You had better take a musket in self-defence. Besides,
that ship is English, and you are a Scotchman."
"The ship is a Spaniard by birth," replied Willis, "and it is pretty
well time it was converted into firewood, for the matter of that. But
it is the flag, my boy--_that_ is neither Spanish nor English."
"What is it, then?" inquired Fritz.
"It is the union-jack, Master Fritz. It is the ensign of Scotland,
England, and Ireland united under one bonnet; and as such, it is as
sacred in my eyes as if it bore the cross of St. Andrew."
Musket balls were now rattling pretty freely amongst the shrouds. The
young men levelled their muskets and fired.
Soon after, the two ships were abreast of each other, and almost at
the same instant both discharged a deadly broadside. The conflict
became general. The crashing of the woodwork and the roaring of the
guns was deafening. A thick smoke enveloped the two vessels, so that
nothing could be seen of the one from the other; still the firing and
crashing went on. The sails were torn to shreds, the deck was
encumbered with fragments of timber; men were now and then falling,
either killed or wounded, and a fatigue party was constantly engaged
in removing the bodies. There are people who consider such a spectacle
magnificent; but that is only because they have never witnessed its
horrors.
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