"It was my first battle, and I trembled at the noise.
"Presently I saw the blood fly suddenly from the arm of a man serving at my gun. I don't know what hit him, but there was the blood.
"I hadn't much time to look around, for the boys belonging to the guns next to mine were all wounded, and I had to serve four guns. And that was hard work.
"My chum, Harry Lanyon, was serving at the next gun to me, and I saw a great ball strike him on the leg.
"Before he could be moved, the boy at the next gun had some canister sent through his ankle.
"A stout Yorkshireman lifted the boys, one after the other, and carried them to the cockpit. Each had to lose a leg.
"Then I rushed on deck. I was made frantic with what I had seen.
"I ran up to Tom Smithers—your honor didn't know Tom, but he was one of the bravest men that ever lived. Tom sprang forward to bid me go back to my duty, but before he could finish what he was saying he was cut clean in two by a terrible shot.
"Then I saw Middy Davis. Oh, sir, he was a bright boy—not as old as I am by a year or so. How his mother cried when we left Bristol, and how he tried to comfort her by saying he would bring back lots of prize money.