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236.I laughed content when I heard the voice of my little
captain,
We have not struck, he composedly cried, We have
just begun our part of the fighting.

237.Only three guns were in use,
One was directed by the captain himself against the
enemy's main-mast,
Two, well served with grape and canister, silenced his
musketry and cleared his decks.

238.The tops alone seconded the fire of this little battery,
especially the main-top,
They all held out bravely during the whole of the
action.
 
239.Not a moment's cease,
The leaks gained fast on the pumps—the fire eat
toward the powder-magazine,
One of the pumps was shot away—it was generally
thought we were sinking.

240.Serene stood the little captain,
He was not hurried—his voice was neither high
nor low,
His eyes gave more light to us than our battle-
lanterns.

241.Toward twelve at night, there in the beams of
the moon, they surrendered to us.

242.Stretched and still lay the midnight,
Two great hulls motionless on the breast of the
darkness,