Dewey was so long in coming from Hongkong and the garrison on the island had been kept at their guns ready for action for so many hours without rest that many of them were completely tired out by the last day of April, and asked for relief. It was hard to give it. Marie's opportunity had come. Her ability as an expert rifle shot was known alike to officers and enlisted men. She offered to serve. The Spanish commandant could not well refuse. He needed her services; besides, the Spaniards were just then doing all within their power to win the temporary friendship of the natives. Consequently, he promised to assign her to duty for the night. The sunset, as viewed from Corregidor Island on the evening of April 30, was most glorious. Not a cloud was in the sky; a dead calm prevailed, so that the sea was unusually smooth. As the sun sank to rest behind the shimmering horizon it caused the island to cast a long shadow over Manila bay as far as the eye could reach, but this soon disappeared. When the sun had sunk from view, Marie noticed that a comparatively new moon was visible in the sky, and she remarked to the Sergeant of the Guard, "It will not be very dark to-night. We can see the Americanos a long way off." "Yes," replied the Sergeant, "the only difficulty with the cowards is that they will not come near enough to be seen at all. They have had plenty of time to run from Hongkong to Manila and back again; still they have not been seen or heard of. I'll bet you a peso (Spanish dollar) that they have gone home and that all of this excitement has been for nothing. Dewey is getting old, Marie; he doesn't want to go to a watery grave so far from home. If he were young and ambitious, it would be different. Old men do not care much about real fighting, especially on the sea. It is different with old generals commanding land forces. They can sit away back in the rear of the battle-field, receive messages that come to them; plan certain movements based upon these reports; and while they do have considerable responsibility, still they are not in the actual fight. As for Dewey, nobody has ever heard of him. He is not a recognized naval commander. Besides, the old fellow, according to reports, is slow and easy going. If he should come to make us an unfriendly call tonight, mark my word, Marie, there will not be a sliver of his entire fleet left floating above the water yonder inside of thirty minutes after the first shot is fired." He had scarcely concluded speaking when the Officer of the Guard, Lieutenant Orlando, called out, "Sergeant of the Guard! Fall in the First Relief!" The Sergeant threw his arm over Marie's shoulder in an affectionate manner, smacked a hurried caress against her olive cheek, jumped up from the little bamboo bench on which they were sitting, rushed up to the guard house and cried out, "First Relief! Fall in!"