kout at the masthead that
the ship was running from the sloop, which carried the big gun and was
evidently having far the better of the engagement. The flag of the ship
now confirmed the opinion that she was a Spanish merchantman. But the
strongest of spyglasses were unable to make clear the small flag of the
sloop. It was enough, however, for the British captain, that, upon
sighting us, the Spaniard flew a signal for help, and veered so as to
run down to us. That her crew should thus seek to put their ship in the
way of certain capture was considered by the men about me clear proof
that the sloop was a pirate.

As I had been left to pull and haul on deck, I was able to witness all
the fierce contest of the fight, and the race of the frigate to rescue
the assailed Spaniard. Sail after sail was set, and the bellying sheets
tautened as flat as the nimble seamen could draw them.

But swiftly as we tacked to windward, and swiftly as the Spaniard
slanted down the wind to obtain shelter of us, the unfortunate vessel
was already in terrible distress from the relentless attack of her
little enemy. With an audacity which amazed the Britons, the sloop stood
on, undaunted by our approach, hanging close upon the quarter of her
victim.

The fire of the ship was already silenced, while from half a
cable's-length the carronades of the sloop belched their missiles into
the rigging of the Spaniard with ever-increasing rapidity, and the great
gun on the mid-deck sent shot after shot crashing into the bulging hull
at the waterline.

Suddenly we saw the mizzenmast of the Spaniard totter. It fell forward
and sideways, dragging after it the splintered mainmast. As the ship
broached-to, we could see that she was settling down by the stern. Even
I, despite the night of ignorance which lay upon me, realized that she
was beginning to founder.

Certain of the fate of her victim, the sloop now sheered off. The
_Belligerent_ opened fire with the long eighteen-pounder bow-chasers,
but the shots fell short of the sloop by fifty yards or more. Within
half a minute the sloop had the stupendous audacity to fire her great
gun at us. By a rare chance, the ponderous ball struck the starboard
shrouds, snapping them like packthread, and hurled on aslant the after
deck, to chip a splinter from the mizzenmast and smash a great hole
through the roof of the cabin.

Only the quickness with which the frigate was brought up into the wind
and the main and mi