Already many immortal souls had returned to their Maker; many sons had
become orphans, and many wives had been deprived of their husbands;
but as yet there was nothing to indicate on which side victory was to
be declared. Soon, however, a cry of fire was raised, which caused
great confusion; and another cry, announcing that the captain had
fallen, increased the disorder.
A ball crashed through the taffrail, near where Jack and Fritz were
standing; it passed between them, but they were both severely wounded
by the splinters, and were conveyed by Willis to the cockpit. The
doctor, seeing his old friend Jack handed down the ladder, hastened
towards him and tore out a piece of wood from the fleshy part of his
arm. He next turned to Fritz, who had received a severe flesh-wound on
the shoulder. When both wounds were bandaged, he left the care of the
young men to Willis, who had escaped with a few scratches, which,
however, were bleeding pretty freely--to these he did not pay the
slightest attention.
"How stands the contest?" inquired Fritz in a weak voice.
"The _Hoboken_ is done for," replied Willis; "the commodore was
preparing to board when we left the deck; but it does not make much
difference; we shall go to England instead of America, that is all."
"God's will be done," said Fritz.
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