the shrill whistle sounded; all was bustle and confusion--eager thousands of both sexes crowded wharves lining the shore, and many struggled for space to stand upon while witnessing the terrible conflict. Again all was hushed into stillness; in breathless suspense did excitement sit on every countenance, as if waiting for the signal flash soon to break forth and turn everything into a chaos. A quarter-master was seen passing a speaking trumpet to the burly old British admiral, who, judging from his deportment, might have supplied the place of a rare curiosity in any cabinet of ancient relics. With it in his hand the ancient veteran mounted a gun on the starboard quarter, and shouted forth the ominous sound: 'I accept your challenge--all ready?' A terrible movement was now perceptible among the spectators on shore. "'You ill-treated myself and officers while on shore a few days ago; and you shall pay the penalty of your insult. I'll lick you; I'll be damned if I don't,' answered the American, saucily. "'You're spunk; but we'll take a little of it out, by the way of reducing your pretensions--that's all. Now, my good cousin, just look out for the shivering of your timbers. I'm going to load with grape, a jolly mixture I shall slap right into you.' "'That's e'en jist the medicine!' rejoined the Yankee: that's jist what I'm going to load with; and if it won't kill, we'll take cogniac canister! But old fellow, we'll larn ye how the Britishers can't take the spunk out of us Yankees: s'pose ye come on board my craft, lay off yer old notions, and play the good fellow in the jolly free-and-easy way. We'll then consider the horrors of war; and see if the matter can't be discussed in a different way atween decks.' "'Well, seeing it's you--not a bad sort of a chap, by the way, I don't much care if I do; but don't let go any grape until I gets under yer lee--perhaps we'd better fight it out on your gun-deck. Captain, my dear fellow (here the captain looked as good-natured as a turtle studying law) any way to suit your own canister!' returned the rear-admiral of Uncle John's best blue.