talian to battle strenuously
beneath the eye of the famous privateersman. They had never been
together before, but, animated by the presence of this fearless
"cock-of-the-Mediterranean," they now sailed into the Frenchman as if
the zebeque were a vessel of equal strength and armament. Cheer after
cheer welled into the air as the two antagonists drew near each other,
while the puff of white smoke from the sides of the French vessel was
followed by the _chug! chug!_ of solid shot, as it cut up the waves
near the body of the staunch, little _Saint George_.

"It's three to one against us, Boys!" shouted the battle-scarred
Captain Wright. "Fire for the enemy's rigging and bring down one of
her masts, if you can. If you fight hard we can lick her!"

The screech of a shell cut his words short, for a piece of iron passed
dangerously near his lips, striking a stout Italian in the neck, and
rendering him useless for further conflict.

Around and around in a wide circle floated the two sea-warriors, for
the wind was light and just drove them along at the rate of a snail's
pace. The rag-tag-and-bob-tail crew on the _Saint George_ stood to
their guns like veterans and poured in such a hot fire that the French
captain speedily realized that his only chance for victory was to
board and overwhelm the English by superior numbers.

"Bring the vessel up on her starboard side!" he commanded. "And get
out the boarding-pikes! Now we'll finish Captain Wright!"

The zebeque soon ranged alongside the battered _Saint George_, threw
her grappling hooks into the rigging, and her men were in a
hand-to-hand struggle with the motley crew who battled for the veteran
Fortunatus. _Slash! Slash! Crack!_ The cutlasses cut and parried, the
pistols spat, and the boarding-pikes thrust and struck. Cheering
wildly the Frenchmen attempted to climb upon the deck of the
privateer, but the followers of old Wright fought like demons. They
parried and thrust like fiends; and such was the ferocity of their
struggle that the boarders were repulsed with great slaughter.

[Illustration: "THE BOARDERS WERE REPULSED WITH GREAT SLAUGHTER."]

"Thees Wright ees a very hornet for a fight!" sighed the French
captain, as he ordered the grappling hooks cast off, and floated his
vessel away.

_Poom! Poom!_

There was still some fight left in the little _Saint George_ and her
dauntless crew kept pounding iron at the sullen zebeque, which,
shattered and torn, filled away