rter!" shouted Captain Talbot, "and get
near enough for boarding!"

But, as the _Argo_ swung near her antagonist, the _Dragon_ dropped
away--keeping just at pistol-shot distance.

"Run her down!" yelled the stout Rhode Islander, as he saw this
manoeuvre of his wily foe. Then he uttered an exclamation of disgust,
for, as he spoke, a bullet struck his speaking trumpet; knocking it to
the deck, and piercing it with a jagged hole.

"Never mind!" cried he, little disconcerted at the mishap. "Give it to
her, boys!"

Then he again uttered an exclamation, for a bounding cannon
ball--ricochetting from the deck--took off the end of his
coat-tail.[1]

[1] A true incident vouched for by two historians.

"I'll settle with you for that," yelled the old sea-dog, leaping to a
cannon, and, pointing it himself, he touched the fuse to the vent. A
puff of smoke, a roar, and a ball ploughed into the mainmast of the
rocking _Dragon_.

Talbot smiled with good humor.

"Play for that, my brave fellows," he called out, above the din of
battle. "Once get the mainmast overside, and we can board her."

With a cheer, his sailors redoubled their efforts to sink the
_Dragon_, and solid shot fairly rained into her hull, as the two
antagonists bobbed around the rolling ocean in this death grapple.
Thus they sparred and clashed for four and a half hours, when, with a
great splitting of sails and wreck of rigging, the mainmast of the
_Dragon_ trembled, wavered, and fell to leeward with a sickening thud.

"She's ours!" yelled Captain Talbot, through his dented speaking
trumpet.

Sure enough, the _Dragon_ had had enough. Her wings had been clipped,
and, in a moment more, a white flag flew from her rigging.

"The _Argo_ is sinking! The _Argo_ is sinking!" came a cry, at this
moment.

"Inspect the sides of our sloop," cried Talbot.

This was done, immediately, and it was found that there were numerous
shot-holes between wind and water, which were speedily plugged up.
Then, bearing down upon the crippled _Dragon_, she was boarded; a
prize-crew was put aboard; and the _Argo_ steered for home, her men
singing,

"Talk about your gay, old cocks,
Yankee, Doodle, Dandy,
'Si' Talbot he can heave the blocks,
And stick like pepp'mint candy.

"Yankee--Doodle--Shoot and kill,
Yankee--Doodle--Dandy,
Yankee--Doodle--Back an' fill,
Yankee--Doodle--Dandy."

Silas Talbot, in fact, had done