A Sailor Boy with Dewey/Chapter 19
CHAPTER XIX.
"FIRE!"
"Oliver, you went at him in great style," observed Dan, when the excitement was over and we found ourselves alone. "After this you'll be the cock of the walk."
"I don't want to be cock of the walk, Dan. I simply want to be left alone."
"But you pitched into him like a prizefighter. It was—well, simply immense, it was indeed."
"I am glad I can use my fists when it becomes necessary. I hope he'll let me alone in the future."
"Let you alone? I'll wager he won't come within a hundred feet of you unless it's absolutely necessary."
"He's a fool to be angry with me. If he had taken things in good part at first there would have been no trouble."
"Oh, there are lots of pig-headed men just like him, Oliver. But I reckon you'll have no further trouble with him."
There was no room for us at the guns, so both Dan and I were placed, for convenience' sake, among the sailors. But on such a steam vessel as the Boston there is little or nothing for sailors to do, and our time was, as before, our own.
We lay in Mirs Bay for several days longer. But early one day some special dispatches were received, and half an hour later the Olympia flew the signal: "Up anchors and follow the flagship," and all hands knew we were off at last.
The three cruisers, Olympia, Baltimore, and Boston, were the first to steam away, and they were shortly followed by the gunboats Concord, Petrel, and McCulloch, and two colliers, the latter loaded to the rail with coal for the six warships.
"What a splendid sight!" I said to Dan, as we stood on deck watching the column of vessels sweeping out swiftly to sea. "If we meet those Dons there will be fun."
"Pretty serious fun, Oliver, to my way of thinking. Killing fellow-beings isn't much play."
"That's right, Dan; but if we have got to have war I hope we come out on top."
"Oh, so do I!"
The day was an ideal one, and we remained on deck until the intense heat drove us below. Here we found a great state of confusion, for orders had been passed around to "clear ship for action," and all hands were tearing down unnecessary woodwork, preparatory to heaving it overboard.
"It won't do to have splinters around, you see," explained Bob Roundstock, the gunner. "We want everything clear for action, just as the order says."
The woodwork disposed of, ammunition was passed around and fire tubs were filled with water. Then the great guns, fore and aft, were loaded, and kept in readiness for instant use.
Several days passed without anything unusual happening. The weather remained fair, although the wind blew so strongly that the colliers were in danger of being swamped, so heavily were they loaded. We might have run at a greater rate of speed, but the colliers and the Petrel could not keep up, and Commodore Dewey thought it advisable, now we were in the enemy's waters, to keep his squadron and supply boats together.
"I wonder where we will find this Admiral Montojo?" I said one evening, as Dan and I lounged on deck. "Was he at Manila when we were there?"
"I don't know, I'm sure. He must be somewhere among the Philippine Islands."
"That's saying a good deal, when the islands number over a thousand."
"Oh, he must be near one or another of the principal cities, Oliver. At a second-rate place he would have nothing to protect but a collection of bamboo huts."
"Has he much of a fleet?"
"Supposed to have eight or nine vessels, so Roundstock told me. He is one of Spain's best admirals, too, I was told."
"Then we won't have a walk-over. If we—hark!"
A sudden cry from below reached our ears. Both of us listened intently, but could make out only a confusion of voices.
"Something is wrong," cried Dan. "Let us see what it is," and he ran for the stairs.
We met half a dozen gunners coming up. "Fire! fire!" yelled one of the number. "There is a fire between decks!"
"A fire!" The cry was instantly taken up on all sides. "Whereabouts?"
"Near Jackson's gun. It caught from some straw that was in a crockery barrel Gumpers was emptying. It's close to a lot of ammunition!"
"Man the fire hose!" put in an officer. "Lively, boys, or we'll have an explosion!"
The cry of fire had by this time aroused the entire ship, and men came hurrying to the scene from all directions.
At first all was confusion, but soon discipline reigned supreme, and the fire drill was put into execution.
Would they subdue the flames before it reached the loose ammunition which had just been sent up from below?
This was the all-important question that I asked myself as I stood by, watching what was going on.
I wanted to help and so did Dan, but we could do nothing.
Presently a dull explosion was heard, followed by another.
"The ammunition is going up!"
"Are the steel covers to the magazines closed?"
Several other cries rang out. In the meantime the firemen continued to pour two heavy streams of sea-water on the flames.
Thick volumes of smoke rolled up the companion ways, and I felt that those below were in danger of being choked to death.
"This is awful!" murmured Dan. "I hope we don't blow up, as did the Maine."
"We won't, for she blew up from the outside, not the inside," I answered grimly.
"Well, one way would be just as bad as the other, Oliver."
"I suppose that is so, as far as we are concerned."
The work continued and all watched the labor nervously.
At last the fire captain came up, blinking his eyes and shaking the water from his clothing. He looked as black as a negro.
"It's out, sir," he reported, saluting the officer of the deck.
"All out?"
"Yes, sir, although we had better watch for sparks when the half-burned stuff is removed."
"Yes, be very careful. We'll pitch it overboard at once."
Extra men were sent below, and they soon came up, carrying the burned and wet straw in their arms. In ten minutes all was cleared away, and then followed such a scrubbing and cleaning up as I had never seen before.
"The carpenter will have a day's work here," observed Dan, as we surveyed the scene of the fire. "But we can thank God that it was no worse."
"So say I," was my answer. "I don't want any more sunken ships in mine. The Dart was sufficient."
The day to follow was uneventful. It was clear and hot, so hot in fact that, during the noon-day hours, nobody could remain on deck. In the turrets and conning tower it was suffocating.
"I feel as if I was half baked," said Dan, as we lay in a shady corner on the third day out "I wonder how far we are from Luzon?"
"I heard an officer say that we would sight land to-morrow or the day after."
"Did he say where?"
"He said we were steering for Subig Bay. They think Admiral Montojo may be found there with his fleet."
"I hope they do find him, and give him a good thrashing."
"You say they, Dan. Don't you expect to take a hand in fighting?"
"To be sure. But then we are not regular sailors you know."
"Well, I consider myself a sailor boy, 1 answered warmly.
"Do you? All right, then. Here's to the sailor boy under Dewey!" cried my chum, and drank my health in what was left of a glass of lemonade he had brought up with him. Lemons were plentiful, and in those hot days everybody spent a good deal of time in making something palatable to drink.
In the afternoon, when the sun was low, the squadron was called together and was put through a number of naval maneuvers by the commodore. This was both an interesting and instructive sight, and I watched it from start to finish.
I had just retired for the night when I heard the sounds of numerous footsteps on the gun deck. I aroused myself and sat up in my hammock.
"What's up?" I asked of Dan.
"I don't know," was his answer. "But something is the matter, that's certain."
"Let us go and see," I went on, and hopped to the floor. We soon had our clothing on, and then we hurried to where Bob Roundstock was getting his gun crew into order to man the eight-inch monster under his command.