The French captain drew a pistol from his belt and levelled it at Captain Mββ, whose fate appeared to be certain; when, at the critical moment, a hat, thrown from the quarter-deck of the Aspasia, right into the face of the Frenchman, blinded him for the moment, and his pistol went off without taking effect.
βCapital shot, that, Willy!" cried M'Elvina, as he sprang from the hammocks with his sword.
β The King's Own by Frederick Marryat, illustrated by D. Downing














