Having parted company with the four-decker, we had recommenced action with the _San Nicolas_, a spanish eighty, and while we were hard at it, old Collingwood comes up in the _Excellent_. The _San Nicolas_, knowing that the _Excellent's_ broadside would send her to old Nick, put her helm up to avoid being raked: in so doing, she fell foul of the _San Josef_ a Spanish three-decker, and we being all cut to pieces, and unmanageable--all of us indeed reeling about like drunken men--Nelson ordered his helm a star-board, and in a jiffy there we were, all three hugging each other, running in one another's guns, smashing our chain-plates, and poking our yard arms through each other's canvas. "`All hands to board!' roared Nelson, leaping on the hammocks and waving his sword. "`Hurrah! hurrah!' echoed through the decks, and up flew the men, like as [men] angry bees out of a bee-hive. In a moment pikes, tomahawks, cutlasses, and pistols were seized (for it was quite unexpected, Mr Simple), and our men poured into the eighty-gun ship, and in two minutes the decks were cleared, and all the Dons pitched below. I joined the boarders and was on the main-deck when Captain Miller came down, and cried out, `On deck again immediately.' Up we went, and what do you think it was for, Mr Simple? Why to board a second time; for Nelson having taken the two-decker, swore that he'd have the three-decker as well. So away we went again, clambering up her lofty sides how we could, and dropping down on her decks like hailstones. We all made for the quarter-deck, beat down every Spanish beggar that showed fight, and in five minutes more we had hauled down the colours of two of the finest ships in the Spanish navy. If that wasn't taking the shine out of the Dons, I should like to know what is. And didn't the old captains cheer and shake hands, as Commodore Nelson stood on the deck of the _San Josef_, and received the swords of the Spanish officers! There was enough of them to go right round the capstern, and plenty to spare. Now, Mr Simple, what do you think of that for a spree?" "Why, Swinburne, I can only say that I wish I had been there." "So did every man in the fleet, Mr Simple, I can tell you." "But what became of the _Santissima Trinidad_?" "Upon my word, she behaved one _deck_ better than all the others. She held out against four of our ships for a long while, and then hauled down her colours, and no disgrace to her, considering what a precious hammering she had taken first. But the lee division of the Spanish weather fleet, if I may so call it, consisting of eleven sail of the line, came up to her assistance, and surrounded her, so that they got her off. Our ships were too much cut up to commence a new action, and the admiral made the signal to secure the prizes. The Spanish fleet then did what they should have done before--got into line; and we lost no time in doing the same. But we both had had fighting enough."