at I could distinguish the countenances of the
people on her deck.

Presently the voice of the captain sounded loud and clear--

"Boarders! repel boarders!"

Our crew, leaving the guns on the starboard side, seized their weapons;
some stood armed with cutlasses and pistols, others with pikes, at the
place where the Frenchmen were likely to try and gain a footing on our
deck. Our larboard guns were still replying to the fire of the frigate
on that quarter; but she now making sail, ranged up alongside,
receiving, however, a heavy fire from our guns as she did so. A large
body of her men, with the soldiers, stood on the forecastle, ready to
leap aboard.

"You must drive those fellows back," cried Nettleship. "Come on, my
lads," he shouted to such of the men as were near him, among whom was
Larry. Tom also, who saw what we were about, quickly joined us.

Just as the first Frenchman sprang on to our deck, Nettleship's sword
cut him down. Others, however, followed, but our men fought
desperately. Though the enemy came rushing on board, not an inch of
ground did they gain.

Presently, a big fellow--the boatswain, apparently, from his dress--
joined his shipmates, and attacked Nettleship. I saw another close
behind him, aiming a pistol at his head. I sprang forward and knocked
it up just as it exploded, and the next moment dealt the Frenchman a
blow on his sword arm, which saved Nettleship's life. The fellow whose
pistol I had knocked up, however, had his cutlass uplifted to strike me
down, when Larry, who was by my side, parried the blow with his cutlass,
and, though he got a severe wound, he brought the man to the deck by a
blow which he gave the next moment. Others of our crew now coming to
our assistance, we drove back the enemy, who had nearly gained a
footing.

The fight all the time was going on fiercely on the starboard side, and
we could not tell whether the Frenchmen were getting the best of it.

As we had begun the action with but three hundred men, many of whom had
been killed or wounded, and invalids who had scarcely strength to handle
their weapons, and the French had upwards of six hundred, it might be
seen that our chance of success was very small indeed. Our men,
however, fought with the most desperate courage. Captain Bouchier, with
Captain Drury--who was a passenger--and several of the lieutenants,
headed the men on the starboard side in repelling the enemy; while the
master and two of t