d see the
fleet--nine vessels, big and little.

I turned over the men, who were taken to the ships immediately and
put under drill. Surgeon Usher of the _Lawrence_ and a young
midshipman rowed me to Gibraltar Island, well out in the harbor,
where the surgeon presented me to Perry--a tall, shapely man, with
dark hair and eyes, and ears hidden by heavy tufts of beard. He
stood on a rocky point high above the water, a glass to his eye,
looking seaward. His youth surprised me: he was then twenty-eight.
I had read much of him and was looking for an older man. He
received me kindly: he had a fine dignity and gentle manners.
Somewhere he had read of that scrape of mine--the last one there
among the Avengers. He gave my hand a squeeze and my sword a
compliment I have not yet forgotten, assuring me of his pleasure
that I was to be with him awhile. The greeting over, we rowed away
to the _Lawrence_. She was chopping lazily at anchor in a light
breeze, her sails loose. Her crew cheered their commander as we
came under the frowning guns.

"They 're tired of waiting," said he; "they 're looking for
business when I come aboard."

He showed me over the clean decks: it was all as clean as a Puritan
parlor.

"Captain," said he, "tie yourself to that big bow gun. It's the
modern sling of David, only its pebble is big as a rock. Learn how
to handle it, and you may take a fling at the British some day."

He put D'ri in my squad, as I requested, leaving me with the
gunners. I went to work at once, and knew shortly how to handle
the big machine. D'ri and I convinced the captain with no
difficulty that we were fit for a fight so soon as it might come.

It came sooner than we expected. The cry of "Sail ho!" woke me
early one morning. It was the 10th of September. The enemy was
coming. Sails were sticking out of the misty dawn a few miles
away. In a moment our decks were black and noisy with the hundred
and two that manned the vessel. It was every hand to rope and
windlass then. Sails went up with a snap all around us, and the
creak of blocks sounded far and near. In twelve minutes we were
under way, leading the van to battle. The sun came up, lighting
the great towers of canvas. Every vessel was now feeling for the
wind, some with oars and sweeps to aid them. A light breeze came
out of the southwest. Perry stood near me, his hat in his hand.
He was looking back at the Niagara.

"Run to the leeward of the isla