On her way she discovered a big gunboat, and, as the two ships drew near, the Spanish officers, who had been allowed on deck, saw that she was not an American vessel, and danced for joy.  An instant later they were shoved down a hatchway and placed in the hold.  As the stranger came closer it was plainly seen that she was nearly twice as large as the Nashville and more heavily armed, but the commander of the American vessel did not hesitate an instant.  He cleared his ship for action and trained his guns on her.  Just then she hoisted English colors and dipped them in salute to the stars and stripes that were floating above the Nashville.  She proved to be the Talbot, an English ship cruising in those waters.  The whole affair was a splendid display of courage on the part of the Nashville in clearing ship and showing fight to the big English gunboat.  Every man on the American ship knew that if the stranger proved to be a Spanish war vessel the chances were ten to one against the Nashville; but none of them stopped to think of that, but made ready to fight her.  Now we will return to Cienfuegos and see how our splendid seamen cut the Spanish cables in the very face of death.

Volunteers from the Marblehead and the Nashville manned the boats that were sent into the shallow waters to grapple for the cable.  Each ship furnished a cutter and a launch, under the command of a lieutenant.  The men who were to do the work were in the cutters, and each of the launches carried a small rapid-fire gun to protect the workers as much as possible.  The Nashville shelled the shore and then the boats were ordered in.  They went within one hundred yards of the shore and then began to grapple for the cable.  As calmly as though they were fishing, the men worked with their hooks.  At last the cable was caught, and soon it was brought to view.  It proved not to be the Santiago cable, but about a hundred feet of its length were cut out of it, and the brave fellows grappled for another.  They found it, hauled it up, and, with what tools they had, hacked it in two.

They were not unmolested, however, for Spaniards began to show themselves on the shore, and a perfect hail of bullets dimpled the water around the Americans as they worked.  When a man in the boats was hit, another took his place.  Sturdy arms at the oars held the boats against the strong current, while others hacked away the tough wires.

Then the guns of the ships sent an iron storm among the rocks and trees and the soft sands.  They drove the Spaniards to shelter, and then they knocked the cable-house, the fort and the light-house to bits.  It was not intended at first to destroy the light-house, but when it was discovered that the Spaniards used it for a shelter while firing upon the Americans, the gunners were ordered to cut it down, and in a short time nothing remained of it but a heap of ruins.

The personal bravery of the men in the boats was wonderful.  Although untried in warfare, they conducted themselves like veterans in the hour of trial.  Cable cutting is one of the new features of modern warfare, but that made no difference to the brave jackies and marines that volunteered for the work.  One of their number was killed and several were wounded, but officers and men performed their work with the utmost coolness and bravery.