She is a big ship, and I expect carries heavier metal than we do.

It may be that she has troops on board." The brig kept eating out to windward until she gained a position about a mile upon the starboard quarter of the Indiaman, then the long pivot-gun was leveled and the first shot fired.

The crew had by this time all taken their places by the guns, and Ralph and the other boys brought up powder and shot from the magazine.

It was not without a struggle that Ralph brought himself to do this; but he saw that a refusal would probably cost him his life, and as some one else would bring up the cartridges in his place his refusal would not benefit his countrymen.
He had just come on deck when the gun was fired, and saw the water thrown up just under the ship's stern, and the shot was dancing away to leeward.

The next shot struck the merchantman on the quarter.