"Say seven leagues, sir, if you please," replied the master, "until I can give you an exact answer," and he descended the companion ladder to work up his reckoning. "She's leaving us, Mr Hardy--keep more away, and run abreast of her. Now, my lads, watch the weather roll,--round and grape--don't throw a shot away--aim at the quarter-deck ports. If we can prevent her from getting up her jury-masts, she is done for." "As for the matter of that," said the quarter-master, who was captain of one of the quarter-deck guns, "we might save our shot. They haven't _nous_ enough to get them up if left all to themselves--however, here's a slap at her." The frigate had now closed within three cables' length of the line-of-battle ship, and considering the extreme difficulty of hitting any mark under such disadvantages, a well-directed fire was thrown in by her disciplined seamen. The enemy attempted to return the fire from the weather main-deck guns, but it was a service of such difficulty and danger, that he more than once abandoned it. Two or three guns disappearing from the ports, proved that they had either rolled to leeward, or had been precipitated down the hatchways. This was indeed the case, and the French sailors were so much alarmed from the serious disasters that had already ensued, that they either quitted their quarters, or, afraid to stand behind the guns when they were fired, no aim was taken, and the shots were thrown away. Had the two ships been equally manned, the disadvantage, under all the misfortunes of the Frenchman, would have been on the side of the frigate; but the gale itself was more than sufficient employment for the undisciplined crew of the line-of-battle ship. The fire from the frigate was kept up with vigour, although the vessel lurched so heavily as often to throw the men who were stationed at the guns into the lee scuppers, rolling one over the other in the water with which the decks were floated; but this was only a subject of merriment, and they resumed their task with the careless spirit of British seamen. The fire, difficult as it was to take any precise aim, had the effect intended, that of preventing the French vessel from rigging anything like a jury-mast. Occasionally the line-of-battle ship kept more away, to avoid the grape, by increasing her distance; but the frigate's course was regulated by that of her opponent, and she continued her galling pursuit. CHAPTER FIFTY TWO. Heaven's loud artillery began to play, And wrath divine in dreadful peals convey; Darkness and raging winds their terrors join, And storms of rain with storms of fire combine. Some run ashore upon the shoaly land. BLACKMORE.