pose they want you, you come." And the negro, who
had thrown his jacket off, bared his arm, as if he intended mischief.

The first cutter, commanded by the gunner, now gained upon the launch,
and was three boats'-lengths ahead of her when she came alongside. The
brig poured in her broadside--it was well directed, and down went the
boat.

"Cutter's sunk," exclaimed Gascoigne, "by heavens! Give way, my men."

"Now, don't you observe, that had we all three been pulling up together,
the broadside would have sunk us all?" said Jack, very composedly.

"There's board in the launch--give way, my men, give way," said
Gascoigne, stamping with impatience.

The reception was evidently warm; by the time that the launch had poured
in her men, the second cutter was close under the brig's quarter--two
more strokes and she was alongside; when of a sudden a tremendous
explosion took place on the deck of the vessel, and bodies and fragments
were hurled up in the air. So tremendous was the explosion, that the
men of the second cutter, as if transfixed, simultaneously stopped
pulling, their eyes directed to the volumes of smoke which poured
through the ports, and hid the whole of the masts and rigging of the
vessel.

"Now's your time, my lads, give way and alongside," cried our hero.

The men, reminded by his voice, obeyed--but the impetus already given to
the boat was sufficient. Before they could drop their oars in the water
they grazed against the vessel's sides, and, following Jack, were in a
few seconds on the quarter-deck of the vessel. A dreadful sight
presented itself--the whole deck was black, and corpses lay strewed;
their clothes on them still burning, and among the bodies lay fragments
of what once were men.

The capstern was unshipped and turned over on its side--the binnacles
were in remnants, and many of the ropes ignited. There was not one
person left on deck to oppose them.

As they afterwards learned from some of the men who had saved their
lives by remaining below, the French captain had seen the boats before
they anchored, and had made every preparation; he had filled a large
ammunition chest with cartridges for the guns, that they might not have
to hand them up. The conflict between the men of the pinnace and the
crew of the vessel was carried on near the capstern, and a pistol fired
had accidentally communicated with the powder, which blew up in the very
centre of the dense and desperate struggle.