, to which the captain so casually alludes, merits more than
a passing reference. The fire of both ships had ceased when Biddle
stepped upon the taffrail; but he had stood there only a moment, when
two or three of the officers on the quarter-deck cried out that a man
on the Englishman was aiming at him. Biddle did not hear the caution;
but two American marines saw the enemy's movement, and, quickly
bringing up their muskets, sent two balls crashing into the brain of
the English marksman. He fell back dead, but had fired his piece
before falling. The bullet struck Biddle in the neck, inflicting a
painful, but not serious, wound. The blood flowed freely, however; and
two sailors, rushing up, were about to carry their commander to the
cock-pit, when he stopped them. Determined to do something to stanch
the flowing blood, a sailor tore his shirt into bandages, with which
he bound up his captain's wound. But let us return to Biddle's
narrative.

"The enemy just then got clear of us; and his foremast and bowsprit
being both gone, and perceiving us wearing to give him a fresh
broadside, he again called out that he had surrendered. It was with
difficulty that I could restrain my crew from firing into him again,
as he had certainly fired into us after having surrendered. From the
firing of the first gun, to the last time the enemy cried out that he
had surrendered, was exactly twenty-two minutes by the watch. She
proved to be His Britannic Majesty's brig "Penguin," mounting sixteen
thirty-two-pound carronades, two long twelves, a twelve-pound
carronade on the top-gallant forecastle, with a swivel on the capstan
in the tops."

On boarding the prize, Biddle found that she had suffered too severely
from the American fire to ever be of service again. He accordingly
removed the prisoners and wounded to his own ship, and scuttled the
"Penguin." Hardly was this operation accomplished, when two sail were
sighted, bearing rapidly down upon the scene of action. Nothing
daunted, the lads of the "Hornet" went to their guns, but were
heartily glad to find that the two vessels approaching were the
"Peacock" and "Tom Bowline." On their arrival, the latter vessel was
converted into a cartel, and sent into Rio de Janeiro with prisoners;
while the "Hornet" and "Peacock" cruised on toward the Indian Seas. On
April 28 a heavy line-of-battle ship was sighted, and gave chase. In
the flight the two sloops parted; the "Peacock" going off unmolested,