessity carried out even in the face of the enemy.

At “evening quarters” new hammocks were doled out, and all hands were instructed to scrub the old ones next morning and turn them in.

By this time we had become quite expert laundrymen, but we had never tackled a stiff canvas hammock, and the prospect was far from pleasant; the following morning, however, we learned how to perform this final feat of cleansing; after which we felt qualified to wash anything—­from a handkerchief to a circus tent.

As “Hay” said, “I feel equal to applying for the position of general housework man, if I lose my job.  I can sew—­you ought to see the elegant patch I put on the seat of my old blues—­I can ‘scrub and wash’ clothes, I can sweep beautifully, I can make a bed with neatness and despatch.  And I have been known to get on my knees and scrub the deck.”

“You’re not the only one,” growled Bill.  “Why, even ‘Dirty Greene’ escapes the aforetime customary ‘calling down.’”

Greene was a clever fellow, a student at Harvard, the owner of a yacht, and a good sailor, but his college education did not help him to get his clothes clean.  That was a study that had been left out of his university curriculum.  The consequence was that he, with a good many others, was “called down” at every inspection.

“Greene is getting it in the neck now,” said his friend “Steve”; “but I think he will get even some day with his cousin, the lieutenant of his division.”

“How’s that?” we chorused.

“Why, you see he owns a schooner yacht.  And his cousin, the lieutenant, is very fond of sailing and never fails to accept an invitation to go cruising on her.  Some day when the lieutenant is aboard, Greene will look him over and discover that his shoes are not polished, that his hair has not been combed properly, or his white duck trousers are not immaculate.  He will then be sent below in disgrace to repair these faults, and our friend Greene will have the merry Ha!  Ha! on him.  ’He who laughs last, laughs best.’”