The ship behind had, the moment she perceived the Lass of Devon bearing down upon her consort, crowded on more sail, and was now ranging up on the other side of her.  Bidding Jacob press the enemy hard with half his force, Harry, with the remainder, leaped back on to the deck of his own ship, just as the enemy boarded from the other side.  The fight was now a desperate one.  The vessel which had last arrived bore a hundred of the troops of the garrison, and the numbers were thus nearly equal.  The Royalists, however, fought with a greater desperation, for they knew the fate that awaited them if conquered.  Gradually they cleared the deck of the Lass of Devon of the enemy, and in turn boarded their opponent.  William Long led thirty men into the tops of the Lass of Devon, and poured their fire into the crowded enemy.  Every step of the deck was fiercely contested, but at last the Roundheads gave way.  Some threw down their arms and called for quarter, others ran below.  The Royalists, with shouts of “Remember Drogheda!” fell upon them, and many of those who had surrendered were cut down before Harry could arrest the slaughter.

A loud cheer announced the victory, and the men in the other ship, who had hitherto, although with difficulty, made front against the attacks of Jacob and his men, now lost heart and ran below.  The wind had by this time entirely dropped, but battening the prisoners below, Harry set his men to thrust the ships past one another, until they were sufficiently in line for their guns to be brought to bear upon the third enemy.  Crippled as she was by the loss of her mast, she immediately hauled down her colors, and the victory was complete.

The prisoners were brought on deck and disarmed.  Harry found that the boats of the four ships would carry two hundred men closely packed, and but a hundred and eighty of the two hundred and fifty troops who had sailed in pursuit remained alive.  These, with sufficient provisions and water to last for three days, were made to take their places in the boats, and told to row back to the island, which they should be able to regain in two days at the utmost.  The crews of the captured ships were willing enough to obey the orders of their captors, for the sailors had in general but little sympathy with the doings of Parliament.  Harry had lost in killed and wounded forty-two men, and the rest he divided between the four ships, giving about thirty-five men to each.  He himself, with Jacob, William Long, and Mike, remained on board the Lass of Devon, officers being placed in command of the troops on board the other ships, which were ordered to sail in company with her.  Twenty-four hours were spent in getting a jury-mast set in place of that which had been shot away.  When this was completed the four ships hoisted their canvas and sailed together for Holland.