r they
grappled in deadly strife. The tide of battle turned now to one side,
and now to the other. But at last the superior metal of the "Cerf" won
for her the victory. With her battered prize in tow, she sought to
rejoin the squadron, but unluckily fell in with a British frigate that
had been attracted by the sound of the cannonading. It was useless to
think of saving the prize: so the "Cerf" abandoned it, and after a
hard chase escaped, and put into the harbor of L'Orient.

In the mean time, the squadron had become separated; and, after a
fortnight's fruitless cruising, all the vessels returned to L'Orient.
Here they lay until the middle of August. More than three months had
passed since Jones had been given command of the "Richard." Most of
the time had been spent in port. The little cruising that had been
done had been unproductive of results. Dissension and jealousy made
the squadron absolutely ineffective. As for the "Bon Homme Richard,"
she had proved a failure; being unable to overhaul the enemy that she
wished to engage, or escape from the man-of-war she might wish to
avoid. Jones saw his reputation fast slipping away from him. Bitterly
he bewailed the fate that had put him at the mercy of a lot of
quarrelsome Frenchmen. He determined that when once again he got to
sea he would ignore his consorts, and fight the battles of his country
with his own ship only.

It was on the 14th of August that the squadron weighed anchor, and
left the harbor of L'Orient. The "Richard" was greatly strengthened by
the addition to her crew of about one hundred American seamen, who had
been sent to France from England in exchange for a number of English
prisoners. With her sailed the same vessels that had previously made
up the squadron, together with two French privateers,--the "Monsieur"
and the "Granville." Four days after sailing, a large French ship in
charge of a British prize-crew was sighted. The whole squadron gave
chase; and the "Monsieur," being the swiftest sailer of the fleet,
recaptured the prize. Then arose a quarrel. The privateersmen claimed
that the prize was theirs alone. They had captured it, and the regular
naval officers had no authority over them. To this Capt. Jones
vigorously demurred, and, taking the prize from its captors, sent it
to L'Orient to be disposed of in accordance with the laws. In high
dudgeon, the privateers vowed vengeance, and that night the "Monsieur"
left the squadron. She was a fine, fas