thus seen belonged. The masts had disappeared,--
not one remaining above the smoke, which had greatly enlarged its
circle, however.

In this manner passed an hour. It was one of the most intensely
interesting of my whole life; and to me it seemed a day, so eager was I to
ascertain some result. I had been several times in action, as the reader
knows; but, then, the minutes flew: whereas, now, this combat appeared
drawn out to an interminable length. I have said, an hour thus passed
before we could even guess at the probable result. At the end of that
time, the firing entirely ceased. It had been growing slacker and slacker
for the last half-hour, but it now stopped altogether. The smoke which
appeared to be packed on the ocean, began to rise and disperse; and,
little by little, the veil rose from before that scene of strife.

The vessel first seen by us was our old acquaintance, the Speedy. All
three of her top-masts were gone; the fore, just below the cross-trees;
and the two others near the lower caps. Her main-yard had lost one
yard-arm, and her lower rigging and sides were covered with wreck. She had
her fore-sail, mizen, and fore-stay-sail, and spanker set, which was
nearly all the canvass she could show.

Our eyes had barely time to examine the Speedy, ere the dark hull of Le
Cerf made its appearance. This ship had been very roughly
treated,--nothing standing on board her, twenty feet from the deck, but
her foremast: and the head of that was gone, nearly down to the top. The
sea all around her was covered with wreck; and no less than three of her
boats were out, picking up men who were adrift on the spars. She lay about
a cable's-length from the Speedy, and appeared to be desirous of being
still farther off, as she had no sooner got her boats up, than she dropped
her fore-sail, and stood off dead before it.

It was in watching the movements of Le Cerf, that we first got a glimpse
of La Desiree. This ship reappeared almost in a line with her consort;
and, like her, steering off before the wind. Their common object seemed to
be, to get within close supporting distance of each other, and to increase
the space between them and their enemies. Both these vessels had the
tri-colored flag flying at the stumps of their masts. As respects the
last, however, La Desiree was a little better off than her consort--having
her foremast and main-mast standing entire;--though her mizen-mast was
gone, close to the deck. What was a