just right if the skipper would
but luff and give them a chance to show what they could do; but I
steadied them by passing along from gun to gun telling them that, if
they would but have patience, their chance would come in a few minutes,
in answer to which many of them clapped their hands to their cutlasses
to make sure that they were loose in their sheaths, while others drew
their pistols and carefully examined the priming.

The brigantine luffed again immediately that she had fired, and we were
now so close that I could see her people busily reloading. The two
vessels were rapidly nearing each other, and I was in hopes that we
should close before it would be possible for them to fire again. But
there was a man on board, who, by his gestures, seemed to be urging them
to expedite their work, and when we were only some twenty fathoms
distant, while the brigantine was crossing our bows, I saw the guns
again run out.

"Look out, sir," I shouted to the skipper; "they are about to fire
again! Luff, or they will rake us!"

The skipper signed with his hand, and the helmsman gave the wheel a
powerful whirl to starboard. The schooner swerved round, and almost at
the same instant crash came another broadside, slap into us this time.
There was a perceptible concussion as the shot struck, followed by a
crashing and splintering of wood, two or three piercing shrieks of
agony, and five men fell to the deck, with the blood welling out of the
dreadful wounds inflicted by the shot and flying splinters. Then, as we
bore down upon the brigantine, the skipper raised a warning cry. I drew
my sword and rushed forward to head the boarders from that part of the
ship. The skipper gave the word to fire, and, as our broadside rang
out, the two vessels crashed together. There was an indescribable
tumult of thudding shot, rending wood, groans, shrieks, and execrations
on board the Frenchman, and, with a shout of "Hurrah, lads; follow me,
and make short work of it!" I leaped on to the brigantine's rail and
down on deck.

The spacious deck of the French ship seemed to be crowded with men, as
far as I could see through the thick pall of powder smoke that wreathed
and twisted hither and thither in the eddying draughts of wind, but
there were great gaps among them filled with prostrate figures, heaped
upon each other, some lying stark and still, others writhing and
screaming with agony, bearing fearful witness to the havoc wrought by
our