Ninety-three By Victor Hugo, Aline Delano

Ninety-three By Victor Hugo, Aline Delano: "iron was endowed with the will of a demon Now and then this colossal grasshopper would strike the low ceiling of the gun deck then falling back on its four wheels like a tiger on all fours rush upon the man He supple agile adroit writhed like a serpent before these lightning movements He avoided encounters but the blows from which he escaped fell with destructive foree upon the vessel A piece of broken chain remained attached to the carronade This bit of chain had twisted in some incomprehensible way around the breech button One end of the chain was fastened to the gun carriage the other end thrashed wildly around aggravating the danger with every bound of the cannon The screw held it as in a clenched hand and this chain multiplying the strokes of the battering ram by those of the thong made a terrible whirlwind around the gun a lash of iron in a fist of brass This chain complicated the combat