Copyright, 1896, by Harper & Brothers. All Rights Reserved.
| published weekly. | NEW YORK, TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1896. | five cents a copy. |
| vol. xvii.—no. 865. | two dollars a year. |
THE CRUISE OF A COMMERCE-DESTROYER.
BY YATES STIRLING, JUN.
The officer of the deck is pacing his last hour of a very dull forenoonwatch upon the bridge of the U. S. S. Minneapolis. The tropical sunbeats down with unflinching savageness upon his head; his eyes arerestlessly scanning the horizon at every turn, but nothing has disturbedthe monotony of its outline, as his sullen pacing bears witness. Thesentries and men on lookout are at their stations, and are listlesslywalking to and fro on the small patch of deck called their posts. Smallknots of men are gathered together here and there on the spar-deck,under the shade of a boat or a gun-shield, spinning yarns or playing atsailor games. Some of the younger officers can be seen aft on thequarter-deck gazing fixedly over the wide expanse of ocean, as if theyexpected an enemy to