Page:Under Dewey at Manila.djvu/306

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
272
UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA

ous nature. Had those five balls which had struck in the upper works been aimed lower, there would, without question, have been great havoc.

It was drawing towards Sunday evening, and the Olympia had taken up a position outside of Manila, leaving several of the other vessels to guard around Fort Cavite. At this place, the Spaniards were engaged in carrying off their dead and wounded and were not molested. Commodore Dewey might have taken a large number of prisoners, had he forced a fight on land, but he had no accommodations for such a purpose. He had been sent out to find the Spanish fleet and "engage" it, and he had engaged it most effectually. He must now await additional orders from Washington.

It was some little time before Larry himself felt like quieting down, but a good washing up and changing of garments made him feel more like himself.

"This isn't much of a Sunday," he observed to Barrow, when they were eating supper. "The chaplain hasn't had a chance to say a word."

Nevertheless, the chaplain did hold a brief "church," although the sailors prepared no "rig" for it. This was during the smoking hour, and