of it!" he shouted.

At that instant, the smoke clearing away, it was seen that the rigging
of the French ship was swarming with men, who were endeavouring to loose
their topgallant sails, apparently with the intention of escaping. Some
of the crew of the _Falcon_ were ordered aloft to set theirs while the
rest let fly another thundering broadside. Before the Frenchmen had
time to descend, the mizenmast of their ship fell over the side, and
several must have been plunged into the water; not a minute afterwards
the main-mast, fore-mast, and bowsprit followed, and she lay a helpless
wreck on the ocean.

Loud cheers burst from the throats of the British crew, and hearty
shakes of the hand were exchanged among them. Before the question was
asked, a voice came from the French ship, crying out that she had
struck, and entreating that the English frigate would not again fire.

"No fear of that," was the answer; "what ship is she?"

"The French frigate _Concorde_," replied the officer who spoke. "Send a
boat, I pray, for we have none left."

Three boats which had escaped injury were instantly lowered, and Mr
Handsel, not aware that Ralph was wounded, ordered him to go in one of
them. When he reached the deck of the prize, such a scene of horror as
he had scarcely imagined met his sight. The boats, booms, the wheel,
capstern, binnacle, and indeed all the upper portions of the ship, were
cut to pieces; the bulwarks were destroyed and the starboard side almost
beaten in, while the decks, slippery with gore, were literally strewn
with the dead and badly wounded. The French captain, two lieutenants,
several junior officers, and fully sixty men were killed, and two other
lieutenants and eighty men were wounded. A young officer with his arm
in a sling, who by the death of his superior had succeeded to the
command, presented his sword in token of submission to the third
lieutenant of the _Falcon_. It was at once returned to him with a
compliment to his bravery and an expression of sympathy, and an
assistant-surgeon was sent for from the _Falcon_ to attend to the
sufferers. Ralph was the first person the young man spoke to on coming
on board.

"You are hurt, Michelmore," he said, in a friendly tone; "I must look to
you at once;" and by the light of a lantern he dressed Ralph's arm,
which greatly needed care. "I fear that our good captain is mortally
wounded; but he has not forgotten you, for as soon as he came to himse