ve
a lurch to starboard, and then down she went; out of all her gallant
crew of eight hundred men, only twenty being saved by the British boats.
The _Torbay_ was very nearly following her, but by great exertions the
guns were run in, and the ports closed, though not till she had shipped
a good deal of water. Directly afterwards another Frenchman sank before
our eyes, as we guessed, from the same cause.

I can't say that I saw much more of what took place, for we were now
going into action, and I was sent below to attend to my duty, which was
to bring up ammunition in a tub, and to sit upon it on the main-deck,
with the other ship's boys, till it was wanted to load the guns. We
were soon thundering away at the enemy, clouds of smoke filling the
space between the decks, through which I could dimly see the crews of
the guns, stripped to the waist, running them in to load, and running
them out again as rapidly as they could. Shouts from the upper deck
reached us, and we heard that one of the French ships had struck, but so
heavy a sea was running, that no boat could be lowered to take
possession of her; several others were also severely handled, and one
completely dismasted. Night was coming on; and as we were but a short
distance from the shore, the admiral made a signal for the fleet to
anchor, and we, rounding-to, brought up. There we lay, the wind roaring
and the sea foaming and tossing around us, anxiously waiting for
daylight. I had not seen my father, who was, as I supposed, at his
station on the upper deck, when the order came to secure the guns. I
was still sitting on my tub joking with the other boys, who were
congratulating themselves at not being killed, when Jerry Dix came
stumping along the deck towards me; he took my hand kindly, and I
thought I saw him wipe away a tear from his eye.

"What is the matter, Jerry?" I asked, seeing that something was wrong.

"Ben, my boy, he that's gone told me to look after you, and so I will as
long as I have a shot in the looker. You don't hear his pipe, do you?
and you never will no more. There's the order to return powder to the
magazine--as soon as you come up again, look out for me."

The other boys and I hurried below to the magazine with our tubs; as
soon as I came up I looked out for Jerry.

"What were you talking about?" I asked, having a feeling that something
had happened to my father, though I scarcely dared to ask what.

"As I was saying, Ben, you