There were no seamen of the good old school that could not if they had seen the English ship but admire her. With calm precision the _Shannon_--for it was well known who she was--braced back her maintopsails and hove to. In silence the two manoeuvred. At every point the English vessel had the better of it. Which would fire first? There was one moment when the _Chesapeake_ had the advantage. Owing to her clumsiness more than to her agility, she came about within pistol-shot distance under the enemy's stern. But her commander held his fire. A minute more and they were on even terms, sailing in dead silence beside one another, nearing all the time--who would have thought that they were craving each other's blood? The orders on board one ship could be heard on board the other. The word "Ready" was passed at the same moment; but the discharge of the Englishman's broadside preceded that of the _Chesapeake_ by a perceptible moment. How well those guns must have been trained! Every one was double shotted and heavily charged. The _Chesapeake_ quivered from the shock. In that second, in the time it takes a man to catch his breath, the whole aspect of affairs had changed. Mr. White, the sailing-master, was immediately killed; Mr. Ballard, the Fourth Lieutenant, was mortally wounded. Ten sailors fell dead to the decks. Twenty-three were badly hurt. The bulwarks were crushed in, and the cabin was torn to pieces. "Steady!" roared Lawrence. "Steady, boys, have at them!" There was a marine with a musket in one of the Englishman's tops. He was aiming at the resplendent figure in gold epaulets, carefully as one aims at a target, and at last he pulled the trigger. Lawrence fell down on one knee; but leaning against the companionway, he pulled himself erect again. Not an expression or exclamation came from him; but his white knee breeches were streaked and stained with red. Nearer yet the two ships drifted. Their crashing broadsides scorched each other. The Englishmen cheered, and the Yankees answered them--the volunteers from the Charlestown yard were giving a good account of themselves. But several times the _Chesapeake_ yawed and fell off her course as if she had lost her head, like a man dizzy from a blow that deadens the brain. And good reason why: three men in succession were shot away from her wheel. The expert riflemen placed in the _Shannon's_ mizzentop were doing their work well. A puff of wind took the American all aback, she fell off and swung about. Her anchor caught in the _Shannon's_ after port. And now not a gun could be brought to bear! Whole gun's crews left their places and plunged down the companionway to the deck below. But the _Shannon_ was taking advantage of her opportunity. Charges of grape and canister raked and swept the decks.