t vessel, mounting forty guns;
and her departure greatly weakened the fleet.

A few days later a second serious loss was encountered. The fleet was
lying off Cape Clear, only a few miles from the shore. The day was
perfectly calm. Not a breath of wind ruffled the calm surface of the
water. The sails flapped idly against the mast. The sailors lay about
the decks, trying to keep cool, and lazily watching the distant shore.
Far off in the distance a white sail glimmered on the horizon. It
showed no sign of motion, and was clearly becalmed. After some
deliberation, Capt. Jones determined to attempt to capture the
stranger by means of boats. The two largest boats, manned with crews
of picked men, were sent out to hail the vessel, and, if she proved to
be an enemy, to capture her. In this they were successful, and
returned next day, bringing the captured craft.

But, while the two boats were still out after the enemy's ship, the
tide changed; and Capt. Jones soon saw that his ship was in danger
from a powerful current, that seemed to be sweeping her on shore. A
few hundred yards from the ship, two dangerous reefs, known as the
Skallocks and the Blasketts, reared their black heads above the calm
surface of the sea. Toward these rocks the "Bon Homme Richard" was
drifting, when Jones, seeing the danger, ordered out two boats to tow
the ship to a less perilous position. As the best men of the crew had
been sent away to capture the brig, the crews of the two boats were
made up of the riff-raff of the crew. Many of them were Englishmen,
mere mercenary sailors, who had shipped on the Richard, secretly
intending to desert at the first opportunity. Therefore, when night
fell, as they were still in the boats trying to pull the "Richard's"
head around, they cut the ropes and made off for the shore.

The desertion was discovered immediately. The night was clear, and by
the faint light of the stars the course of the receding boats could be
traced. The sailing-master of the "Richard," a Mr. Trent, being the
first to discover the treachery, sprang into a boat with a few armed
men, and set out in hot pursuit. The bow-gun of the "Richard" was
hastily trained on the deserters, and a few cannon-shot sent after
them; but without effect. Before the pursuing boat could overhaul the
fugitives, a dense bank of gray fog settled over the water, and
pursued and pursuers were hidden from each other and from the gaze of
those on the man-of-war. All ni