he side.

A few Frenchmen who had gained the deck of the _Isabel_ were immediately
cut down; and now the English in turn swarmed over the enemy's bows. In
spite of all opposition, they worked their way aft. No power seemed
capable of resisting them. Although the Frenchmen for some time stood
their ground, they were driven back. Step by step the British
blue-jackets fought their way, and numbers sank before the sturdy blows
of their cutlasses. Many of the Frenchmen were armed with pistols, by
which several of the English were wounded. During this time Davis had
ever kept close by the side of his commander. Captain Denham was
leading on his men, when suddenly his cutlass dropped from his hand, and
he would have fallen had not Davis supported him. At the same moment, a
tall Frenchman, with uplifted cutlass, was in the act of bringing it
down upon his head, when Davis, bringing his own weapon to the guard,
saved his captain, and with a return cut sent the Frenchman reeling
backwards.

"On, my lads, on," shouted the captain, again rising to his feet.
"Though I cannot use my sword, you can keep yours going instead."

The energy with which he spoke was infused into his followers, and
pushing onward they drove the Frenchmen before them. The Frenchmen,
encouraged by their officers, attempted to rally; but no sooner had they
done so, than, led by their gallant captain, the English made another
dash forward, and again drove them back. Meantime, the weather had been
changing, and the moderate breeze which had hitherto been blowing, was
followed by a heavy gale. Although the _Isabel_ was well-nigh
dismantled, she was still more than a match for her opponent. In a
short time, numbers of the Frenchmen having fallen, an officer was seen
to run aft and haul down the French flag. The prize was won. She
mounted four more guns than did the _Isabel_, with a far more numerous
crew. The prospect of bad weather made it necessary at once to send a
prize crew on board the captured frigate, and to remove the greater part
of her own people, so that a few Frenchmen only were left on board.
Great was the delight of the crew at finding, from the report of the
surgeon, that their captain's wound was not likely to prove serious,
though his arm might be disabled for some time.

The second lieutenant was ordered on board to carry the prize into
Plymouth, she having suffered but little damage in her rigging, while
her captor was in a fa