asp." With ringing cheers they applauded the success
of the last volley, and, springing into the hammock-nettings, called
loudly for their officers to lead them on board the English ship. From
the quarter-deck, Capt. Jones, with shouts and gestures, strove to
hold back the excited men until another broadside could be given the
enemy. But the enthusiasm of the sailors was beyond all control. All
at once, they saw a sailor from New Jersey, named Jack Lang, spring on
a gun, cutlass in hand, ready to board. All were about to follow him,
when Capt. Jones called him down. Only for a minute did Jack's sense
of duty overcome his enthusiasm; and then, remembering that he had
once been impressed on the "Frolic," his rage blazed up, and in an
instant he was clambering over the nettings, calling for followers.
Capt. Jones saw that the ardor of his crew was beyond his control, and
ordered the bugler to call away the boarders. Headed by their
officers, the bold tars swarmed over the nettings, and through the
tangled rigging, to the deck of the enemy's ship. Each man clutched
his cutlass viciously, for he felt that a desperate conflict was
imminent. But when they dropped upon the deck of the "Frolic," a most
unexpected spectacle met their eyes.

The broad deck stretched out before them, untenanted save by a few
wounded officers near the stern, and a grim old British seaman at the
wheel. Instead of the host of armed men with whom the boarders
expected to dispute the possession of the ship, they saw before them
only heaps of dead sailors lying about the guns which they had been
serving. On the quarter-deck lay Capt. Whinyates and Lieut. Wintle,
desperately wounded. All who were unhurt had fled below, to escape the
pitiless fire of the American guns, and the unerring aim of the
sailors stationed in the "Wasp's" tops. Only the old helmsman stood
undaunted at his post, and held the ship on her course, even while the
Americans were swarming over the nettings and clambering down the
bowsprit. The colors were still flying above the ship; but there was
no one left, either to defend them or to haul them down, and they were
finally lowered by the hands of Lieut. Biddle, who led the boarding
party.

No action of the war was so sanguinary as this short conflict between
two sloops-of-war. The "Frolic" went into action with a crew of one
hundred and ten men, fully officered. When the colors were hauled
down, only twenty men were uninjured. Every o