66 down by it which might slacken the frigate's pace, and save the little vessel yet." So up went the union-and, as the schooner lurched, Sam himself with a ready hand to the lock lanyard, quick answering to a ready eye, fired the first shot in reply, and, jumping up on the slide, saw it strike right under the frigate's cutwater. "Give it her again, my hearts !" The second shot parted-" Well done, long Bess!" bellowed the mate, the glass to his eye -"Splinters near the forecastle !" Again !"-When an eighteen pound ball came in from one of the enemy's bow chasers, struck a timber-head, and two men lay in blood upon the deck; the one a mangled corpse, the other with a leg knocked sheer from under him. "Luff her up a bit!" cried Sam, still firmly looking at the advancing ship, whose bow now towered high above the water. "Starboard the helm! now watch your time men ;-stand by for a broadside !" Six of the schooner's eight carronades had been run out to windward, and, as she luffed up to bring them to bear upon her adversary, the fire of her whole weather side was given at once. Her slight frame heeled from the explosion of her own guns, and she quivered from the centre to the mast head. And, hurrah! down came the frigate's driver. But, in an instant after, as her helm went down, and her head sails shook in the wind, the red muzzles of the whole tier, to her quarter guns, appeared, and a tremendous broadside from her main deckers followed, as she luffed and came up to deliver it. The schooner's counter was torn up to the very bulwarks; three men were, as it were, blown away before the blast of the artillery; and a splinter, striking the young commander near the chest, broke his left shoulder, and dashed him down against the side. The gallant youth sprang up, his arm hung mangled, and the blood gushing forth from his mouth showed what had been the violence of the blow. But his courageous eye, unclouded yet by pain, lit up with matchless energy-"Stand to it, my hearts, my darlings," he shouted. But the whole mischief now appeared. As the wounded boy staggered once more to the weather bulwark, to hold on, he looked up. The crippled main-mast reeled—“ Lower away, lower away! ease off the fore-sheet, and put her right before it!" For a few moments the fight was silenced. All hands were busy aft in getting up a preventer shroud, and fishing the mainmast, and as she was falling off, another broadside came from the frigate's quarter-deck. The havock was not so great as before. But an unlucky shot, ranging forward under the bows, severed the bobstay. The powerless spirit could no longer stay the foremast as it swayed forward and aft, with the send of the sea. "Get out a tackle forward! Up with the helm ! Hard!"-but it was too late! The weakened mainmast, now deprived of all support, broke short off where the shot had entered. It fell with a tremendous crash. The deck, forward and to leeward, was overwhelmed with a mass of confused ruin,-and the vessel was left rolling on the swell, a defenceless wreck. 66 "Will you strike, sir?" whispered the mate; see your men lying about, and 66 Never!" exclaimed Sam, in the last excitement of a dauntless heart-" Not I. Haul in the ensign that's towing there along side, and send a hand," pointing upwards, "to stop it to that stump there. I suppose," continued he, in a lower tone, "I suppose they'll have it down, without us, soon. I see she's lowering a quarter boat; we have but to wait for them now !" He sat down on a carronade slide. His face was deadly pale. Suddenly rising, he drew his hanger from its sheath, and with a strong blow, broke it in two, across the carronade. His father had given it to him at parting. On its blade was engraved a powerful talisman-" England expects every man to do his duty." As the first boat (for two were lowered and manned), pulled up under the stern, he flung the pieces into the deep, and again sunk upon the deck, his face resting downwards on his right arm as he lay. 66 Mr. L, sir," said the mate, "they're along side. Look up, sir-come, sir, don't be ashamed, you've fought her well, and they won't make much of the prize at any rate; she has stood too much riddling to do them much good. Oh, Mr. L, I hope you're not much hurt, sir. All's over now." He raised his brave young officer in his arms. Yes, all was over, indeed! He never spoke again, nor did his eyes ever more unclose, to see his darling first command in the hands of another! But a gallant nation did honour to his memory, and to his remains. All nations have brave men-and so God rest his soul! Sith 'twill no better be We trust we have in this our land Five hundred good as he. ΤΟ A MAIDEN SLEEPING AFTER HER FIRST BALL. BY THE AUTHOR OF "VIVIAN GREY." DREAMS come from Jove, the poet says; I can but deem the while, Venus may also send a shade To whisper to a slumbering maid. What dark-eyed youth now culls the flower Or whispers in the starry hour Or singles thee from out the throng, The ardent vow that ne'er can fail, The glance that tells a secret tale, The spirit hush'd, yet glad; These weave the dream that maidens prove. The fluttering dream of virgin love. Sleep on, sweet maid, nor sigh to break The spell that binds thy brain, Nor struggle from thy trance to wake Who wakes to love, awake but knows THE PIRATE AND THE CRUISER. THE wind had blown from the eastward for ten whole days, and the fleet which lay at anchor off Harwich were prevented from going to sea. Several of the crews were on shore anxiously waiting to see "blue Peter" flying at the masthead; but they looked out in vain the wind still kept them locked in. The Dauntless was lying at the harbour's mouth, waiting for the first chance to get away, that she might drop down to Portsmouth previous to her leaving the British coast, as she was destined to go in pursuit of a desperate pirate named Gonsalvo, who had, under cover of the Spanish flag, greatly annoyed the merchant traders, robbing and murdering their crews, and destroying their ships. The crew of this vessel were not allowed to remain on shore, in order that they might be ready to put to sea the moment the wind would chop round in their favour. One evening the crew were taking their grog below; one or two acquaintances had been admitted on board; and by way of keeping up the hilarity of the evening, Tom Pipes was called upon for a song. Tom, nothing loath, began to clear his voice ready for harmony; but Peter Doleful, one of the crew, rose up and protested against any singing-" because," said he, "the wind blows pretty stiff just now, and singing may increase it." Belay, belay!" cried Gunnel, the helmsman-"let's have none of your superstitious palaver now, old Peter; we never try to pass a merry hour or two, but what you attempt to throw a wet blanket over us." 66 "A song, a song!" roared some twenty voices, and Tom Pipes struck up, well aided by a powerful chorus: Blue Peter, at the mast-head flying, Warns us to set sail again; The pirate bold, our threats defying, |