w in the midst of the enemy. Two
were to right of her; two to the left of her; one across her bow; and
one across her stern. Two of the eight decamped, at this juncture;
making the odds six, instead of eight, to one.

"_Pow! Pow! Cu-boom!_"

The vessel astern was banging away like a Banshee, but a sudden
_crash_ from the stern guns so badly damaged her that she hauled off.
It was now five to one.

"Keep it up, boys!" cried Walker, above the roar and rattle of the
fray. "You're doing splendidly. You all deserve statues in the temple
of fame."

"Huzzah!" shouted his men. "Hurray for the _Boscawen_. Down with the
Frenchmen!"

"_Cu-pow! Boom! Boom!_" roared the cannon, while the broadsides from
the _Boscawen_ were delivered without either confusion or disorder.
The five were sparring gamely, but they were lightly armed, with only
a few guns to each, so the thirty nine-pounders on board the English
privateer were about an equal match for the greater numbers of the
foe.

Thus the fight raged for an hour, when, suddenly, the ensign upon the
mast of the French flagship was seen to flutter to the deck. Ten
minutes later a cry arose from a sailor aboard the _Boscawen_:

"Look, Captain, she's sinking!"

Sure enough, the accurate fire from the British privateer had so
riddled the hull of the Frenchman, that she fast filled with water,
and sank, stern first, her men escaping in their small boats.

"That's one less, anyway," mused Captain Walker.

The remaining four continued the fight, but the little privateer was
too much for them. Around and around she veered, broadsiding with
astonishing accuracy, and knocking the spars about like a foot-ball
team kicking a ball. "_Pow! Pow!_" the guns roared, and the men cried,
"Remember the oath of our captain! Let's take 'em all!"

It began to look as if they would do it, too; for, now upon the
starboard quarter appeared the white sails of a vessel, and, as she
approached, a joyous cheer arose from the deck of the _Boscawen_, for
it was the _Sheerness_.

"Now we'll get 'em! Now we'll get 'em!" yelled the British sailors,
and they plied their guns with renewed activity and care.

Down came the flag upon one of the Frenchmen, and--in a few
moments--down came another. Then, as the _Sheerness_ rolled closer,
two more ensigns fluttered to the deck. There was but one Frenchman
left, and she made off, with the newcomer hot in pursuit.

"Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!" The sailors on board