CONTENTS
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
| I. | [The Marchant Foundry ] | 1 |
| II. | ["Face Troubles Like a Man" ] | 9 |
| III. | [An Eventful Voyage ] | 18 |
| IV. | [A Call for Volunteers ] | 27 |
| V. | [No Rest for the Weary ] | 38 |
| VI. | [A Friend in Need ] | 47 |
| VII. | [All But Killed ] | 56 |
| VIII. | [The Loss of the "Maine" ] | 68 |
| IX. | ["The Ever-faithful Island" ] | 82 |
| X. | [A Sudden Attack ] | 94 |
| XI. | [A Bold Course ] | 111 |
| XII. | [A Risky Undertaking ] | 128 |
| XIII. | [In Danger and Distress ] | 146 |
| XIV. | [A Dash for Liberty ] | 163 |
| XV. | [With the American Fleet ] | 178 |
| XVI. | [The Beginning of Hostilities ] | 195 |
| XVII. | [A Baptism of Fire ] | 209 |
| XVIII. | [A Desperate Undertaking] | 226 |
| XIX. | [Fortune Favors the Brave ] | 245 |
| XX. | [The Invasion of Cuba ] | 260 |
| XXI. | [Nearing the End ] | 278 |
| XXII. | [The Flower of the Hacienda ] | 295 |
UNDER THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER
CHAPTER I
THE MARCHANT FOUNDRY
The city of Birmingham was wrapped in a mantle of fog so dense that the inhabitants found it difficult to move about. The thick, soot-laden atmosphere covered everything, and only a few faintly glimmering lights showed that they really existed.
The clock in the church tower had just struck two, and yet the street lamps were ablaze.
The pedestrians moved with the utmost care. Trudging along the soppy pavements, their footsteps sounded hollow and unreal, and were heard long before they themselves put in an appearance.