But all this time, though the Americans were making a brave and desperate defence, the tide of battle was surely going against them Though they held the deck of the Richard secure against all comers, yet the Englishmen were cutting the ship away from beneath them, with continued heavy broadsides.Though they showed themselves full of index de miller dash and spirit, they were deficient in discipline and staying qualities.The cock pit was filled with the wounded.But in the heat of the conflict the ports were quickly blown off, and the iron throats of the great guns again protruded, and dealt index de miller out their messages of death.Biddle was a man possessing to the fullest degree that primary qualification of a good naval officer, an indomitable will.In his journal index de miller Capt.But, after fighting the flames and working the pumps all day, they were reluctantly forced to abandon the good ship to her fate.Several cartridges had index de miller been broken, so that much loose powder lay upon the deck.As he bent to his work, he was a prominent target for every sharp shooter on the British vessel, and the bullets hummed thickly about his ears but he never flinched.Cries of pain, yells of rage, prayers, and curses rose shrill above the thunderous monotone of index de miller the cannonade.The Serapis first succeeded in getting a raking position and, as she slowly crossed her antagonist's bow, her guns were fired, loaded again, and again discharged, the heavy bolts crashing into the Richard's bow, and ranging aft, tearing the flesh of the brave fellows on the decks, and cutting through timbers and cordage in their frightful course.Accordingly they determined to let time do the work, and starve the rogues out of their index de miller retreat.Springing from the quarter deck, Jones with his own hands swung grappling irons into the rigging of the enemy, and made the ships fast.CAREER OF NICHOLAS index de miller BIDDLE.