A Gunner Aboard the Yankee""

pointment went

y," smiting the breech of the five-inch rifle

d the first lieutenant from near the ladder.

is voice. "That's the stuff. Now, if only that measly fog lifts

ching, and there was not one of the "Yankee's" crew but would have given a

trembling on our lips, "Hod Marsh," who

g, fellows,

ame visible, and at last we, who were watching eagerly, saw the hull of a steamer appear, followed by masts and stack and upper rigg

o it

t lumbering tramp, as high out of the water as a barn, and as weather-stained as a homeward-bound whaler. She slouched along like a crab, e

e sighted, and on two occasions it was considered expedient to sound "general quarters," but nothing came of it. We finall

ctice was held whenever practicable, and the different gun

nd plenty, found this first month's wor

hands, feet, and, in some cases, heads, were the popular form of adornment, and the man who did not have some part of his anatomy decorated in this

ng the coasts of Long Island and New Jersey was hard and inces

was her business to cruise along the coast from Block Island south to Delaware Breakwater, and watch for suspicious

fashion in overclothing. Sea watches were kept night and day; half of the crew

sing a song was in great demand, and the man who could get up a "Yankee" song was a popular hero. The night after our wild goose chase, described in the last cha

s in dismal fashion, and the fog hung like a blanket around the ship, while the sea lapped her sides

ckhouse, huddled together for warmth and companionship. T

ne. "If some one does not start some kind of excitement I will go to sleep in my tracks, and Doctor 'Gang

ll join in the chorus," answered "Morse." "No, thank you," he added, as some one handed him an imaginary glass. "Nature has wet my whistle pretty thoroughly to-night." "Stump," in his most impressive manner, stepped forward, and in true master-of-ceremonies style

was, got up and sang this song to

ee" goes saili

h! Hu

t we're "Heroes"

h! Hu

giggle, the b

a bath and b

all feel

e" goes sa

lls will pe

h! Hu

home each w

h! Hu

isters and co

hey darlings?" an

all fee

e" goes sa

g cruise will

h! Hu

the moment our

h! Hu

and "Hubbub" a

calling they're

all feel

e" goes sa

ed that "Our patrolling cruise would soon be o'er," however, and hardly a man would have taken his discharge had it been offered to him that moment. We had put our names to the enlistment papers and had pr

d with, "Potter, take the starboard bridge. I will send a man to relieve you at the end of an hour." So Pott

er, grating noise as one leg rubbed against the other, and "Stump" said, "I'll bet he w

main companion-way. The latter could hold but a few men, and the only alternative was the fire or "drum" room, into which the heat and gas from the furnaces ascended from the bowels of the ship, making it impossible for a man to breathe the atmosphere there for more than half an hour at a time. T

uster." So we knew that we would soon be relieved, and would be able to take the much-needed four hours' sleep in our "sleeping bags," as "Hay" called them.

and the men move on in the same leisurely way. The men of both watches are hardly in the best of humors. It is not pleasant to be waked up at midnight to stand a four hours' watch in the rain and fog, nor is

y and dreamlessly as babies. A sailor will sleep like a dead man through all kinds of noises and cal

s and stiff "oilers." We then made our way through the darkness, often bumping our heads on the bottom of hammocks, and earning sleepy but strongly worded rebukes from the occupants; colliding with stanchions, and stubbing our toes

came out strong and clear. All the men who were off duty cam

"Well, this is something like! If the 'old man' will let us take it eas

tt," as he emerged from the hatch after "Steve," wiping his grimy hands on a wad of waste, for he had been giving the guns a rub.

e'? What is 'general muster'

every ship in the navy. The officers and crew will be mustered aft-you'll see-the deck force and engineer force on the port side, the petty officers on th

n the irreverent "Kid." "Do we have to sta

d,'" replied "Pat

by the executive officer. 'Mother Hubbub' will then open the blue-covered book that he carries, and read you things that will make your hair stand on end

ble to be shot-such as sleeping on post, desertion, disobedience, wilful waste of Government property, and so forth; you will be told that divine service is recommended whenever possible-in short, you are told that you must be good, and

uded our

for I almost dozed when I was on the buoy. I'm not used to getting alo

red, and the captain had inspected our persons, clothes, the ship, and mess gear, we deci

y sunshine undisturbed, but were soon put to work carrying coal in bas

rward, so every piece had to be shovelled into bushel baskets, hoisted to the gun deck, and carried by hand to the chute leading to the port and starbo

ct of another hour of the same diversion. "Hay" was running the steam winch, "Stump" was pulling the

aid "Flagg," who was carrying with me. "I'd

ut in sharp command, the rudder chains creaked loudly, the ship heeled over to starboard, and then we who

ted "Stump," "it'

ck. For one brief moment we of the after port stood as if turned to stone, then every man ran to his quarters and stood ready to do his duty

xclaimed aut

e of the oncoming torpedo boat revealed a small flag fl

schoolboys. Potter, in his joy and evident relief, sent his canvas cap sailing through the air. A rebuke, not

inning. "I was sure we had a big job on our hands this t

ome out here for, hey? I say it's a confounded shame. We might

t. "The flag doesn't mean anything. They might be flying Old Glory as

He peered nervously at the rapidly approaching to

hat's one of your Uncle Samuel's boats a

o a slow pulsation. The rudder chains rattled in their fair-leaders, and presently

clad in the uniform of the commissioned service. One

y! Is that t

ss," shouted Captain Brow

y news? Sighted you and th

search of news ourselves. The "Talbot's"

gth, a series of quick puffs of dense black smoke came from

e could muster. When "secure" was sounded we left our guns w