arning off the
assailants, he presented a good mark; and Joseph Bucklin, who pulled
an oar in the leading boat, turned to a comrade and said, "Ephe, lend
me your gun, and I can kill that fellow." The gun was accordingly
handed him, and he fired. Dudingston fell to the deck. Just as the
shot was fired, the leader of the assailants cried out,--

"I am sheriff of the county of Kent. I am come for the commander of
this vessel; and have him I will, dead or alive. Men, spring to your
oars."

In an instant the boats were under the lee of the schooner, and the
attacking party was clambering over the side. The first man to attempt
to board seized a rope, and was clambering up, when one of the British
cut the rope, and let him fall into the water. He quickly recovered
himself, and was soon on deck, where he found his comrades driving the
crew of the "Gaspee" below, and meeting with but little resistance.

A surgeon who was with the party of Americans led the boarders below,
and began the task of tying the hands of the captured crew with strong
tarred cord. While thus engaged, he was called on deck.

"What is wanted, Mr. Brown?" asked he, calling the name of the person
inquiring for him.

"Don't call names, but go immediately into the cabin," was the
response. "There is one wounded, and will bleed to death."

The surgeon went into the captain's cabin, and there found Dudingston,
severely wounded, and bleeding freely. Seeing no cloth suitable for
bandages, the surgeon opened his vest, and began to tear his own shirt
into strips to bind up the wound. With the tenderest care the hurt of
the injured officer was attended to; and he was gently lowered into a
boat, and rowed up the river to Providence.

The Americans remained in possession of the captured schooner, and
quickly began the work of demolition. In the captain's cabin were a
number of bottles of liquor, and for these the men made a rush; but
the American surgeon dashed the bottles to pieces with the heels of
his heavy boots, so that no scenes of drunkenness were enacted. After
breaking up the furniture and trappings of the craft, her people were
bundled over the side into the boats of their captors, and the torch
was set to the schooner. The boats layoff a little distance until the
roaring flames satisfied them that the "Gaspee" would never again
annoy American merchantmen. As the schooner's shotted guns went off
one after the other, the Americans turned their boats' p