ard broadside--came whistling about our ears. I was standing
aft, close to the taffrail, on the port side, at the moment, and one of
the shot came crashing in at the stern-port nearest me, striking the
stanchion heavily, and making the splinters fly in all directions, one
of them striking me on the left temple, ripping up the skin and baring
my poor unfortunate skull for a length of some four inches. The blow
stunned me just for a moment, and I fell to the deck; but before any one
had time to pick me up, I had recovered and staggered to my feet again,
feeling a trifle confused, and somewhat sick--if the truth may be told--
at the sight of my own blood, which streamed down over my face
copiously, rendering me, I have no doubt, a truly ghastly spectacle; but
otherwise I felt not much the worse.

The frigate was at this time scarcely half-a-mile distant, and had her
guns been properly served, the broadside to which she had treated us
ought to have left us floating a helpless wreck on the water, and
completely at her mercy; but, instead of this, the shot which damaged me
was the only one which could be said to have taken effect; the remainder
of the broadside passing some through our sails, and some wide of their
mark altogether.

"A miss is as good as a mile," remarked the skipper to Sennitt, after he
had glanced round, and noted the trifling damage done. "Hillo, Chester,
are you hurt, my lad?" he added, addressing me, as he observed my gory
visage. "Slip down to the doctor, and get him to clap a plaster over
your mast-head, and then turn in, if you like. What a set of lubbers
they are aboard that frigate!" he continued to Sennitt. "Had she been
English, instead of French, that broadside would have blown us out of
the water. I have been for the last ten minutes seriously thinking of
hauling down the colours, rather than risk a heavy sacrifice of life;
but if that is the best they can do, we will hold on everything, at all
events for a short time longer. I wonder whether there would be any
chance of--" and he said something in so low a tone that I did not catch
it. Sennitt pondered deeply for a minute, then he looked up and said,
"Upon my word, sir, I think it would. Our lads are rather raw, but they
behaved splendidly in the case of the privateer, and so, I believe, they
would now. Yes, I think it might have just a chance of success; a bold
rush often does wonders."

"You are right, Sennitt. Call the hands af