"Yes," said Grandma Elsie, "I think the nailing of their flag to the mast showed that they felt confident of victory. Cooper tells in his history that when the Enterprise hailed to know if the Boxer had struck—as she kept her flag flying—one of the officers of the British vessel leaped upon a gun, shook both fists at the Americans, and shouted 'No, no, no!' adding some opprobrious epithets."
"Oh, didn't that make our fellows angry?" asked Ned.
"I think not," replied Grandma Elsie; "it seems to have amused them, as they saw that he was ordered down by his superiors."
"Was it a long fight, grandma?" asked Elsie.
"It had lasted only thirty-five minutes when the Boxer surrendered."
"Had a great many of her men been killed?" asked Ned.
"I don't know," replied his grandma, "but on the Enterprise there was but one besides Burrows; Midshipman Kervin Waters, who had been mortally wounded, died a few weeks later. He was buried by the side of his gallant leader—Burrows."
"Oh, dear!" sighed little Elsie, "war is so dreadful!"
"It is indeed," said her grandma, "and it was made especially dreadful at that time to the people of this country by reason of our being so much weaker than England in men, money, and ships."
"But it was a blessing that our seamen were so much more skilful than hers, Grandma Elsie," said Max, who had drawn near in time to hear the last few sentences. "Our little navy did good work in that war, small as she was in comparison with the enemy's. We had but twenty ships to her thousand, yet showed ourselves strong enough to put an end to her tyrannical conduct toward our poor sailors. She has never interfered again in that way with them."