urse a little, steered
directly for her quarter. Led by True Blue, the crew gave a loud cheer
as they dashed on under her counter, and then, pushing round to her
quarter, hooked on. In a moment, cutting the tricing lines of her
boarding nettings, they sprang up her side and threw themselves on the
deck. They were received with a shower of musket and pistol bullets,
and the points of a row of pikes.

The bullets struck down two of the daring boarders; but the remainder
pushed on, striking down the pikes with their cutlasses, and playing
havoc among the heads of the men who held them.

The Frenchmen stoutly defended themselves for some time with swords and
axes, but in vain did they attempt to withstand the fierce onslaught of
the British seamen. They began to give way; some were cut down, others
in their terror sprang overboard. Paul received a wound in his side
which prevented him from moving; but True Blue, heading his companions,
with his sharp cutlass whirling away in front, swept along the deck,
driving the Frenchmen before him.

A desperate stand was made by the officers of the vessel on the
forecastle, and from the small number of their assailants they might
even then have hoped, with some reason, still to gain the victory; but
while they were discussing what was to be done, the British seamen were
making good use of their cutlasses, and in another moment they found
themselves hurled down the hatchway, knocked overboard, or, if alive, on
their knees asking for quarter.

All opposition had ceased, and the schooner's flag was hauled down, when
Abel, in his heavy-pulling launch, came alongside.

"Well, mates, you've made quick work of the Monsieurs, and have had the
honour and glory, too, while we've only had the hot pull!" cried the
crew of the latter boat.

"And what's more, mates," answered the boatswain, "you'll have to pull
hard to get us back again; for there are few of us who have not got
touched up by the enemy."

Of this, the appearance of the survivors of the gallant crew of the
pinnace gave evidence. Paul himself was pretty severely wounded; and
True Blue, Hartland, Fid, and all the rest were more or less hurt. One
seaman had been killed, and one marine knocked overboard by the French.

The enemy's loss had, however, been much more severe. Out of a crew of
nearly fifty men, four lay killed on her deck, fully eight had jumped or
been knocked overboard, and a dozen or more were badly wounded