Page:The Wreck of a World - Grove - 1890.djvu/100

84 a huge war-vessel of enormons dimensions, which bore down at once upon the nearest of our little squadron, which happened to be the Roanoke.

Dana fired several shots at this great galleon, but they glanced harmlessly off her invulnerable skin. And now for the first time our fire was returned. From want of guns, or whatever reason, none of the other vessels had fired a shot against us. But this monster proceeded to discharge huge shells, which came singing over our heads, or splashing the water high above us where they struck. One of these shells would have been quite enough to destroy the Roanoke, or the America or Hope either; fortunately they were very badly aimed, or not aimed at all. So Dana commenced to run his vessel rapidly round the great monster, like a swordfish round a whale, now trying a shot, now assailing her with his ram, but soon finding that her solid construction made him the chief sufferer in these encounters. Presently one of her great arms fell on his mast, and nearly swamped his ship as it had done mine. Like us he also had to sacrifice his topmast. And all the while the great shot and shell were pouring out of the huge guns, and it became