g for the honour and glory of heir respective countries.
A dark canopy hung over the scene, every moment increasing in density
as the guns belched forth their flashes of flame and clouds of smoke,
filling the pure air of heaven with sulphureous vapours, and almost
concealing the fierce combatants from each other's gaze.

"Who is that brave youngster?" asked the captain of the renowned
`Marlborough,' a seventy-four, which lay hotly engaged surrounded by
foes in the thick of the fight; "I never saw a cooler thing or better
timed."

"The son of Mr Ripley the boatswain, sir," was the answer.

"I must have my eye on him, there is stuff in that lad," observed the
captain. The deed which had called forth this eulogium was certainly
well worthy of praise. The "Marlborough" had for some time been
furiously engaged, almost broadside to broadside, with the "Impetueux,"
a French seventy-four, which ship had just fallen aboard her, the
Frenchman's bowsprit becoming entangled in her mizen rigging. To keep
her antagonist in that position was of the greatest consequence to the
"Marlborough," as she might thus rake her fore and aft, receiving but
little damage in return. An officer and two or three men sprang into
the "Marlborough's" mizen rigging to secure the bowsprit to it. The
French small-arm men rushed forward to prevent this being done, by
keeping up a fire of musketry. The two seamen fell. The lieutenant
still hung in the rigging, but the rope with which he was lashing the
bowsprit to it was shot from his hand; no other was within reach.
Having just delivered the powder he had brought from below, young Ripley
was watching the proceeding. Seizing a rope he sprang into the ringing
unhurt amid a shower of bullets, and handed it to the brave officer.
Together they made the required turns for lashing it fast, and descended
to the deck in safety. The young powder-boy then resuming his tub was
speedily again seen at his station, composedly sitting on the top of it
as if he had performed no unusual deed. The "Marlborough" had soon
another antagonist, the "Mucius," seventy-four, which fell aboard her on
the bow, the three ships thus forming a triangle, of which the British
ship was the base. With these two opponents, each more powerful than
she was, the "Marlborough" continued the seemingly unequal fight, but
the stout arms and hearts of her crew made amends for their inferiority
in numbers. Her mizen-mast fell soon after t