But though the heavy guns of the "Serapis" had it all their own way
below, shattering the hull of the "Richard," and driving the Yankee
gunners from their quarters, the conflict, viewed from the tops, was
not so one-sided. The Americans crowded on the forecastle and in the
tops, where they continued the battle with musketry and hand-grenades,
with such murderous effect that the British were driven entirely from
the upper deck. Once a party of about one hundred picked men, mustered
below by Capt. Pearson, rushed to the upper deck of the "Serapis," and
thence made a descent upon the deck of the "Richard," firing pistols,
brandishing cutlasses, and yelling like demons. But the Yankee tars
were ready for them at that game, and gave the boarders so spirited a
reception with pikes and cutlasses, that they were ready enough to
swarm over the bulwarks, and seek again the comparative safety of
their own ship.

But all this time, though the Americans were making a brave and
desperate defence, the tide of battle was surely going against them
Though they held the deck of the "Richard" secure against all comers,
yet the Englishmen were cutting the ship away from beneath them, with
continued heavy broadsides. Suddenly the course of battle was changed,
and victory took her stand with the Americans, all through the daring
and coolness of one man,--no officer, but an humble jacky.

The rapid and accurate fire of the sharp-shooters on the "Richard" had
driven all the riflemen of the "Serapis" from their posts in the tops.
Seeing this, the Americans swarmed into the rigging of their own ship,
and from that elevated station poured down a destructive fire of
hand-grenades upon the decks of the enemy. The sailors on the deck of
the "Richard" seconded this attack, by throwing the same missiles
through the open ports of the enemy.

At last one American topman, filling a bucket with grenades, and
hanging it on his left arm, clambered out on the yard-arm of the
"Richard," that stretched far out over the deck of the British ship.
Cautiously the brave fellow crept out on the slender spar. His
comrades below watched his progress, while the sharp-shooters kept a
wary eye on the enemy, lest some watchful rifleman should pick off the
adventurous blue-jacket. Little by little the nimble sailor crept out
on the yard, until he was over the crowded gun-deck of the "Serapis."
Then, lying at full length on the spar, and somewhat protected by it,
he b