dismounted them both. But even then
they would not give in; despite the relentless fire that we continued to
pour into them, they contrived after a time to get two more guns into
position, with which they renewed their fire upon us as briskly as ever.
This sort of thing, however, could not continue for very long; our fire
was so hot and our guns were so well aimed, that we fairly drove the
plucky fellows from the only two guns that they could bring to bear upon
us, and within a couple of minutes of the cessation of their fire, a
lantern was waved aboard the brigantine, and someone hailed that they
surrendered, while at the same moment all sheets and halliards were let
go and her canvas came down by the run, as a further intimation that
they had had enough of it.

Upon this we of course at once ceased firing, and ranged up alongside
the prize, hailing her that we would send a boat aboard. Then, for the
first time, we discovered that both our large boats were so severely
damaged that neither of them would float; whereupon Lindsay offered to
board the prize in the dinghy, with two hands, and take possession.
Accordingly, the little cockleshell of a craft was dropped over the
side, and in less than two minutes my chum hailed to say that he was
safely aboard, and that the execution wrought by our fire had been
terrible, the brigantine having lost nearly half her crew, both the
captain and the chief mate being among the killed. He added that the
brigantine's long-boat was undamaged, and that he proposed to hoist her
out, with the assistance of the prisoners, and send her to us by the two
hands who had manned the dinghy, if we would look out to pick her up in
the event of their being unable to bring her alongside. To this I of
course agreed; and a quarter of an hour later the boat was safely
alongside us, with a prize crew of twelve picked men tumbling themselves
and their traps into her.

Meanwhile, what had become of the _Three Sisters_ and the big ship? I
looked round for them, and behold! there they both were, about half a
mile to windward, and bearing down upon us _in company_!

"Phew!" thought I, "here is a nice business! While we have been playing
the game of hammer and tongs down here, the big ship--doubtless manned
by a strong prize crew--has run alongside the old brig and taken her!
And yet--can it be so? Christie has eight hands with him, and I believe
the fellow would make a stout fight for it before givin