ck Brace," responded Adams, with a grave nod; "an', d'ye
know, it strikes me that it would be better for all of us if we'd think
oftener in that fashion when we've got time to do it."

"You're right, John Adams; you're right. Hows'ever, we hadn't much time
to think that morning, for the shot soon began to tell. One round shot
came, as it seemed, straight for my head, but it missed me by a shave,
an' only took off the hat of a man beside me that was about a fut
shorter than myself.

"`You see the advantage,' says he, `o' bein' a little feller.' `That's
so,' says I, but I didn't say or think no more that I knows on after
that, for we had got within musket range, and the small bullets went
whistling about our heads, pickin' off or woundin' a man here an' there.

"It was just then that I thought it time to put my pipe in my pocket,
for, you see, I had been havin' a puff on the sly as we was bearin'
down; an' I put up my fore-finger to shove the baccy down, when one o'
them stingin' little things comes along, whips my best cutty out o' my
mouth, an' carries the finger along with it. Of coorse I warn't goin'
below for such a small matter, so I pulls out my hankerchief, an' says I
to the little man that lost his hat, `Just take a round turn here, Jim,'
says I, `an' I'll be ready for action again in two minutes.' Jim, he
tied it up, but before he quite done it, the round shot was pitchin'
into us like hail, cuttin' up the sails and riggin' most awful.

"They told me afterwards that Nelson gave orders to steer straight for
the bow of the great _Santissima Trinidad_, and remarked, `It's too warm
work to last long,' but he did not return a single shot, though about
fifty of our men had been killed and wounded. You see, he never was
fond of wastin' powder an' shot. He generally reserved his fire till it
could be delivered with stunnin' effect.

"Just then a round shot carried away our main-topmast with all her
stun-s'ls an' booms. By good luck, however, we were close alongside o'
the enemy's ship _Redoubtable_ by that time. Our tiller ropes were shot
away too, but it didn't matter much now. The word was given, and we
opened with both broadsides at once. You should have felt the _Victory_
tremble, John Adams. We tackled the _Redoubtable_ with the starboard
guns, and the _Bucentaur_ and _Santissima Trinidad_ with the port guns.
Of course they gave it us hot and strong in reply. At the same time
Captain Hardy, in the