"Yes," sighed Max; "war is an awful thing; but in this instance right is on our side, because we have undertaken the cause of the oppressed. And," he added with an effort, "if we have made our peace with God—are believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and trusting in his perfect righteousness—death will be no calamity to us; and if we are wounded, no matter how painfully, he will give us strength to bear it."
"I do not doubt it," said Dale; "nor that you are in that state of preparation, Raymond. I hope I am also; and that being the case, we surely can go bravely on to meet whatever awaits us."
"I hope so," said Max, "and believing, as I do, that we are in the right, I have a strong hope that God will give us the victory."
"Ah, see!" cried a voice near them, "yonder are the Spanish ships, lying at anchor under the batteries at Cavité."
"Yes," said another, "and there is the old town of Manila, with its low clustering roofs and towering cathedral."
Men crowded to the best points from which to obtain a good view, and stood in silence gazing upon it. Max had a glass, and looking through it could see the roofs and quays of the city crowded with spectators. Evidently the engagement with the battery at El Fraile had been heard and had alarmed the city.
Dewey had planned for a prompt fight, but did not intend to have his men go into it hungry; and now some of his sailors were passing up and down distributing cups of hot coffee and biscuits.
That duly attended to, signals fluttered from the gaff, black balls were run up to every peak on all the vessels, and, breaking out, displayed the great battle flags. At that, some nine-inch guns on Fort Lunette were fired—without doing any damage—and the American vessels suddenly moved on to closer quarters.
"Hold your fire!" was the order from the flagship, and two shots from the Concord was the only answer given to the forts. Onward the fleet sped toward that of the Spaniards, which was silent also. Suddenly there was a muffled roar, and a great volume of mud and water was thrown into the air right before the flagship, showing that the dreaded mines were near. In an instant there was another explosion, but neither did any harm; and they were all our men saw of the Spanish explosives of that sort.