To Cuba 69 



on gaining it. He had taken so many chances when 

 death lay on the hazard, that he felt the odds were 

 now against him ; but, said he, "Who would not risk 

 his life for a star?" Had he lived, and had the war 

 lasted, he would surely have won the eagle, if not 

 the star. 



We had a good deal of trouble with the trans- 

 ports, chiefly because they were not under the con- 

 trol of the navy. One of them was towing a 

 schooner, and another a scow ; both, of course, kept 

 lagging behind. Finally, when we had gone nearly 

 the length of Cuba, the transport with the schooner 

 sagged very far behind, and then our wretched trans- 

 port was directed by General Shafter to fall out of 

 line and keep her company. Of course, we executed 

 the order, greatly to the wrath of Captain Clover, 

 who, in the gunboat Bancroft, had charge of the rear 

 of the column for we could be of no earthly use to 

 the other transport, and by our presence simply 

 added just so much to Captain Clover's anxiety, as 

 he had two transports to protect instead of one. 

 Next morning the rest of the convoy were out of 

 sight, but we reached them just as they finally 

 turned. 



Until this we had steamed with the trade-wind 

 blowing steadily in our faces ; but once we were well 

 to eastward of Cuba, we ran southwest with the 

 wind behind on our quarter, and we all knew that 



