and
passed over the "Victory." Nelson then turned to Blackwood, and
directed him and Captain Prowse of the "Sirius" to return to their
ships, but in so doing to pass along the column and tell the captains
he depended upon their exertions to get into action as quickly as
possible. He then bade them again to go away. Blackwood, who was
standing by him at the forward end of the poop, took his hand, and
said, "I trust, my Lord, that on my return to the Victory, which will
be as soon as possible, I shall find your Lordship well and in
possession of twenty prizes." Nelson replied, "God bless you,
Blackwood, I shall never speak to you again."

The "Victory" was all the time advancing, the feeble breeze urging her
progress, which was helped also by her lurching through the heavy
following swell that prevailed. Before Blackwood could leave her, a
shot passed through the main-topgallantsail, and the rent proclaimed
to the eager eyes of the foes that the ship was fairly under their
guns. Thereupon everything about the "Bucentaure," some seven or eight
ships, at least, opened upon this single enemy, as the allied rear and
centre had upon the "Royal Sovereign;" for it was imperative to stop
her way, if possible, or at least to deaden it, and so to delay as
long as might be the moment when she could bring her broadside to bear
effectively. During the forty minutes that followed, the "Victory" was
an unresisting target to her enemies, and her speed, slow enough at
the first, decreased continually as the hail of shot riddled the
sails, or stripped them from the yards. Every studding-sail boom was
shot away close to the yard arms, and this light canvas, invaluable in
so faint a wind, fell helplessly into the water. During these trying
moments, Mr. Scott, the admiral's public secretary, was struck by a
round shot while talking with Captain Hardy, and instantly killed.
Those standing by sought to remove the body without drawing Nelson's
attention to the loss of one so closely associated with him; but the
admiral had noticed the fall. "Is that poor Scott," he said, "who is
gone?" The clerk who took the dead man's place was killed a few
moments later by the wind of a ball, though his person was untouched.

The "Victory" continuing to forge slowly ahead, despite her injuries,
and pointing evidently for the flagship of the hostile
commander-in-chief, the ships round the latter, to use James's
striking phrase, now "closed like a forest." Th