It seemed as if the blood stood still in my veins as we continued to advance slowly amid a silence so profound that I could hear my own heart beat; and then a cry of fear burst from my lips as another shot came toward us, plowing its way through the brig’s bulwarks with a mighty shower of splinters, but, fortunately, wounding no one. There must have been others beside me who showed signs of fear at this first proof of what the enemy could do, for Commodore Perry shouted, while he stood a fair mark for the enemy:-- “Steady, boys! Steady! There’s not likely to be much blood spilled by such gunnery as that!” Our commander was wearing no uniform; clad only in the garb of a common sailor, with blue nankeen jacket and white duck trousers, he was none the less a commodore, and there was not a Britisher so dull who would not have singled him out as the man who directed all our movements. We advanced without opening fire until each vessel of our fleet was nearly in the position marked out for her the night previous, and then we set the signal to open the action. The first gun on the American side came from the _Scorpion_, as I knew full well because of having my eyes on the schooner at the time; then the _Ariel_ discharged two of her short twelves, and an instant later old Silas began his work. This last shot struck the _Detroit_ just above the water-line, plowing its way through her hull with a splintering of timbers which told that much damage had been done. What a cheer went up from our men at this moment! I think the fact that we had succeeded in sending a shot fairly home caused me to forget the danger, for certain it is I ceased to be afraid, and remained keenly on the alert for all that was passing around me. I saw the schooner _Trippe_, outsailed in the advance, fully two miles astern, and wondered vaguely how long it might be before she would be near enough to give an account of herself. The _Scorpion_ and the _Ariel_ remained near at hand, doing good work as I could see, viewing the scene like one in a dream, and I also understood that the enemy’s squadron was concentrating all its fire upon our brig. It was as if to them there was no other vessel in the engagement save the one bearing our commodore’s flag, and that once she was disabled the victory would be won. Within ten minutes after the first shot was fired I knew full well why the decks had been wetted and covered with sand. Already were the white timbers stained crimson with the blood of my shipmates; but I was in such mental condition of excitement as neither to know nor care who had fallen. I understood that Alec was as yet unhurt, because he worked by my side, cheering when a shot struck the enemy, and soothing with kindly word some poor fellow of ours who had been mangled by British iron.