ck.

"I think we can knock her all to pieces with the Parrot gun, sir,"
replied Christy.

"But it might take all day to do that; and the Tallahatchie exhibits an
astonishing power of resistance. Besides, she will soon repair her extra
wheel, and have it ready for use. I am inclined to believe that we are
wasting time, which will make it all the worse for us in the end,"
reasoned the commander. "I am prepared to board her, for I think she
must have lost a great many men."

"No doubt of it, sir," added the lieutenant.

"Lay her aboard on the port side, and have everything ready," continued
Captain Breaker.

Christy gave the necessary orders for this decided action, and the
officers and the crew seemed to be delighted with the prospect of a
hand-to-hand fight with the enemy. The lieutenant was not wholly
confident that the commander was right in his reasoning, but like a
loyal officer and a true sailor who knows no duty but obedience, he
heartily supported his superior. He walked the deck in the discharge of
his duty; but he was thinking of something since the order to board had
been given.

"Is there anything like a flank movement in boarding, Captain Breaker?"
he asked, as he halted at the side of the commander.

"Of course the officers do their best to flank the enemy after they
reach the deck," replied the captain, looking with some astonishment at
the lieutenant.

"I have reference to another sort of flanking," added the inquirer.

"Of course in a squadron some of the ships may be ordered to operate in
that manner; but a single ship acting against another can hardly do any
flanking."

"But I mean in boarding."

"You had better explain yourself a little more definitely, for I do not
understand you," replied the commander with a puzzled expression on his
face.

"We have one hundred and twenty men, with six absent on other duty,"
continued the lieutenant. "Judging by what I learned from Bokes,
I believe the Tallahatchie has less than a hundred, for he said she
expected to recruit twenty or thirty men at Nassau. She has lost more
men so far than we have, sir."

"Grant all that you say, and where does the flanking come in?"

"Your order is to board on the port side of the enemy, which will bring
the starboard side of the Bellevite alongside of her. Suppose you put
twenty men or more into the launch, on the port side of the ship, where
it cannot be seen by the enemy, just before the order to board is give