Robert was no longer able to trace the human figures on her deck, but the banner of law and right flying from her topmast yet showed in the dusk.

Forgetful as before of his own danger, he began to have a fear that the pirate would escape.

Under his breath he entreated the avenging sloop to come on, to sail faster and faster, he begged her gunners to aim aright despite the darkness, to rake the decks of the schooner with grape and to send the heavy round shot into her vitals.
The sloop kept up a continuous fire with her bow guns.

The heavy reports crashed through the darkness, the sounds rolling sullenly away, and not every shot went wild.

There was a tearing of sails, a splintering of spars, a shattering of wood, and now and then the fall of a man.