After daylight came Hobson saw a steam-launch approaching from the ships. There were officers in it, and when it came near he gave it a hail. His voice seemed to scare the men on board, for they backed off in great haste.
They were still more surprised when they saw a number of men clamber out from under the float. The marines in the launch were about to fire, but the officers would not let them.
Then Hobson swam towards the launch and called out in Spanish:
"Is there an officer on board?"
"Yes," came the reply.
"I have seven men to surrender," said Hobson.
He now swam up and was seized and lifted out of the water. One of the men who had hold of him was Admiral Cervera, the commander of the Spanish fleet.
The admiral gave an odd look at the queer kind of fish he had caught. Hobson had been in the engine-room of the Merrimac and was covered with oil, coal-dust, and soot. But he wore his officer's belt, and when he pointed to that the admiral smiled and bade him welcome.
Then the men were taken on board the launch, where they were well treated. They had come very near death and had escaped.
Of course, you want to read the rest of this story. Well, they were locked up in Morro Castle. This was a fine old fort on the cliff at the harbor's mouth, where they could see the great shells come in from the ships and explode, and see the Spanish gunners fire back.