kerchief; the
carpenter, however, was taken down below.

"Are you much hurt, sir?" said Bob Cross.

"Oh, no; the flesh is lacerated a good deal, but it is not very deep."

"There's a little wind springing up, sir, from the right quarter," said
Bob.

"I'm glad to hear it," replied I, "for it will soon be daylight now."

At this moment another shot struck the hammock rail and a piece of it
about two feet long was sent with great force against Bob Cross's head;
he was stunned, if not worse, and fell immediately. This was a severe
blow to me, as well as to poor Bob. I desired two of the men who were
abaft, to take him down into my cabin, and do all they could for him;
and ordered the men to quit the broadside guns, and renew their fire
with the long 32-pounder. In a quarter of an hour afterwards, the
breeze came down very strong, and I resolved to shoot ahead, farther off
from my antagonist, as I should have a better chance by using my long
gun at a greater distance. The sails were set, and the schooner went
fast through the water, leaving the brig, who had also the benefit of
the breeze; and for a time the firing again ceased. On reflection, I
determined that I would wait till daylight, which would appear in less
than half an hour, before I renewed the action.

I contrived with some difficulty--for my leg was so numbed that I could
scarcely feel that I had one--to go down into the cabin and see Bob
Cross. He was recovering, but very wild and incoherent. As far as I
could judge, his skull was not injured, although the splinter had torn
off a large portion of the scalp, and he was drenched with his blood.
At all events, he could be of no further assistance to me at present,
nor could I be to him, so I regained the deck, and sat down abaft, for
my leg had become so painful, that I could not stand but for a few
minutes.

At last the day dawned, and I could distinctly make out both brig and
schooner. I was about a mile and a half distant from the brig; she had,
since the wind sprung up, driven a mile ahead of the schooner, who had
contrived to get up a jury-mast during the night; but as she could not
stir without reducing her after-sail, she had close-reefed her
main-sail, so that she could make but little progress. The brig was
very much cut up in her sails and rigging, and I saw at once that I had
now the advantage in sailing; I therefore wore round and stood towards
them; the brig did the same, and went down