ships had we not caught him unceremoniously by the
collar and steadied him on his feet again.

The sponge was the reverse of clean, and the blow had been delivered
with such hearty good-will just between the eyes that our venerated
commander's claret was very effectually tapped; he presented therefore a
somewhat alarming spectacle as he flung himself in upon the Frenchman's
deck; his face black from contact with the foul sponge, the dingy colour
being pleasantly relieved by bold streaks and dashes of crimson.

"Mille diables!" ejaculated the astonished French captain, as this
apparition appeared before him--he having jumped down on deck again as
we ranged alongside; and he placed himself on guard in the most approved
fashion. Captain Brisac had no more knowledge of sword-play than he had
of flying, a circumstance which often proved exceedingly embarrassing--
to his adversaries, for he had a rough-and-ready way of handling his
weapon which, if not so scientific, was equally as effective as the
utmost refinements of the thoroughly accomplished swordsman. Instead
therefore of engaging, as his antagonist evidently expected, he simply
bore down the guard by sheer strength of wrist, and rushing in upon his
astounded adversary, delivered a blow with his left hand straight from
the shoulder, which laid the unhappy Frenchman senseless upon his own
deck. "Hurrah, lads!" he shouted; "give it them right and left; drive
the rascals below or overboard, and push forward to meet Mr Sennitt."
The division which had boarded with us, abaft, replied with a cheer,
which was responded to by Sennitt's party forward; and away we went,
driving the French along the deck before us until they were all huddled
up amidships between the two parties of boarders: and there they made a
most determined stand.

And now ensued a fierce and sanguinary hand-to-hand conflict; our men
still pressing impetuously forward; and the French opposing us with a
resolution which their previous conduct had given us no reason whatever
to expect, obstinately contesting with us every inch of the deck, and,
if they yielded for a moment, renewing the defence more actively than
ever; cutlasses and pikes were used with savage freedom; and the dead
and wounded encumbered the decks until they became almost impassable.

The fight had been raging thus furiously for some three or four minutes
without our gaining any perceptible advantage; our men were falling
fast; and it bec