.
Under all these circumstances, he felt somewhat loth to commence
operations, till, after considerable time had elapsed since Captain
Williams's last angry reply, he took heart of grace, and opened an
irregular and harmless fire.

"Thank God! he has spoken at last," said old Jones; "I was afraid he
meant to keep us standing here, like mum-chance in a picture-shop, till
seven bells in the afternoon with our hands in our pockets."

"Keep fast every thing," shouted the American Captain; "don't fire yet."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered the captains of the guns with perfect composure.

"Jemmy Bush," said the boatswain to one of his gun's crew, as he
squinted along its side, "I'll bet you as much as you and I can drink,
the first port we get into, that I hit that fellow's foremast the first
shot."

"The devil thank you," said the tar; "'tisn't twenty yards from the
muzzle of your gun."

"Starboard your helm--keep her away a little," said Captain Williams;
"stand by--now's your time--fire!--luff! luff again!"

"Luff it is, sir," said the helmsman very deliberately.

The double-shotted broadside of the Albatross was followed by three
thundering cheers. Her fire, although not exactly a raking one, had
crossed the Spaniard's deck very obliquely, and the smoke blowing off
immediately, gave the Americans an opportunity of seeing some of the
effects of their shot. Two of the Venganza's foremost guns had been
dismounted, and all the men stationed at them killed or wounded; there
were huge gaps in her bulwarks; several of her weather fore-shrouds were
shot away; and about ten feet from the deck there appeared upon the side
of her foremast a large hole, caused by two or more shot striking nearly
in the same place, and tearing off large splinters. There was silence
for a few seconds, interrupted only, on board the Albatross, by the
punching and thumping of rammers, as her crew were busily reloading
their guns.

Mr. Walker, with the doctor and supercargo, all capital shots,
constituted the marines or small-arm men of the ship. The doctor was
not, however, unmindful of his medical duties; for he had prepared a
place between decks, down the fore hatchway, where he had paraded his
medicine-chest, instruments, and dressings; and, leaving them in charge
of the cook, who acted as surgeon's mate _pro tem._, he went on deck
with his rifle, and was seen on the quarter-deck, with a case of pocket
instruments tucked into the bosom of his jack