travel alone, we agreed to accompany him to the dock at which he said one of the small boats belonging to the Olympia was in waiting, not only for him, but for half a dozen others.
The drive was a short one through the dark and almost deserted streets. When the dock was gained, we found that a steam launch was there, in command of an under-officer and three men.
"Well, well, Todd, you've had quite an adventure!" exclaimed the officer of the launch, who seemed to be a personal friend of the marine. "It's a lucky thing these Yankee lads came to the rescue."
"That is true, Porter. They are as brave as lions."
"Then they had better enlist with us," was the laughing reply. "We need that sort of backbone, now."
"I'd like to enlist with you first-rate!" I burst out. "Especially if you sail for Manila to wake the Spaniards up there."
"I reckon we'll hunt up old Montojo, where-ever he is, young man. As soon as he gets sailing orders, Commodore Dewey won't give him one bit of rest."
So the talk ran on for several minutes, and then several other officers arrived, among them Commodore Dewey himself, a well-built gentle-
