Quick as lightning Captain Jerry spun the wheel round.

The stern swung sharply off, her sea-way gauged to a nicety.
The next moment the galley flew past.

Her beak, missing the stern, rushed on, tearing great splinters out of the _Merry Maid's_ flank.
Her starboard oars snapped like matchwood, hurling the slaves backwards on their benches and killing a dozen on the spot.

Then she brought up, helplessly disabled, right under the frigate's side.
And then at length the English cheer rang forth.

In an instant the grappling-irons were out and the frigate held her foe, clasped, strained close against her ribs, close under her depressed guns.
And at length, too, with a blinding flash and a roar, those English guns spoke.