lohe was leaning forward to bind up with his neckcloth
the arm of the seaman whose hand had been taken off, when a round shot
passed between his head and that of the commodore, wounding two more of
the crew. Had he been sitting in his place, it would have taken off his
head. The boat, almost knocked to pieces, was filling with water. The
commodore jumped on one of the seats, to keep his legs out of the water,
when a third round shot went through both sides of the boat, not more
than an inch below the seat on which he was standing. Many of the boats
had now got huddled together, the oars of most being shot away. A boat
of the _Calcutta_ being nearest, Commodore Keppel and his officers got
in, hauling all the wounded men after them. The commodore had a dog
with him, "Mike" by name, and the animal having been a favourite of the
coxswain, Tolhurst, and always fed by him, refused to leave his dead
body, and remained in the wreck of the boat drifting up towards the
junks. It became absolutely necessary to retire for reinforcements. As
the boats began to pull down the stream towards the _Hong-Kong_, the
Chinese in triumph redoubled their fire, setting up loud shouts and
strange cries, and beating their gongs with increased vigour. One shot
knocked away all the oars on one side of the _Calcutta's_ boat. The
commodore had just directed Lieutenant Graham to get his boat, the
pinnace, ready for his pennant, as he would lead the next attack in her,
when a shot wounded Mr Graham, killing and wounding four others and
disabling the boat. Mr Graham appeared to be a mass of blood, but it
was that of a marine who stood next to him, and part of whose skull was
forced three inches into another man's shoulder. The _Hong-Kong_,
supported by the _Starling_, was meantime throwing shot and shell among
the Chinamen, to which they responded with considerable vigour.

At length the deck of the _Hong-Kong_ was reached. Her deck was covered
with the wounded who had been brought on board; but the whole fire of
the Chinese was now concentrated on her, and she was hulled twelve times
in a few minutes. One shot struck a marine standing near the wounded,
and he fell dead among them. The sound of the firing had, however,
brought up numerous others boats. The commodore had got a piece of blue
bunting ready to represent his broad pennant. "Let us try the row-boats
once more, boys," he shouted, as he jumped into the _Raleigh's_ cutter.
A true