I will use the rifle.

Mine will come into play first, but, as my uncle said when he gave it me, yours will do most execution at close quarters." At dusk the schooners, having exchanged some signals by flags, took up their positions, one on each quarter of the ship, at a distance of some two miles.
"Do not you think," Charlie asked his friend the doctor, "that they are likely to try and board us tonight ?" "No," the doctor said.

"These privateers generally depend upon their long guns.

They know that we shall be on the watch all night, and that, in a hand-to-hand fight, they would lose a considerable number of men; while by keeping at a distance, and maintaining a fire with their long guns, they rely upon crippling their opponents; and then, ranging up under their stern, pouring in a fire at close quarters until they surrender.
"Another thing is that they prefer daylight, as they can then see whether any other vessel is approaching.

Were one of our cruisers to hear a cannonade in the night, she would come down and take them unaware.