. ▁The ▁two ▁sch oon ers ▁ex changed ▁fire ▁while ▁the ▁merchant man ▁continued ▁her ▁escape . ▁ ▁The ▁combat ants ▁fought ▁at ▁such ▁a ▁short ▁distance ▁from ▁each ▁other ▁that ▁Dir on ▁could ▁hear ▁B aret te ▁shout ing ▁to ▁his ▁men , ▁telling ▁them ▁to ▁take ▁better ▁aim ▁and ▁to ▁fire ▁into ▁Dec at urs ▁h ull . ▁Their ▁next ▁sal vos ▁sm ashed ▁two ▁shot - hol es ▁through ▁Dec at urs ▁h ull , ▁killing ▁two ▁men ▁and ▁also ▁dam aging ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁s ails ▁and ▁rig ging . ▁This , ▁the ▁most ▁dam aging ▁British ▁broad side ▁of ▁the ▁battle , ▁stopped ▁an ▁attempt ▁at ▁board ing ▁and ▁tempor arily ▁disabled ▁Dec atur , ▁whose ▁crew ▁had ▁to ▁quickly ▁repair ▁the ▁rig ging . ▁After ▁rep airs ▁the ▁Americans ▁respond ed ▁with ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁Long ▁Tom ▁and ▁began ▁scoring ▁more ▁hits ▁on ▁Domin ica . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁can non ball s ▁land ed ▁on ▁deck ▁so ▁the ▁British ▁tried ▁to ▁fle e ▁but ▁Dec atur ▁was ▁a ▁fast ▁ship ▁and ▁remained ▁in ▁Domin icas ▁w ake . ▁ ▁The ▁battle ▁was ▁a ▁ch ase ▁at ▁this ▁point , ▁neither ▁side ▁could ▁accur ately ▁fire ▁on ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁when ▁Dir on ▁moved ▁in ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁attempt ▁at ▁board ing , ▁he ▁was ▁rep uls ed ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner ▁as ▁the ▁first . ▁Bar re te ' s ▁last ▁man eu ver ▁prevent ed ▁the ▁Americans ▁from ▁board ing ▁but ▁he ▁ultimately ▁ste