The chase continued for another hour, the flagship leading all the others, the Lively Bee watching the chase, but taking no part just then.
It was only a question of a few hours when the President would overtake the English ship.
But just when victory was in sight a loud explosion startled everybody, and directed the attention of the whole fleet to the President.
Commodore Rodgers had again sighted his heavy gun, which was getting so hot that he almost deemed it unsafe to load it.
"One more shot," he cried, as he applied the match.
A cloud of smoke hung over the President as the noise of the report cleared away.
In firing that shot the gun had burst with a terrific report, the flying fragments killing or wounding sixteen men.
The commodore was thrown high into the air, and fell heavily on the deck, suffering a severe fracture of his leg.
Panic set in.
Some of the sailors were for hauling down the flag, but they were only raw recruits, and were quickly overpowered by the older men.