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Only two hundred yards separated the vessels when Laroche raised his sword again "Firing ranktake aiive 'em hell

Fire!" The front of the steamboat exploded in a tremendous torrent of fire and sly Solid wall ofGlass dissolved in every port and , paint chips flew off the bulkheads and bodies began falling, deluging the decks with blood

Before Lee Tong's gunners could recover, Pitt stitched the towboat from bow to stern with a steady stream of fire from the Thompson

Giordino hunched against the cotton barricade, waiting for the range to close to fire the revolver, watching in rapt interest as the second and third ranks ran through the dozen cu musket

The Confederates lain down a killing fire Volley after volley followed in succession, al flesh and bone The s sounds were punctuated by the cries of the wounded Laroche, swept away by the carnage and co his sharpshooters to ai the loaders to move more rapidly

Onereached a savage pitch Fire broke out on the Jackson and flames soared up her wooden sides In the pilothouse, Captain Belcheron yanked on the stea to McGeen in the engine area The riflemen ceased their fire and everyone braced the collision

A strange, unearthly silence fell over the stea wail of the calliope died away

She was like a boxer who had taken a fearful beating froer adversary and could take no more, but had somehow reached deep into her exhausted reserves for one last knockout punch

She struck the towboat square a unch that knocked over the cotton-bale barricade, crushing back cr her bow by six feet as planks and bea sparks and smoke over the battle that rapidly resue The support ropes burned through and the landing stages dropped onto the towboat's decks like great claws gripping the two vessels fast together

"Fix bayonets!" Laroche boomed

So it wildly in the air Muskets were reloaded and bayonets attached

The calliope player had returned to his post and was pounding out "Dixie" once again Pitt was an of fear Instead, there was a general feeling of uncontrolled delirium

He couldn't help thinking he'd somehow crossed a time barrier into the past

Laroche whipped off his officer's hat, hung it on the tip of his sword and raised it into the air "Sixth Louisiana!" he cried "Go git 'e froray stormed onboard the towboat

Laroche was struck in the chin and one knee, but hobbled and pressed on Pitt lain down a covering fire until the last cartridge poured froun on a cotton bale and charged after Giordino, who hopped across a landing stage, favoring his injured leg and firing the revolver like a wild man