nd in the meantime the action commenced
between the English cutter and the French privateer, the latter
evidently attempting to cripple the masts and rigging of the former. The
cutter, however, steered right for us, and evidently came up fast; the
French privateer, weak-handed as she must have been, behaved very well,
throwing herself across the cutter's bows, and doing everything she
could to prevent her coming up with us. Both vessels were very much cut
up before the cutter came within three cables' lengths of us, when the
French captain ordered French colors to be hoisted, and, rounding to,
poured in a well-directed broadside, which quite astonished the English
privateer, who imagined that we were an unarmed merchantman. The action
now became very warm; we standing on, and every now and then rounding to
and raking the cutter, while the French privateer engaged her broadside
to broadside. The French captain was abaft, giving his orders with the
greatest coolness and ability, when a shot from the cutter came in on
deck, and a large splinter which it tore off knocked him down on his
back. Bramble and I both ran to him and helped him up--we could not help
it, although he was an enemy. He was not hurt, and as soon as he was on
his legs he laughed, and thanked us in French. The cutter still
continued the fight until we were within three miles of the coast, when,
all her spars and sails being cut to pieces, she hauled to the wind and
stood out to the offing.

"Well, Tom, there's all our hopes ended," said Bramble; "so now I'll
light my pipe. Well, I say it's been a good fight on both sides."

Here the captain came up to us and said, "Bien oblige--tank you."

The cutter did not, however, stand out for more than a few minutes, when
she hove to and repaired damages, evidently intending to renew the
action. I pointed this out to Bramble. "I see, I see," replied he; "she
intends to try and cut us off from Morlaix, which is to windward, and
oblige us to fight or run for St. Malo's, which is a long way to
leeward. In either case she will be able to attack us again, as she
out-sails us. Perhaps the fight is not over yet."

But the Frenchman also understood what he was about, and he now steered
a course. When we were about two miles from the land, and about the same
distance from the cutter, the latter kept away so as to oblige the ship
to come to action again before she reached Morlaix; but, before she
closed with us, we discove