porary lull in the firing, and Capt. Pearson of the "Serapis"
shouted out through the sulphurous blackness,--

"Have you struck your colors?"

"I have not yet begun to fight," replied Jones; and again the thunder
of the cannon awakened the echoes on the distant shore. As the firing
recommenced, the two ships broke away and drifted apart. Again the
"Serapis" sought to get a raking position; but by this time Jones had
determined that his only hope lay in boarding. Terrible had been the
execution on his ship. The cock-pit was filled with the wounded. The
mangled remains of the dead lay thick about the decks. The timbers of
the ship were greatly shattered, and her cordage was so badly cut that
skilful manoeuvring was impossible. Many shot-holes were beneath the
water-line, and the hold was rapidly filling. Therefore, Jones
determined to run down his enemy, and get out his boarders, at any
cost.

Soon the two vessels were foul again. Capt. Pearson, knowing that his
advantage lay in long-distance fighting, strove to break away. Jones
bent all his energies to the task of keeping the ships together.
Meantime the battle raged fiercely. Jones himself, in his official
report of the battle, thus describes the course of the fight:--

"I directed the fire of one of the three cannon against the main-mast
with double-headed shot, while the other two were exceedingly well
served with grape and canister shot, to silence the enemy's musketry,
and clear her decks, which was at last effected. The enemy were, as I
have since understood, on the instant for calling for quarter, when
the cowardice or treachery of three of my under officers induced them
to call to the enemy. The English commodore asked me if I demanded
quarter; and I having answered him in the negative, they renewed the
battle with double fury. They were unable to stand the deck; but the
fury of their cannon, especially the lower battery, which was entirely
formed of eighteen-pounders, was incessant. Both ships were set on
fire in various places, and the scene was dreadful beyond the reach of
language. To account for the timidity of my three under officers (I
mean the gunner, the carpenter, and the master-at-arms), I must
observe that the two first were slightly wounded; and as the ship had
received various shots under water, and one of the pumps being shot
away, the carpenter expressed his fear that she would sink, and the
other two concluded that she was sinking, which occ