MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 693 



possessed by Will Watch in a greater degree. The crew fancying, how- 

 ever, that the latter had met more than his his match, seemed to direct all 

 their animosity against the lieutenant ; who, most gallantly combating 

 with his sword the disproportioned host assailing him on all sides with 

 every species of weapon, was being slowly borne by his foes to the taff- 

 rail, though every backward step he took was followed by a stream of 

 blood. One fellow only, it seems, thought of me, as I lay alone, half- 

 stunned, among the guns, where I had been thrown in the scuffle. Seeing 

 this wretch approach a drawn clasp-knife in his hand I suppose with 

 the kindly purpose of dispatching me, I sprang upon one knee, and as the 

 villain stooped down, drew Will's pistol from my breast, and presenting 

 at his fired. Not until I felt myself borne down by his falling body, and 

 weltering in his blood, did I know what I had done. Then it was, I sup- 



Sose, the dash of the Black Douglas first showed itself in my disposition, 

 umping on my feet, I seized the first object that presented itself as a 

 weapon of offence, and looked round to see who should be my next assailant. 

 To my horror, I was just in time to behold the unfortunate lieutenant 

 hurled overboard from our weather quarter, when the villains who had per- 

 petrated this outrage, made a rush in a body towards me. My days are over, 

 thought I, as with all the fortitude I could summon I awaited my approach- 

 ing fate. To my utter surprise, I beheld them, one and all, with terror in 

 their countenances, dart down the companion-ladder to the deck below. 

 Thus left to myself, I endeavoured to discover the cause to which I owed 

 my safety, and beheld the seventy-four, her enormous spread of canvas 

 distended by the powerful breeze, tearing across the waves towards us, like 

 some infuriated giant of the deep, now within so short a distance on our 

 quarter as to form, without any exaggeration, a sight at once terrific and 

 sublime. The object of fear from which the slaver's men had fled was suffi- 

 ciently obvious. Swarming on her forecastle, her bowsprit and fore-shrouds, 

 appeared her grim-visaged crew, their naked cutlasses in their hands, ready 

 to pour upon our devoted decks.-' Will Watch !' I shouted, in the utmost 

 despair, believing that he must be lying wounded, or perhaps even dead, 

 near me, and that I alone was on deck. No one answered me, and 

 I, scarcely knowing what I did, or what to do, sprang over to windward, 

 where the first object that struck my eyes was Will locked in a death- 

 struggle with Mackay. The expression of either countenances was horrible 

 to behold ! Their eyes seemed starting from their heads Will's as if 

 with the fell intensity of his rage, Mackay's from the agony of his despair ! 

 The activity and strength of Watch had, as I expected, told well in the 

 encounter with his bulkier opponent ; who, with his back bent round upon 

 the steerage- wheel, his feet entangled with its ropes, his head jammed in 

 between its spokes, and his face rapidly growing purple from the suffocating 

 grasp which Will maintained upon his throat, seemed like the Bengal 

 tiger in the strangling embrace of the more slight but deadly boa! ' Port 

 your helm ! Port hard a port!" shouted a hundred voices from the ap- 

 proaching seventy-four their hoarse accents of command, mingling with 

 the roar of waters, the crashing of spars, and an infinity of other sounds. 

 ' Watch ! Watch !' I exclaimed, franticly clasping my hands, ignorant 

 of what to do, and unable to withdraw my gaze from the horrid struggle 

 going on before me. Will replied not a word, but scowled upon his foe 

 with eyes that only seemed to regret they had not the power, as fully as 

 the wish, to slay. Without loosening his deadly hold, he looked around 

 for some speedier mode of destruction ; then, catching a sight of the ap- 

 proaching line-of-battle ship, something with the speed of lightning 

 appeared to flash across his mind, as with one hand he rapidly 'untied a silk 

 handkerchief from his waist. At this moment a sudden crash seemed to 

 shiver the vessel into a thousand atoms, and the shock threw me with a 

 violent blow upon the deck. I looked up the figure-head of the seventy- 

 M.M.No. 108. 4 U 



