[CHAPTER XVIII.]
THE BOYS GET ACQUAINTED WITH BIG GUNS.
Two days later the squadron sighted what at first seemed—to the boys, at least—to be a distant cloud of deeper blue than the surrounding sky. It floated on the southern horizon.
"Cuba!" announced old Tom, who, with the boys, was standing on the fore deck in the "smoke time" succeeding the jackies' dinner.
"How soon will we come to anchor?" inquired Herc.
"About sundown," was the reply. "You boys are in for some strange sights and experiences down here."
If Tom had been a prophet of old, he could not have spoken more truly. The boys were indeed "in for some strange experiences."
That afternoon the gun crews were set to work on their various pieces of ordnance, and "dummy drill" was gone through again and again till the officers were hoarse with shouting commands.