710 NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 



tention of running under her stern, and raking her ; but directly the 

 Frenchman saw this, he filled his main-topsail, and hauled his wind 

 to meet the Dandy Lion. Watts took care to keep well on his 

 enemy's weather bow, and directly he thought he was near enough, 

 up went his helm to run across her bows, and rake her ; but the 

 Frenchman was a good sailor, and saw what he was about, so he 

 put his helm up immediately, and ran along in a line with the 

 Dandy Lion to leeward of her. Neither had yet fired a shot ; they 

 were both determined to get close alongside, and not waste their 

 powder and shot. After they had been running on this way a little, 

 both appeared to sail equally well neither got a-head Watts threw 

 his main-topsail to the mast, and let the Frenchman run a-head. 

 When the Dandy Lion had dropped a little astern, she filled, and 

 bore up to run under the Frenchman's stern, but he was too quick 

 for them. Directly he saw what she was going to do, he wore round 

 and met her. They were again running in the same line, looking at 

 each other without firing a shot. At last young Watts jumped up 

 in the hammock nettings ; the French captain was standing in his. 

 Directly he saw Watts, he took off his hat, and Watts did the same ; 

 just at that moment one of the men on board the French schooner 

 lifted his musket, for the two vessels had been edging closer and closer 

 to one another till they had come within musket-shot. When the 

 French captain saw what his man was about, he ordered him to de- 

 sist. Watts saw it all, and in French he thanked the captain, and at 

 the same time asked him whether he would surrender ? ' Impossible,' 

 said he ; ( I was just going to ask you the same question.' ' It's 

 equally impossible on my part/' said young Watts ; ' so we must try 

 our strength I see I have got a brave enemy to contend with.' ' No 

 more than you deserve,' said the Frenchman : ' brave men should 

 always have brave enemies/ and he made a low bow, which Watts 

 returned ; and after these compliments he jumped out of the 

 hammock-nettings. ' Close with her, Short,' says he to my father, 

 who was at the helm ; c put the helm up starboard, Short, star- 

 starboard.' ' Starboard it is, Sir/ says my father. ' Now lads/ says 

 the young skipper, f g've it her as hard as you like.' They were 

 close alongside now, and directly the men heard him say this, they 

 let fly ; they could'nt see what damage they had done, for the French- 

 man returned the fire immediately, and the wind having died away, 

 they were soon so enveloped in smoke that they could not see one 

 another, so they went on firing at random, broadside after broadside. 

 Watts was standing leaning against the companion, and cheering the 

 fellows up. ' Hurrah ! my lads,' says he, ' in another broadside we'll 

 have her ; aim a-midships aim a-midships give it her in the slaugh- 

 ter-house; and then, if you miss her there, you'll hither fore'd or aft.' 

 Well, the men kept it up cheerily ; every time Watts spoke to them, 

 they answered him with three cheers ; every one of them had stripped 

 every thing off but their trowsers, their handkerchiefs tied round 

 their waists, and a cotton handkerchief, or night-cap, on their 

 heads instead of their hats. At last, just as they had fired about 

 their twelfth broadside, my father sings out ( Boarders, Sir, boarders, 

 Sir; boarders on the starboard quarter;' and at the same time, leav- 



