"Wait, boys," I said, gently; "you haven't heard all."

There was quiet at once.

"Hobson and his brave men succeeded in accomplishing their object, but
they have paid the penalty for it."

"Not dead?" asked one in almost a whisper.

"So the captain read the signals. The 'Merrimac' went in about three
o'clock this morning. It seems she reached the channel all right, but
she was discovered and sent to the bottom with all on board."

"Hay" took off his cap reverently, and the others instantly followed his
example. Nothing more was said. The glory of the deed was overshadowed
by the supposed fate of the gallant volunteer crew.

The "Yankee" steamed in to a position designated by the flagship, and
the captain went aboard to pay his respects to Admiral Sampson. A
Spanish tug, flying a flag of truce, which had emerged from the harbor
at noon, met one of our tugs, also flying a flag of truce, and almost
immediately a string of signals went up to the signal yard of the "New
York."

Then came such a burst of cheers and whistling and tossing of hats from
every ship in the fleet that it seemed as if every officer and sailor in
Sampson's squadron had suddenly gone daft. Like wildfire, the glorious
news spread--