"The dispatches!" he cried, as he sprang to his place in the stern of the boat, which had been turned ready for the start. He gave the word and away they sped, this time with the flagship as the goal. Spanish bullets flew after them, but they were safe. It was only when they were for a moment brought out into bold relief by the searchlight that again began to play from the flagship that the bullets of the enemy came near their mark. And then the firing ceased and the boat sped on. An enthusiastic and jubilant crew it was. Only Clif seemed in a dissatisfied mood. "Gorry!" he suddenly exclaimed, "I came off without that shell after all!" "You seem to lay great store by that, sir," said one of the men. "I do," said Clif. "But will not return for it just now. To the flagship!" Not many minutes later they were safe aboard, the captured Spaniard in proper custody, and, best of all, the dispatches were personally delivered by Clif to the rear admiral. But still Clif was not entirely satisfied. CHAPTER XXIX. CLIF'S SECOND EXPEDITION. In spite of the glorious work accomplished in those few hours Clif felt chagrined that he had, in the excitement of the struggle on the boat and under fire of the Spanish soldiers on shore, been forced to return to the flagship without the shell. He had thought considerably about it even during the stirring scenes through which they had passed. He had his own ideas about it and wanted to put them to the test. Everything connected with it indicated to his mind some mystery, the solution of which would materially help the American forces. In the first place, the way in which it was brought to his attention was unusual, to say the least. That a ship being pursued by a hostile craft should deliberately fire away from the pursuer and toward the land was peculiar, even for a Spaniard. It was ridiculous to think that the shell had been aimed at Clif and his party, for even had it been broad daylight the American boat's crew would not have been visible to those on the Spanish ship. It was merely a coincidence that Clif happened to be where the shell landed. "No," thought Clif as he revolved this in his mind, "that shot was not aimed at our forces. There was some other reason for firing it." What that was he could merely conjecture, and he was not entirely clear in his own mind. That the mysterious purpose had been carried out to the satisfaction of those on the Spanish boat, Clif felt convinced, was evident from the fact that not another shot was fired. Then the shape of the shell was an important factor. "They are not using those round ones nowadays," thought Clif. "This one must be used for a special purpose. What that is, I'm going to find out." The arrival of the Spanish soldiers and their peculiar actions before the little battle that followed also demanded explanation.