Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. The commencement of the fight—The Lion in the middle of it, and behaves right worthily—Scenes in the cockpit—The dying seaman—The fighting surgeon, Ap Recce—Waymouth hard pressed—Prizes captured— A victory gained at heavy cost—Death of the admiral and vice-admiral —Raymond missing—The burning ship—The destruction of the prizes —The fleet sails on—Waymouth's troubles—A mutinous crew—The two ship-boys—Oliver discovers a plot—Forewarned, forearmed. THE Portugal fleet, which the little English squadron was now rapidly approaching, looked formidable indeed, numbering as it did four times as many tall ships as the latter, but not a heart among the stout men who formed the crew of the Red Dragon, the Serpent, or the Lion, the Sunshine or Moonshine, quailed with the thoughts of combating against odds so great. Good Master Walker, the minister of the Lion, went round among the crew as they stood at their quarters, reminding them that they were about to fight for their sovereign, their country, their honour, and their religion. " And, dear lads," he added, " now is not the time to preach to you; but I have taught you all faithfully the truth, and would beseech all who have listened to remember and adhere by it." The admiral had formed his line of battle, and, passingby each ship on his way to form the van, hailed through his speaking-trumpet, encouraging the crews to fight bravely for St. George and merrie England, and promising them, if they gained the victory, the rich freights of all the ships they could capture. It was a bold feat of the gallant admiral thus to sail into the very midst of his foes, who he knew must surround him. The Portugals were formed, as has been said, in a semicircle, with the concave side of their line turned towards the English, so ...