larboard beam. In little more than half an hour we had shot away
the Frenchman's mizzenmast and wheel; but our mainmast was badly
wounded, and every instant I expected it to fall. Having lost command
of her rudder, the _Cleopatre_ fell aboard us, her jib-boom passing
through our fore and mainmast. I thought that this would finish our
mainmast, but, fortunately, the Frenchman's jib-boom gave way.

We were blazing away all this time, raking the _Cleopatre_ fore and aft.
We had lost a good many officers and men, and I saw two midshipmen
knocked over not far from me. I looked out for Harry and Reginald
Leslie, and I caught sight of them, still standing unharmed amid the
smoke, but I had not much time even to think about them or anything else
except my duty.

We now fell alongside the enemy head and stern, being still foul of each
other. Her larboard-main-topsail studden-sail-boom iron having hooked
the leach-rope of our maintop-sail, I had still good reasons to tremble
for our mainmast. I saw a youngster spring aloft. It was Harry. He
made his way along the yard, and with his knife cut the leach-rope; and
though many a shot from the Frenchmen was fired at him, he came down
safely. I felt my heart beat with pride as I saw him, for he had saved
the mast. The next moment the cry was heard--

"Boarders, away!"

Our brave first lieutenant, Mr Norris, leading the boarders, cutlass in
hand, leapt from the quarter-deck on to the forecastle of the French
frigate, while our master, Mr Ball, at the head of another party, made
his way through the bow-ports of the enemy. On they rushed, one party
on the upper and the other on the main-deck, sweeping all before them.
The Frenchmen, though they numbered half as many again as our crew, gave
way; some springing down the hatchway, others flying aft, and in fifty
minutes from the commencement of the action the Republican colours were
hauled down, and the Frenchmen from all directions cried for quarter.

The brave French captain was found lying on the deck, his back torn open
by a round shot, and part of his hip carried away. He was seen gnawing
at a piece of paper, which he continued to bite till his hand dropped,
and, his head sinking down, he ceased to breathe. He fancied that he
was destroying a list of coast signals used by the French, which he had
found in one of his pockets; but he was mistaken, for the paper he
wished to prevent falling into our hands was discovered o