Although many were sunk,
and more greatly damaged by the fire of the Dutch, they swarmed round
the great ships with wonderful tenacity; and, while the larger vessels
fought their guns against those of the men-of-war, the smaller ones
kept close to them, avoiding as much as possible their formidable
broadsides, but keeping up a perpetual musketry fire at their bulwarks
and tops, throwing stink pots, and shooting burning arrows through the
ports; and getting alongside under the muzzles of the guns, and trying
to climb up into the ports.
The four newly arrived craft joined in the fray.
"This is mighty unpleasant, yer honor," Tim said, as a shot from one
of the Dutch men-of-war struck the craft they were in, crashing a hole
through her bulwarks, and laying five or six of her crew upon the
deck, killed or wounded by the splinters. "Here we are, in the middle
of a fight in which we've no consarn whatever, and which is carried on
without asking our will or pleasure; and we are as likely to be killed
by a Christian shot, as these hathen niggers.
"Hear them yell, yer honor. A faction fight's nothing to it. Look, yer
honor, look! There's smoke curling up from a hatchway of the big ship.
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