or day. When a ship mutinied, Nelson
was placed in charge of it if he was within call; and the result was
that he always won the absolute love and devotion of his men. He had a
dignity which forbade him making himself cheap, but yet he got close to
living hearts. "The enemy are there," he once said to a sullen crew,
"and I depend upon you to follow me over the side when we annihilate the
distance that separates our ships. You shall accept no danger that I do
not accept--no hardship shall be yours that shall not be mine. I need no
promises from you that you will do your duty--I know you will. You
believe in me and I in you--we are Englishmen, fighting our country's
battles, and so to your work, my men, to your work!" The mutinous spirit
melted away, for the men knew that if Nelson fought with them it would
be for the privilege of getting at the enemy first. No officer ever
carried out sterner discipline, and none was more implicitly obeyed. But
the obedience came more through love than fear.

Nelson lost an eye in battle, in Seventeen Hundred Ninety-five. A few
months after, in a fierce engagement, the admiral signaled, "Stop
firing." Nelson's attention was called to the signal, and his reply was,
"I am short one eye, and the other isn't much good, and I accept no
signals I can not see: lay alongside of that ship and sink her."

Nelson was advanced step by step and became admiral of the fleet. At the
battle of Santa Cruz, Nelson led a night attack on the town in small
boats. The night was dark and stormy, and the force expected to get in
under the forts without being discovered. The alarm was given, however,
and the forts opened up a terrific fire. Nelson was standing in the prow
of a small boat, and fell, his arm shattered at the elbow. He insisted
on going forward and taking command, even though his sword-arm was
useless. Loss of blood, however, soon made him desist, and he was
transferred to another boat which was sent back loaded with wounded. The
sailors rowed to the nearest anchored ship, her lights out and four
miles from shore. On pulling up under the lee of the ship, Nelson saw
that it was the corvette "Seahorse"; and he ordered the men to row to
the "Agamemnon" a mile away, saying, "Captain Freemantle's wife is
aboard of that ship and we are in no condition to call on ladies."
Arriving at the "Agamemnon," the surgeons were already busy caring for
the wounded. Seeing their commander, the surgeons rushed to his