Following the second report came a dull, booming sound, apparently from a distance. We eyed one another significantly.
"It's a fort," quoth "Dye." "We've got to tackle both sea and land forces."
Presently, while we were hard at work sending shots at the Spanish gunboat, which was in lively action a short distance away, we became aware of a peculiar whirring noise—a sound like the angry humming of a swarm of hornets. It would rise and fall in volume, then break off short with a sharp crash. Suddenly, while glancing through the port, I saw something strike the surface, sending up a great spurt of water. It was followed by a dull, muffled report which seemed to shake the ship.
It was a shell!
"Whiz! they are coming pretty fast," remarked Flagg. "That last one didn't miss us by a dozen yards."
"This isn't Santiago shooting," put in Tommy. "These beggars know how to aim."
During the next ten minutes the fighting was fast and furious. It was load and fire and load again without cessation. There was the old trouble in regard to the smoke, and half the time we had to aim blindly. Notwithstanding that fact, "Hay" did so well that word came from Captain Brownson complimenting him warmly.
The "Yankee" seemed to be the centre of a series of eruptions. The Spanish shells kept the water continually boiling, and with the splashing of each projectile there would arise a geyser-like fountain accompanied by a muffled explosion which could be plainly felt on board the ship.
