om Collins,'
whether or no. Bang-bang-bang, bang! Oh, Mr Simple, it's a beautiful
sight, to see the first guns fired, that are to bring on a general
action. `He's the luckiest dog, that Troubridge,' said Nelson, stamping
with impatience. Our ships were soon hard at it, hammer and tongs, (my
eyes, how they did pelt it in!) and old Sir John, in the _Victory_,
smashed the cabin windows of the Spanish admiral, with such a hell of a
raking broadside, that the fellow bore up as if the devil kicked him.
Lord-a-mercy! you might have drove a Portsmouth waggon into his starn--
the broadside of the _Victory_ had made room enough. However, they were
soon all smothered up in smoke, and we could not make out how things
were going on--but we made a pretty good guess. Well, Mr Simple, as
they say at the play, that was act the first, scene the first; and now
we had to make our appearance, and I'll leave you to judge, after I've
told my tale, whether the old _Captain_ wasn't principal performer, and
_top sawyer_ over them all. But stop a moment, I'll just look at the
binnacle, for that young topman's nodding at the wheel.--I say, Mr
Smith, are you shutting your eyes to keep them warm, and letting the
ship run half a point out of her course? take care I don't send for
another helmsman that's all, and give the reason why. You'll make a wry
face upon six-water grog, to-morrow, at seven bells. Damn your eyes,
keep them open--can't you?"
Swinburne, after this genteel admonition to the man at the wheel,
reseated himself and continued his narrative.
"All this while, Mr Simple, we in the _Captain_ had not fired a gun;
but were ranging up as fast as we could to where the enemy lay in a
heap. There were plenty to pick and choose from; and Nelson looked out
sharp for a big one, as little boys do when they have to choose an
apple: and, by the piper that played before Moses! it was a big one that
he ordered the master to put him alongside of. She was a four-decker,
called the _Santissima Trinidad_. We had to pass some whoppers, which
would have satisfied any reasonable man; for there was the _San Josef_,
and _Salvador del Mondo_, and _San Nicolas_; but nothing would suit
Nelson but this four-decked ship; so we crossed the hawse of about six
of them, and as soon as we were abreast of her, and at the word `Fire!'
every gun went off at once, slap into her, and the old _Captain_ reeled
at the discharge as if she was drunk. I wish you'd on
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