to a gentle breeze, that
hardly ruffled the surface of the water, and urged the ships toward
each other but sluggishly. As they came within pistol-shot of each
other, bow to bow, and going on opposite tacks, a hoarse cry came from
the deck of the "Serapis,"--

"What ship is that?"

"What is that you say?"

"What ship is that? Answer immediately, or I shall fire into you."

Instantly with a flash and roar both vessels opened fire. The thunder
of the broadsides reverberated over the waters; and the bright flash
of the cannon, together with the pale light of the moon just rising,
showed Flamborough Head crowded with multitudes who had come out to
witness the grand yet awful spectacle of a naval duel.

The very first broadside seemed enough to wreck the fortunes of the
"Richard." In her gun-room were mounted six long eighteens, the only
guns she carried that were of sufficient weight to be matched against
the heavy ordnance of the "Serapis." At the very first discharge, two
of these guns burst with frightful violence. Huge masses of iron were
hurled in every direction, cutting through beams and stanchions,
crashing through floors and bulkheads, and tearing through the
agonized bodies of the men who served the guns. Hardly a man who was
stationed in the gun-room escaped unhurt in the storm of iron and
splinters. Several huge blocks of iron crashed through the upper deck,
injuring the people on the deck above, and causing the cry to be
raised, that the magazine had blown up. This unhappy calamity not only
rendered useless the whole battery of eighteen-pounders, thus forcing
Jones to fight an eighteen-pounder frigate with a twelve-pounder
battery, but it spread a panic among the men, who saw the dangers of
explosion added to the peril they were in by reason of the enemy's
continued fire.

Jones himself left the quarter-deck, and rushed forward among the men,
cheering them on, and arousing them to renewed activity by his
exertions. Now he would lend a hand at training some gun, now pull at
a rope, or help a lagging powder-monkey on his way. His pluck and
enthusiasm infused new life into the men; and they threw the heavy
guns about like playthings, and cheered loudly as each shot told.

The two ships were at no time separated by a greater distance than
half a pistol-shot, and were continually manoeuvring to cross each
others' bows, and get in a raking broadside. In this attempt, they
crossed from one to the other side