“Rake her with your port battery!”
Then issued forth a tremendous discharge that shook the privateer from masthead to keel, so that she trembled like a living creature struck with palsy. Then he braced her yards and put her wheel hard down, so as to bring her again upon her course.
Meanwhile, from the deck of the Xyphias, Captain Yetsom, observing the privateer in the act of broaching to, first looked, expecting to see her haul down her colors. But as they continued to fly, he put up his helm to clear the Xyphias from the raking fire that he foresaw would be poured into her from the port battery of the enemy.
But so quickly did the Sea Scourge broach to, that the Xyphias could not get away in time, and so she received the enemy’s whole broadside obliquely over her lee bows, with disastrous effect.
The roar of the cannon, the crash of falling timbers and the shrieks of the wounded were appalling.
Many poor fellows lost their lives and many more their limbs.
But now, above all the noise and confusion, the voice of Captain Yetsom rang out clearly and firmly:
“Man the starboard guns! Clew up the courses! And so we cross the privateer’s bows, take good aim and pay her well for this!”
And before the Sea Scourge could veer round upon her course again, the Xyphias came across her bows. A long line of fire belched forth from the starboard guns, sending iron missiles crashing and tearing into the Sea Scourge, and dealing death and destruction everywhere among her crew.
Here Justin’s clear and ringing voice was heard high above all others in the cheers that rose heavenward from the deck of the Xyphias.