have to fight, and they
all now seemed in good heart, so that we had no fear on the score of
their failing us. Our officers were one and all full of fight, though
each exhibited his feelings in a different way. The surgeon's only fear
seemed to be that the stranger would prove a friend instead of a foe,
and that there would be no skirmish after all.

"She's some craft one of the other vessels has fallen in with, and she
has just joined company for protection," he observed. "For my part I
shall turn in, as I am not likely to be wanted, either to fight or to
dress wounds."

The wind, which had much fallen, had just freshened up again. "Whatever
he is, friend or foe, here he comes," exclaimed Mr Randolph. "Steady,
lads!" cried the captain, "don't move till I give the word."

As he spoke the stranger glided up, her dark sails appearing to tower
high above ours. We kept on our course as if she was not perceived.
With one sheer she was alongside, there was a crash as her yards locked
with ours, and at the same moment numerous dark forms appeared in her
rigging and nettings about to leap on to our deck. "Now give it them!"
cried our captain. Our men sprang to their feet and fired a broadside
through the bulwarks of the enemy. The cries and shrieks which were
echoed back showed the havoc which had been caused. Shouts and blows,
the clash of cutlasses, the flash of pistols, immediately followed. I
felt a stinging sensation in my shoulder, but was too excited to think
anything of it as I stood, cutlass in hand, ready to repel our
assailants. Many of those who were about to board us must have sprung
back, or fallen into the water; a few only reached our deck, who were at
once cut down by our people. One man sprang close to where I stood. I
was about to fire my pistol at him, when I saw that he was unarmed, so I
dragged him across the deck out of harm's way. The next instant the
vessels parted.

"Give it them, my lads! Load and fire as fast as you can, or they will
escape us," cried the captain in an excited tone.

"Wing them! wing them! knock away their spars, lads!" He next ordered
the helm to be put down, the tacks hauled aboard, and chase to be made
after our flying foe, while a blue light was burned to show our
locality, and to prevent the frigate from firing into us when she
followed, as we hoped she would.

We had no doubt that the enemy, when he met with the warm reception we
had given him, took us