’I was Captain’s coxswain aboard ’er,’ Mr. Bostock told us, but we sang out that he couldn’t have been more than twelve years old at the time. ’Believe me or believe me not, young gen’l’men, I was Captain’s coxswain, and a nice kind gen’l’man he was too. In the middle of the haction ’e sees a big round shot from the turret-ship come bobbin’ along towards us—straight as a die. "Full speed astern," ’e says to me—"Full speed astern, Bostock,"—just like that—not turnin’ a ’air—and full speed astern we went, and that shot just ’it the water under our bows. Another time, about ’arf a ’our arterwards, we was gettin’ pretty tired of shootin’ against ’er thick sides and seein’ our shot bouncing off ’er armour like peas, ’e sees another round shot comin’ along. "That’ll just about ’it the Admiral’s cabin," ’e says, "and aggravate ’im," ’e says, "if we don’t ’urry along a bit. Full speed ahead, Bostock." ’Well, ’e was a wonder, was the Captain, but the leadin’ seaman, who passed the order down to the engine-room, wasn’t very smart about it, and though we did go full speed a-’ead, we didn’t do it quick enough, and that shot just took off the life-buoy a-’angin’ under our stern. Took it off without even a-damagin’ the gilt scroll we’ ad there, but that ’ere leadin’ seaman ’ad ’is pay stopped till ’e’d paid for it—an’ serve ’im right. ’Of course that was in the days of muzzle-loaders, when the shot didn’t go along as smartly as they do now; but that Captain was a smart ’un—’e ’ad judgment, ’e ’ad.’ ’They must have been pretty sick of life at your dodging their shots like that,’ we said, laughing. ’Believe me or believe me not, but as true as I’m a-sittin’ in my cabin ’ere at this moment, they started a-’easin’ off two at a time, ’oping to catch us with one of them.’ ’What did the Skipper do then?’ we asked. ’What d’you think?’ he snorted. ’There was those two great black shell comin’ racin’ along towards us, side by side, and ’e turns to me, as quiet as a babe unborn, and ’e says: "’Ard a starb’ard"—that’s all, and our old tub turns round on ’er ’eel, just faces them two shell and ’e shoved ’er nose in _between_ them an’ they just splashed the men in the batteries a bit. We can’t do nothin’ like that nowadays, young gen’l’men—nothin’ like that.’ ’We shouldn’t think we could,’ we shouted, as he seized his cap and ran up on deck, for the Commander wanted him. We cleared for action that afternoon and just before dark got under way and stood out into the open sea, past El Castellan. This clearing for action made it certain that the Captain was doubtful whether she’d surrender without fighting, and of course made us all more excited than ever. ’If she does fight, I hope the _Hercules_ will come and help; she’ll be a bit of a handful to tackle single-handed,’ Barton sang out, and Billums laughed sarcastically and said, ’I thought you’d rather die than let them help you,’ which made us rather angry.