It did appear to me ungenerous to lead an enemy in
upon a man in his sleep, and not endeavour to do something to aid the
surprised party. I answered "ay, ay!" therefore, and tacked directly
alongside of the ship. But the manoeuvre was too late, the lugger
coming in between the ship and the brig, just as we began to draw
ahead again, leaving him room, and getting a good look at us both. The
Englishman appeared the most inviting, I suppose, for she up helm and
went on board of him on his quarter. Neither party used their guns. We
were so near, however, as plainly to understand the whole, to
distinguish the orders, and even to hear the blows that were struck by
hand. It was an awful minute to us in the brig. The cries of the hurt
reached us in the stillness of that gloomy morning, and oaths mingled
with the clamour. Though taken by surprise, John Bull fought well;
though we could perceive that he was overpowered, however, just as the
distance, and the haze that was beginning to gather thick around the
land, shut in the two vessels from our view.
The disappearance of the two combatants furnished me with a hint how
to proceed. I stood out three or four minutes longer, or a sufficient
distance to make certain we should not be seen, and tacked again. In
order to draw as fast as possible out of the line of sight, we kept
the brig off a little, and then ran in towards the English coast,
which was sufficiently distant to enable us to stand on in that
direction some little time longer.
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