took advantage of the catchy air which the band was playing to dance a
two-step on the quarter-deck. So the evening wore away. The moon went
down. The myriad little stars came out, twinkling in the deep blue
sky, and at last both officers and men, tired of looking for an enemy
who was never to appear, turned in for such sleep as they could get,
leaving a small guard on deck to keep a lookout. When they awoke next
morning, the ship was in the deepest part of the nearest slip, moored
fast by her guy-ropes to the dock. Thus ended the first engagement
with the enemy.

From the 8th until the 13th, the Cherokee lay at anchor in the slip.
She was relieved on the 10th of about 200 men, thus slightly
lightening her overcrowded condition. In the meantime, this
overcrowded condition of the ship had led to some discussion as to who
could best be moved on board some other ship, with some prospect that
the Gatling Gun Detachment might be disturbed. The situation was not
at all satisfactory. With four guns, no mules, no harness, no
authority, and only twelve men, the Gatling Gun Detachment did not
appear to be in a very fair way toward inflicting much damage upon the
enemy. So on the 11th of June the detachment commander visited Gen.
Shafter at his headquarters, determined to bring the matter to an
issue, definitely, one way or the other. This was the first time he
had met the general, and, under the circumstances, the manner of his
reception appeared to be doubtful.

Gen. Shafter is a big man. This is not noticed at first glance. He is
above the average height, but his corpulent figure does not indicate
that he is full five feet nine inches in height, because his girth is
of like proportion. His hands are big; his arm is big; his head is
big. The occiput is especially full, and the width of head just over