battle lantern or two, which had been hastily lighted here
and there, shed a dim uncertain light over the decks of the Ranger.
The men, half naked, covered with sweat and dust and powder stains, or
splashed with blood from some more unfortunate comrade, some with heads
tied up, fighting though wounded, served the guns. Several brave
fellows were arranged on the weather side of the deck, dead, their
battles ended; one or two seriously wounded men were lying groaning by
the hatchway, waiting their turn to be carried below to the cockpit to
be committed to the rough surgery of the period, while the fleet-footed
powder boys were running to and fro from the different guns with their
charges, leaping over the wounded and dying with indifference. The
continuous roar of the artillery, for the guns were served with that
steady, rapid precision for which the American seamen soon became
famous, the crackling of musketry, from the men in the tops, with the
yells and cheers and curses and groans of the maddened men, completed a
scene which suggested a bit of hell.

"This is warm work, Wallingford," said the captain, coolly, though his
eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Do we gain any advantage?"

"I think so; their fire does not seem to be so heavy. Does it not
slacken a little, sir?"

"Ay, I think so too. I trust our sticks hold."

"I have not had any serious damage reported so far, sir."

"Well, we must end it soon, or that frigate will be down on us; in half
an hour at most, I should say. Ha! what was that?" he said, as a loud
crash from the Juno interrupted him.

"Their maintopmast 's gone by the board, hurrah!" shouted Wallingford,
looking toward the ship, after springing on the rail, from whence a
moment later he fell back dead, with a bullet in his breast.

"Poor fellow!" murmured Jones, and then called out, "Give it to them,
lads, they have lost their maintopmast." A cheer was the answer. But
the matter must be ended at once.

"Johnson," said Jones, to the young midshipman by his side, "run
forward and have the main-yard hauled; give her a good full,
quartermaster," he said to the veteran seaman at the helm, and then
watched the water over the side to see when she gathered headway
through it. "Now! Hard up with the helm! Flatten in the head sheets!
Round in the weather braces! Cease firing, and load all!"

The ship gathered way, forged ahead slowly, fell off when the helm was
put up, and in a trice w