"Great Scott, boy, do you expect me to believe all that!" burst out the officer, in sheer astonishment. "As you will, sir; it's true, though." "But--but--let me see; you said you were on the _Merrimac_?" "Yes, sir." "And on shore among the Cubans, and then among the enemy?" "Yes, sir." "And then among the marines at Guantanamo Bay?" "Exactly, sir. I escaped from a Spanish prison, and was lucky enough to fall in with the marines by accident. I fought with them too, sir." "Russell, after you disappeared Surgeon Barker said you had been sick--had been troubled with some sort of fever in your head. Don't you believe you went out of your head entirely, and imagined all this?" "No, sir." "Well, I reckon that's the truth of the matter, and the best thing you can do is to turn yourself over to the surgeon again for further treatment. How is your head?" And the officer of the deck placed his hand on Walter's forehead. "Ah, rather hot, as I thought. You had better go to bed." And he turned away. "I don't think I'll go to bed just yet," murmured Walter, and lost no time in reaching the berth deck. Here he came up behind Si and Caleb playing one of their favorite games of checkers, while Paul stood looking on. "Crown that man," Caleb was saying, when he chanced to glance up, "Walter! or is it a ghost?" he fairly yelled, and leaped up, scattering board and men in all directions. "Walter, where on earth did you come from?" And he reached out his hand. "It is Walter, back from the grave!" ejaculated Si, and grasped the other hand, while Paul caught the youth by the neck. "We thought you were drowned!" said all three, simultaneously. "They said you had gone out of your mind, and committed suicide," added Paul. "Well, I didn't commit suicide, and I'm as well as ever," was the merry return. "But--but--I don't believe you'll think I'm telling the truth when I give you my story." "That depends on what sort of a yarn you spin," returned Caleb, dryly. "Where have you been--sinking Cervera's fleet single-handed?" "Not quite, but I've been pretty close to the fleet, and pretty close to the Spaniards." And dropping on a box Walter told his story, interrupted every few minutes by some newcomer who advanced to shake him by the hand, for since joining them he had made many friends among the jackies and petty officers. "I don't wonder the officer of the deck wouldn't believe you, lad," remarked Caleb, when he had finished. "It's a big yarn; beats Jonah and the whale all to pieces--not but what _that's_ a true story, seeing as how it's in the Good Book. You are certain you wasn't taken down with the fever while you were on shore?" "Not enough to lose my mind." "I believe Walter," put in Si. "But if I were you I wouldn't tell this tale to the others," he added in a lower tone. "They'd be jealous of you, you know." "I don't care, I'm telling the simple truth," answered Walter, stoutly.