"He fires at long range!" remarked the admiral, calmly.
"It would be useless for us to reply," answered the captain.
"Clearly so."
"Shall we stop and wait for him, sir?"
"Wait for him? No! Go for him! Four bells, sir! Ring four bells and go ahead fast!"
The clang of the engine-bell resounded through the ship; the thump of the machinery grew more rapid; the whole vessel thrilled and shook, as if eager for the attack.
The distance between the two ships was reduced to about two miles.
Again the Spaniard fired. The shot struck the "Franklin" broad on her port-bow, knocked over a gun, killed six men, and passed through the other side of the ship.
Still the "Franklin" pressed on.
Crash! a huge shell from an Armstrong eighteen-ton gun burst between the fore and mainmasts; the bow pivot-gun was dismounted; ten men of her crew down; the maintopmast stays cut, and the maintopmast tottering. Crash! Another shell, and the jib-boom hangs dragging under the bows; the fore topgallantmast is carried away. Men hacked at the rigging to clear away the wreck which now impeded the ship's advance.