168 NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 



we were hard at it, muzzle to muzzle ; we couldn't have stood it 

 much longer, we was so shattered, and had twenty men killed 

 already, and ten wounded. Well, the captain see'd that, and so he 

 sings out ' Follow me, lads !' and jumps on the starboard quarter- 

 deck hammock nettings. ( All hands to board !' sings out the first- 

 leaftenant, springing up after the captain. e Hurrah, lads !' says 

 half-a-dozen midshipmen, waving their swords and rushing forward ; 

 we all followed like devils, and in five minutes we were in possession 

 of her faulksail (forecastle) : we cut away the breechings of one 

 of the guns for'ard, slewed it on board, fired it right aft, and rushed 

 upon them in the smoke. They fought well, and drove us back ; 

 the captain rallied us, and led us again upon them, swearing he 

 would riot leave her deck alive ; three times we were driven back, 

 and three times the captain rallied us in the face of the hottest fire I 

 ever see'd. He fought like a devil, cutting every body down that 

 came near him, running about into the thickest of the fire; the 

 fourth time as we was driven back, the captain and first leaftenant 

 fell dead as a door-nail ! Well, still we wouldn't give in ; we hadn't 

 above thirty men who were not wounded ; with these we made one 

 more charge, headed by the second-leaftenant when we were quite 

 overcome, had six men killed and five more wounded; we were 

 driven right back to our own ship again, and found we had only 

 men enough to work two guns ; so the second-leaftenant hauled his 

 colours down, and the French took possession. We were clapt 

 under hatches, allowed to come up now and then to get fresh air ; 

 we all looked out anxiously for an English vessel, that we might be 

 retaken ; but it was no go we arrived at Toolang (Toulon), and 

 were clapt in prison, where I remained for six months, when I was 

 exchanged with a batch; and I'll be d d if we'd have got a licking 

 that time, if it hadn't been for the serjeant of marines throwing the 

 key of the magazine overboard, and the captain making us that 

 speech before we went into action ; but you know it quite dis- 

 heartens a feller that sort o' thing. And now, lads, 1 can tell 

 you it's sling clean hammocks to-morrow morning ; so I shall be off 

 to get mine under weigh." 



Away they went to their hammocks, and I to the deck, where I 

 found Ballantyne wondering what had kept me so long ; but he was 

 a good-natured fellow, and, when I told him how I had been detained, 

 said the only punishment he would inflict on me for having kept 

 him so long, was that I should spin him the yarn when he relieved 

 me in the first watch ; and I was soon busily engaged getting ready 

 for scrubbing hammocks in the morning. 



