A Prisoner of Morro; Or, In the Hands of the Enemy

A young naval cadet aboard a converted tug takes part in blockade duty off Cuba and quickly becomes embroiled in high-seas adventure: prize captures, mistaken identities, daring chases, and violent boarding actions. After being outwitted and taken captive, he endures imprisonment in a coastal fortress and its dungeon vaults, witnesses plots and betrayals among captors, and undertakes covert missions ashore including cutting communications and carrying urgent messages. The narrative follows repeated attempts at escape, tests of character and sacrifice, and a series of skirmishes that mix small-scale land fights, naval encounters, and a lingering technical puzzle about an unexploded shell.