Dr. Linscott and his mates had established themselves in the cockpit,
to which the wounded are conveyed, in action, for treatment. The two men
who had been injured by the splinters were not disabled, and they were
ordered to report to the surgeon. Before the enemy could resume her
course, the captain of the pivot gun had caught his aim, and discharged
the Parrot. All hands watched for the result of the shot, and the
glasses of the captain and the first lieutenant were directed to the
chase.
She was near enough now to be observed with the naked eye with tolerable
accuracy, and a shout went up from the men at the pivot gun, in which
the rest of the crew on deck joined, as they saw that the shot had
struck the midship gun of the enemy, or very near it; and this was the
point where old Blumenhoff, the captain of the gun, had been directed
to aim. He was a German, but he had served for twenty-one years in
the British navy, and had won a brilliant reputation in his present
position.
It could not be immediately determined whether or not the Armstrong had
been disabled. The Tallahatchie had swung round again and resumed her
flight; but her commander must have realized by this time that he was
getting the worst of it. Paul Vapoor had not left his post in the engine
and fire room, to ascertain how the battle was going, but still plied
all his energies in driving the Bellevite to the utmost speed she could
possibly attain.
Pages:
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123