under the water line, causing her to leak badly. Deprived of his
18-pound guns by reason of the accident mentioned, Jones was forced to
rely upon his 12-pounders. They were worked for all that was in them,
but the whole fourteen were silenced in little more than half an hour
and seven of the quarter deck and forecastle guns were dismounted. She
was left with three 9-pounders, which, being loaded and aimed under the
eye of Jones himself, did frightful execution on the deck of the enemy.

An hour had passed and the men were fighting furiously, when the full
moon appeared above the horizon and lit up the fearful scene. The
_Serapis_ attempted to cross the bow of the _Bonhomme Richard_, but
miscalculated and the _Bonhomme Richard_ shoved her bowsprit over the
other's stern. In the lull that followed, when each expected his
antagonist to board, Captain Pearson called out:

"Have you struck?"

"Struck!" shouted back Jones; "I am just beginning to fight!"

The _Serapis_ made another effort to get into position to rake the
American, but in the blinding smoke she ran her jibboom afoul of the
starboard mizzen shrouds of the _Bonhomme Richard_. Captain Jones
himself lashed the spar to the rigging, knowing that his only chance was
in fighting at close quarters, but the swaying of the ships broke them
apart. At that instant, however, the spare anchor of the _Serapis_
caught on the American's quarter and held the two vessels, as may be
said, locked in each other's arms.

They were so close, indeed, that the English gunners could not raise the
lower port lids, and they blew them off by firing their cannon through