ery was sixteen nine-pounders and four
sixes. Thus--you see--the advantage was clearly with the Britishers.

Both boats swung along under full canvas, pounding away at each other
like prize-fighters. Spars were shattered; sails ripped; masts
splintered in the hail of iron. And--as the fight progressed--it could
be plainly seen that the marksmanship of those upon the _Drake_ was
infinitely less accurate than that of the Americans.

"Every shot of our men told," said Jones--not long afterwards. "They
gave the _Drake_ three broadsides for two, right along, at that. The
behavior of my crew in this engagement more than justifies the
representations I have often made, of what American sailors would do,
if given a chance at the enemy in his own waters. We have seen that
they fight with courage on our own coast--but fought here, almost
in hail of the enemy's shore."

[Illustration: From "The Army and Navy of the United States."
"BEGAN TO HULL THE 'DRAKE' BELOW THE WATER-LINE."]

As the two ships were going off the wind, which was light, they both
rolled considerably, and together; that is, when the _Ranger_ went
down to port, the _Drake_ came up to starboard. The gunners upon the
quarter-deck of the _Ranger_ timed their guns, so that they were fired
as their muzzles went down and the enemy's side arose. By this
practice they began to hull the _Drake_ below the water-line.

"Sink the English! Sink the English!" cried the powder-blackened
fighters.

But Captain Jones thought differently.

"Don't sink her!" he yelled to gunner Starbuck, above the din of
battle. "I want to take her alive, instead of destroying her; for it
will be much more to our advantage if we carry her as a visible prize
into a French port."

"All right, Cap'n!" shouted his men. "We'll cripple her aloft!"

They now fired as the muzzles rose, and, so terrific were their
broadsides, that the fore and main topsail-yards came tumbling across
the starboard quarter, in a tangle of ropes, sails, and rigging.

"Rake her! Rake her!" shouted Jones to his men.

The _Ranger_ luffed and crossed the stern of the _Drake_ with the
purpose of spanking a full broadside down her decks. The British boat
was badly crippled and had lost steering way.

But, before the well-aimed guns belched another destructive volley
into the shattered Englishman, a white flag went aloft, and a voice
came: "Hold your fire. We surrender!" The _Drake_ was a
prisoner-of-war.

Thus P