what they did in Cuba to the Americans. After all, he says, they
came only just as the Cubans themselves were about to conquer the
Spaniards, and by a lucky chance received the surrender and then
claimed all the credit. As other Cubans told me, "Had the Americans
left us alone a few weeks longer, we would have ended the war." How
they were to have taken Havana, and sunk Cervera's fleet, and why
they were not among those present when our men charged San Juan, I
did not inquire. Old Casanova, again like other Cubans, ranks the
fighting qualities of the Spaniard much higher than those of the
American. This is only human. It must be annoying to a Cuban to
remember that after he had for three years fought the Spaniard, the
Yankee in eight weeks received his surrender and began to ship him
home. The way Casanova describes the fight at El Caney is as
follows:

"The Americans thought they could capture El Caney in one day, but
the brave General Toral fought so good that it was six days before
the Americans could make the Spaniards surrender." The statement is
correct except as regards the length of time during which the fight
lasted. The Americans did make the mistake of thinking they could
eat up El Caney in an hour and then march through it to San Juan.
Owing to the splendid courage of Toral and his few troops our
soldiers, under two of our best generals, were held in check from
seven in the morning until two in the afternoon. But the difference
between seven hours of one day and six days is considerable. Still,
at present at San Juan that is the sort of information upon which the
patriotic and puzzled American tourist is fed.

Young Casanova, the only other authority in Santiago, is not so sure
of his facts as is his father, and is willing to learn. He went with