instead. "Take that, my lass, and don't push
in where you're not wanted again."

It was a tremendous thunder-clap; and the _States-General_--that was the
name of the intruder--with her rigging all in shivers, and her stern-
guns knocked all on end, was glad enough to bear up and drop out of line
before she could get a second. This suited our admiral excellently, for
it enabled him to cut the enemy's line and bring the _Venerable_ snugly
round on the lee-side of Admiral De Winter's ship, his originally chosen
antagonist.

Then all was thunder and smoke. The _Venerable_ shook and staggered
under the crushing fire which struck her hull. But for every broadside
she got she poured two into the masts and rigging of her opponent. More
than once, as the two ships swung together, with yards almost locked, we
had to duck for our lives to escape the falling spars of the Dutchman.
I can remember once and again, as the _Vryheid_ lurched towards us,
seeing her deck covered with dead and wounded men; and every broadside
she put into us left its tale of destruction among our fellows.

Presently, with a crash that sounded even above the cannon, down came
her mainmast by the board, and the British cheers which greeted the fall
were even louder still.

But if we reckoned on having done with her, we were sorely mistaken; for
three other Dutchmen just then hove up to their admiral's help, and for
a quarter of an hour the _Venerable_ had as hot a time of it as ship
ever lived through. There was not much for us at the helm to do but
stand and be shot at; which we did so well that when at last (just as
the mizzen-mast of the _Vryheid_ followed the example of her mainmast)
the order came to haul off and wear round on the other tack, I found
myself the only one of four to answer, "Ay, ay," and ram down the helm.
The quartermaster, poor fellow, lay at my feet, shot nearly in two;
while of our other two mates, one was wounded, with an arm shot away,
another stunned by a falling timber.

It was a job to get the ship round; and when we did, there was the
_Vryheid_, with her one mast left, waiting for us as saucy as ever.
After that, all passed for me in even a greater maze than before; for a
bullet from the enemy's rigging found me out with a dull thud in the
shoulder, and sent me reeling on to the deck. I was able after the
first shock to stumble up and get my hands upon the helm; but I stood
there sick and silly, and of less use than