The shot passed with a mighty whiz between the fore and main mast of the ship, cutting away one of the fore topsail braces, but doing no other damage.

The seamen cheered as they had before.

The Tallahatchie started her screw as soon as she had discharged her gun, and resumed her former course, the Bellevite doing the same.
If the loyal ship had not promptly altered her course, the projectile would have raked her, and must have inflicted much greater injury in the spars and rigging.

But both vessels promptly resumed their former relative positions, though the Tallahatchie had lost some of her advantage by coming to, while her pursuer had only made a small circuit without stopping her engine for a moment.
"If she does that again, Mr.Passford, we must be ready to return her fire," said the captain.

"Have the pivot gun ready, and aim for her Armstrong, which seems to be sufficiently prominent on her deck to make a good target." Christy hastened forward, and gave the order to Mr.Ballard, in whose division the great Parrot was included.