"Menial tasks is good," said "Dye," ruefully eyeing the baskets piled high with coal.
"Self-laudation is bad form," spoke up Flagg, "but I think the Naval Reserves who are manning the different auxiliary cruisers--the 'Yosemite,' 'Prairie,' 'Dixie,' 'Badger,' 'Yankee,' and the monitors--as well as those serving on board the regular ships, should be given credit for their patriotism."
"The boys will get it when the time comes," remarked "Stump," confidently. "And while we are waiting we'll just carry a little more coal. Get in line there."
Kennedy, all this time, was bearing up under his trouble splendidly, and when the launch of the hospital ship "Solace" came alongside to take him away, we could hardly repress a cheer. He was lowered over the side in a chair. As the launch steamed away, carrying Kennedy and two other shipmates who had been overcome by heat, there was a lump in many a throat.
It was not until almost dark the next day that the bunkers were filled. At three bells (half-past five o'clock) we dropped the collier and steamed to sea en route down the coast. Shortly after ten the "Yankee" passed the fleet off Santiago. The electric searchlights in use on the ships nearer shore made a particularly brilliant display. The rays were turned directly upon the entrance to the harbor, and it was plainly evident that not even a small boat could emerge without being discovered.
All day Sunday we steamed out of sight of land, our course being to the westward and our speed a good fourteen knots.
For four hours in the morning we scrubbed the gun deck, washed the white paint work with fresh water and soap, scrubbed the deck with stiff "kiyi" brushes, and polished off the bright work. By noon the deck had its pristine immaculate look. We were in the midst of the sloppy job when "forecastle Murray" (one of the Murray twins--they looked so much alike that the invariable greeting in the morning was "How are you, Murray--or are you your brother?") came aft for a bucket of fresh water.
"What do you think of this?" he inquired pugnaciously. "Here we are scrubbing this blooming gun deck to beat the band, cleaning up the dirt of a two day's coaling, and now, forsooth, we are ploughing through the water at a fourteen or fifteen knot gait and burning up that coal almost as fast as we put it in."