de fast to her, for things were not working according to the usual
rules made and provided for such occasions, and Captain Rombold was
evidently resorting to some unusual tactics. The two steamers were of
about the same height above water, so their decks were very nearly on a
level.

The men with muskets on both sides were reloading their weapons, and
those with navy revolvers were discharging them at the enemy; but the
officers of divisions concealed their men behind the bulwarks when the
order to board did not come.

Christy saw the perplexity of the commander at his side, and it was
evident to both of them that some unusual strategy was to be adopted,
and Captain Breaker did not intend to fall into a trap if he could avoid
it. They could see nothing that looked suspicious except the position of
the enemy's force on the starboard side of the ship.

Before the captain could stop him, the first lieutenant had leaped into
the mizzen rigging, and ascended far enough to obtain a view of the
quarter deck over the bulwarks, while the commander walked aft far
enough to accomplish the same purpose by looking through the aperture
made by the shot which had carried away the wheel of the enemy, without
exposing himself to the fire of the seamen on board of her.

Christy's action occupied but the fraction of a minute; but several
muskets and revolvers were discharged at him in this brief time. Letting
go his hold of the rigging, he dropped to the deck before the captain
could see what he was doing; and it was supposed that the daring officer
had been brought down by the shots fired at him.

"Second division, follow me!" he cried, as he picked up the cutlass he
had dropped.

About thirty men rushed to the quarter-deck, hurried on by Mr. Walbrook.
Christy leaped upon the rail, with the cutlass in his right hand, and
the revolver in his left, and dropped down upon the quarter deck of
the Tallahatchie, upon a squad of seamen who were lying low behind a
thirty-pounder, whose carriage was close to the bulwark, the piece
pointed forward.

The first lieutenant had seen from his position in the mizzen rigging
the trap which had been set for the crew of the Bellevite. They were
expected to leap to the rail, and cut away the boarding nettings--not
always used, but were on this occasion--and then drop down to the deck.
The first command would naturally have been to "Repel boarders;" but
this was not given, and no fighting was to be do