"That's the vice-admiral," said the boatswain, "at it already, and he's making a hot corner down there. Ease her up a bit now. There's the Dutch admiral's ship the _Vryheid_. It's her we're going for." A sudden order came astern. "Run under her stern?--right you are," said the quartermaster. "Keep her down more, my lads.--Lie as you are, my beauty," said he, apostrophising the _Vryheid_, "and we'll blacklead you somehow." "What's that ship astern of her about?" said I. "She's closing up." So she was. Before we could slip through and get under the _Vryheid's_ stern, she had neatly swung up into the gap, blocking us out, and leaving us to put our helm hard a-port to avoid running in on the top of her. "Neatly done, by the powers," said the quartermaster; "but Duncan will make her smart for it. Ah, I thought so," as the _Venerable_ shook from stem to stern and poured the broadside intended for the _Vryheid_ into the stern of the intruder instead. "Take that, my lass, and don't push in where you're not wanted again." It was a tremendous thunder-clap; and the _States-General_--that was the name of the intruder--with her rigging all in shivers, and her stern- guns knocked all on end, was glad enough to bear up and drop out of line before she could get a second. This suited our admiral excellently, for it enabled him to cut the enemy's line and bring the _Venerable_ snugly round on the lee-side of Admiral De Winter's ship, his originally chosen antagonist. Then all was thunder and smoke. The _Venerable_ shook and staggered under the crushing fire which struck her hull. But for every broadside she got she poured two into the masts and rigging of her opponent. More than once, as the two ships swung together, with yards almost locked, we had to duck for our lives to escape the falling spars of the Dutchman. I can remember once and again, as the _Vryheid_ lurched towards us, seeing her deck covered with dead and wounded men; and every broadside she put into us left its tale of destruction among our fellows. Presently, with a crash that sounded even above the cannon, down came her mainmast by the board, and the British cheers which greeted the fall were even louder still. But if we reckoned on having done with her, we were sorely mistaken; for three other Dutchmen just then hove up to their admiral's help, and for a quarter of an hour the _Venerable_ had as hot a time of it as ship ever lived through. There was not much for us at the helm to do but stand and be shot at; which we did so well that when at last (just as the mizzen-mast of the _Vryheid_ followed the example of her mainmast) the order came to haul off and wear round on the other tack, I found myself the only one of four to answer, "Ay, ay," and ram down the helm. The quartermaster, poor fellow, lay at my feet, shot nearly in two; while of our other two mates, one was wounded, with an arm shot away, another stunned by a falling timber.