"What's up?" whispered one of the men. "Shure, it's some fightin' for us!" "Hope so, Dan." "My men," said Lieutenant Robson, "the duty you are to be placed on, is not given to you because you have displeased the captain. On the contrary. But someone has to do it, and you have been chosen." The men's faces fell at this speech. "Yes, you are lent to the Nashville. You will go aboard at once, and my last word is--but I know it's unnecessary--that you will show your new skipper what the men of the Brooklyn can do." The men were instantly dismissed. It took them a few minutes to collect their belongings, during which they received much sympathy from their comrades. "You'll miss this fight, Young Glory." "Don't talk about it," replied Young Glory, hotly. "It's enough to send a man crazy!" "Shure, it's like desertin', I feel!" "Do. There's no one to stop you, Dan, and it's very easy. You have only to step over the ship's sides into the mouth of the shark who's waiting there for you." But Dan was too mad to reply. He and his comrades very soon found themselves on the Nashville. The first person they met aboard was Captain Long, whom they had not seen when he paid his visit to Captain Miles on the Brooklyn. "Young Glory and Dan Daly!" cried Captain Long. "Well, this is a surprise. I can't complain now that they've sent me a poor lot of men." Captain Long was a lieutenant of the Indiana, the first battle ship on which Young Glory had served during the war. He was only a young man, but he had on so many occasions displayed such conspicuous bravery, that he had been promoted to the rank of captain and placed in command of the gun-boat. "It might be worse, Dan," said Young Glory. "Why?" "Because wherever Captain Long is there's fighting. That's a dead sure thing, and I wouldn't be surprised but what we'll have enough of it." "Faith, an' it's plased I am to see an ould face." "Old! Captain Long's young." "Arrah! ye're a tasin' lad. It's yerself knows what I mane." The Brooklyn had faded from sight now. The Nashville was running towards San Juan. The gun-boat did not mean to enter the harbor, but simply to cruise about in the hope that something might be seen of the Spanish cruiser. One night the weather was very thick. It was quite possible for a ship to leave the port without being seen, or even heard, for the waves stifled any sound she might have made. Towards morning the weather cleared. Young Glory was on watch duty and Captain Long happened to be near him. "Can I have a word with you, sir?" "Surely?" "Well, sir, I may be mistaken, but I feel positive that the Cristobal Colon went out of port during the night." "How do you make that out? You saw nothing." "No, sir." "And heard nothing?"