f a mile from her when she got
fairly under way. Up to this moment not a gun had spoken save the two
bow-chasers, as the captain would not yaw her until the last moment
Then round she came and poured a broadside into the _Seamew_. Orders
had been given to fire high, and every man was on his mettle. The
maintop-mast of the _Seamew_ fell, snapped at the cap; the peak
halyards of the mizzen were shot away, and a number of holes were
drilled through her sails. A loud cheer broke from our men. Fast as
the _Seamew_ was she was sufficiently crippled now to prevent her
getting away, and at last she was to show whether she could fight as
well as run, and I must say for her she did.

"She carried but twenty guns against our thirty-two, but they were of
far heavier metal, and after ten minutes the _Alert_ was as much
bruised and battered as if she had been fighting a Frenchman of equal
size for an hour. However, we had not been idle, and as our shot had
been principally directed against the enemy's rigging, as our great
object was to cripple her and so prevent her from getting away, she
was by this time a mere wreck above, although her sides were scarcely
touched; whereas two of our ports had been knocked into one, and some
thirty of our men had been struck down either by shot or by splinters.
Pouring a last broadside into her, the captain ordered the _Alert_ to
be brought alongside the _Seamew_. There was no need to call upon the
boarders to be ready. Every man was prepared, and as the vessels came
alongside our men rushed to the assault. But the crew of the _Seamew_
were as eager to board us as we were them, and upon the very bulwarks
a desperate combat ensued. Strong as we were, the _Seamew_ carried
fully as many hands, and as they were fighting with halters round
their necks it's little wonder that they fought so well.

"I've been in a good many fights, but never did I see one like that.
Each man hacked, and hewed, and wielded his boarding-pike as if the
whole fight depended upon his single exertions. Gradually the men
whose places were at the guns on the starboard side left their places
and joined in the fight, while those on the port side continued to
pour a fire of grape into the enemy. It was near half an hour before
we got a fair footing on the pirate's deck, and then steadily and
gradually we fought our way forward. But it was another half-hour
after the pirate captain and all his officers had been killed, and
fully ha