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Page 74
Up the slope of San Juan Hill he charged and through the terraced
camps, that broke into a jubilant roar as he reached them. But he did
not pause until he had gained the very trenches, where among the
wondering Rough Riders he slipped wearily from his foam-flecked horse,
shouting huskily but exultantly as he did so:
"Sampson has destroyed the Spanish fleet! Not a ship escaped! I know,
for I saw the whole fight!"
"Hurrah!" "Hooray!" "Whoop-ee!" "Wow, wow, wow!" howled the Riders,
as in their wild jubilation they danced, hugged each other, and flung
things in the air. Then they raised Ridge high on their shoulders and
bore him as proudly aloft as though he alone had achieved the wonderful
victory of which he brought the news. Indeed, they seemed to believe
that but for his presence with the American ships things might perhaps
have gone differently, and Rollo Van Kyp only voiced the general
sentiment when he said:
"Lucky thing for Sampson that he had at least one 'Terror' along to see
that the scrap was conducted according to rules. How I wish, though,
that the _Nun_ had got here in time to take part in that fight, for she
can outfoot the old _Corsair_--_Gloucester_, I mean--almost two to one.
If she had only been on hand I believe she would have captured one of
these little fellows alive, before he had a chance to make the beach."
"The who?" asked Ridge, in perplexity, for the latter part of this
remark had been addressed to him alone.
"The _Nun_. _Gray Nun_ is her whole name. My yacht--used to be the
_Royal Flush_, you know. I offered her to the government as a gift, to
be converted into a war-ship. But they wouldn't accept her. So I
changed her name, and turned her over to the Red Cross people, to use
as long as they had need of her. Don't know, though, as they took me
up, for we left about that time, and I haven't heard since."
"But they did!" exclaimed Ridge. "And she reached Siboney to-day, for
I saw her there not more than two hours ago, flying a Red Cross flag,
and crowded with nurses."
"Good enough!" cried Rollo. "That is almost as fine news as the other.
The old _Flush_ must feel funny, though, all cluttered up with nurses,
for that isn't exactly the kind of a crowd she has been used to. Same
time, if my steward carried out the orders I wired him, she must be
loaded to the muzzle with good things to eat and drink, for I told him
to fill her up with the best to be had in New York City. So if any of
the fellows are hankering for a change of grub, all they've got to do
is to catch a fever or a Mauser bullet, and apply for a berth on the
Nun. For my own part I prefer hardtack, bacon, and good health; but
then tastes differ, you know."
"It was a splendid thing to do!" exclaimed Ridge; "and I don't believe
there is another in the command would have thought of it. The boys
will be prouder than ever of the old regiment to know that it contains
a fellow not only able but willing to do such a thing."
"Oh, pshaw!" replied Rollo, flushing. "There isn't one but would do as
much and more, only some of them don't happen to have yachts lying
idle. And you mustn't tell them, old man. I wouldn't for anything
have it get out that the _Nun_ is my boat. That's the reason I changed
her name. Some of them might think I was putting on airs, you know, if
it should get out that I kept my yacht here at Siboney."
"But you'll get leave to run down and see her, won't you?"
"Not much, I won't. The dear old skipper would be sure to give me
away, though his orders are not to mention my name in connection with
her."
So the bountiful supply of delicacies and comforts of every kind
provided by Rollo Van Kyp were distributed among the sick and wounded
in the Siboney hospitals, and many a fever-stricken patient owed his
life to the devoted care of the "gray nuns," as the nurses brought by
the yacht were generally called; but only Ridge Norris knew whose was
the generous forethought that had provided all these things.
In the mean time the truce, first declared on that memorable Sunday,
was extended from day to day, for one reason or another, for a week.
General Linares had been wounded early in the fighting, General Vara
del Rey had been killed at Caney, and the command of Santiago had
finally devolved upon General Toral. To him, then, was sent the
summons to surrender. This he refused to do, but begged for time in
which to remove women, children, and other non-combatants from the city
before it should be bombarded. This was allowed, and nearly 20,000 of
these helpless ones, frightened, bewildered, and half famished, were
driven from Santiago to seek such refuge as the surrounding country
might afford. War-wrecked and devastated as it was, its resources in
the way of food and shelter were so slender that hundreds of them died
from exposure, starvation, or disease, and but for the generosity of
the Americans, who fed them to the full extent of their ability,
thousands more must have perished.
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