officers and crew, and the resolution with which they
would work the guns. He had the weather-gauge, and he hoped by skilful
manoeuvring to retain it. The enemy finding she could not escape, now
hauled up her courses, and made every preparation for battle. The
_Isabel_, when she drew near enough, at once opened fire to cripple her
antagonist, and to retain the position she now enjoyed. This first
broadside considerably cut up the Frenchman's rigging; but the fire the
_Isabel_ received in return did her still greater damage, badly wounding
the fore-topmast. Davis went aloft to examine it, and reported on his
return that he feared it would not stand much longer. Both the frigates
now standing on a wind, continued to exchange broadsides; the English
firing at the hull of their antagonist, while the Frenchman seemed to
aim more particularly at cutting up the masts and rigging of the English
ship.

"She seems to be full of men, and I suspect her object is to get
alongside, and to take us by boarding," observed the captain to his
first lieutenant.

"We will show them what British steel can do if they make the attempt,
sir," was the answer.

The Frenchman attempted to luff across the English ship's bow, in the
hopes of raking her, but Denham was too much on the watch to allow her
to execute this manoeuvre successfully. A considerable number of the
_Isabel's_ men had been killed. Still, her crew fought on with
undaunted courage. At length, her fore-topmast, which had before been
severely injured by a chain shot, came down with a crash upon the deck.
The Frenchmen shouted when they saw this, and another shout escaped them
when they saw the main-topmast follow the fate of the other mast.

"If they attempt to run us on board we will try to secure them, as we
did in the _Cynthia_," observed the captain. "If we let a few of the
Frenchmen come on board, we can quickly dispose of them, and then return
the compliment."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered the lieutenant; "I will give the order to the
men to prepare for boarding. They are ready enough for it."

Scarcely had he spoken, when the French frigate, luffing up, ran her
bows against the quarter of the _Isabel_. She was immediately secured
there by Davis and others; and now the Frenchmen came rushing over the
bows, expecting to make her an easy prize.

"Boarders, repel boarders," shouted the first lieutenant.

"I will lead you, my men," cried the captain, springing to t