Meanwhile the commodore, profiting by the damage that we had inflicted upon the brigantine, rapidly overhauled her.  The two craft maintained a brisk fire upon each other until, the _Dona Inez_ having ranged up alongside the chase, they both took in their studding-sails and went at it, hammer and tongs, broadside to broadside.  This continued until, the brig's fore-topmast having been shot away, she broached-to and ran foul of the brigantine, to which she promptly made herself fast by means of her grappling irons.  And the next moment the cessation of the gun fire, the flashing of cutlass blades in the sun, and the popping of pistols told us that the boarders were at work.