ty ships, and we nineteen in all. Since the
suppression of the mutiny at the Nore, Duncan had regained all his
fleet; and the men seemed determined to wipe out the stain that had
blackened their characters. And right well they succeeded.

You must go to history for a complete account of the battle. Suffice it
for me to say that on coming up with the enemy's fleet on the 11th of
October, Duncan broke right through it and got inshore. De Winter could
not have got away had he wanted to ever so much. The great battle was
fought dangerously near to the coast indeed, for here were shoals and
sands that were quite unknown to our fleet. The beach was lined with
spectators, who must have been appalled at this terrible conflict of
giants.

The _Tonneraire_ was splendidly handled. Old Simmons himself took the
wheel, and carried her grandly alongside a Dutchman nearly double her
size, so close that the guns touched, and seemed to belch fire and
destruction down each other's iron throats. But Jack had no intention of
stopping there to be blown out of the water by the Dutchman's
broadsides.

"Away, boarders!" It was Jack's own brave voice sounding through the
trumpet, high over the din of battle.

Then, ah then! a scene ensued that it may be just as well not to
describe too graphically. Our marines and blue-jackets boarded pell-mell
and together, and amid the roar of cannon from other ships, the
incessant rattle of musketry from the tops, the hand-to-hand fight raged
on, with shouts and groans and shrieks of execration. Hitherto no
wounded man had been borne below to the cockpit, so that M'Hearty was
idle as yet. He was on the rigging with the captain, from which they had
a bird's-eye view of the battle.

"Look, sir, look, the captain of marines has fallen. Oh, I can't stand
this!"

Next moment he had leaped below. Off went his coat and waistcoat and
hat. He seized a cutlass, and in a minute more was on the Dutchman's
deck, flailing away like a perfect Wallace Redivivus. Many a head he
broke, for he literally showered his blows like wintry rain.

He saved the marine captain's life, although that sailor-soldier was
severely wounded. It is almost unnecessary to say that, under the
circumstances, Captain Jack Mackenzie forgave the gallant doctor for
leaving his ship without permission.

But the toughest fight of all raged around Duncan's flagship, the
_Venerable_, when she tackled that of the Dutch admiral De
Winter--namely,