was about to go down.

"Cease firing!" cried the English captain. "Not another shot will she
discharge at us."

As he spoke the bow of the "Fougueux" was seen to rise out of the water.
Loud shrieks and cries rose from her decks. Her stern gradually sank.

"Lower the boats!" cried the English captain. "Be smart, my lads: we
must save the poor fellows' lives."

Unhappily, several of the English boats had been almost knocked to
pieces. Those which could yet swim were immediately lowered. John
Deane jumped into one of the first that reached the water. Ere,
however, they could get up to the foundering ship, the sea had washed
over her deck. Down--down she went, carrying with her all her wounded
and a large number of those who had escaped unhurt. The rest had thrown
themselves into the water, some to swim, some holding on to planks or
broken spars: but of these, many who had delayed leaving to the last,
were drawn down in the vortex of the sinking ship. As the first English
boat reached the spot, the streamer at her fore-royal-mast-head was
alone to be seen fluttering for a moment above the eddying waters, and
then downwards it was drawn after the mast to which it had been
attached. Some were still striking out bravely towards their late
antagonists. The boats were soon among them, taking up all they met.
Many, however, sunk before the very eyes of the English sailors, as they
pulled towards them. The boats were soon loaded, and returned to the
"Weymouth," fearing lest they should be swamped should they take on
board any more of the struggling wretches. Having handed up those they
had saved, they once more returned; but, in the meantime, many of those
they desired to help had sunk beneath the waves: and out of a crew of
six or seven hundred who had lately manned that tall ship, scarcely
three-score remained alive. They confessed that upwards of a hundred
had been killed and wounded since the commencement of the action, owing,
as they acknowledged, to the rapidity with which the English fired at
them. Thus the hard-won prize was lost.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

AFTER THE BATTLE.

The brave crew of the "Weymouth" had enough to do to repair their own
damages to escape a similar fate. As it was, the "Weymouth" was in a
perilous condition from the number of shot-holes she had received in her
hull, and probably had a gale sprung up, she also would have gone to the
bottom of the ocean. Exhausted by the acti