y
Yard, where he completed his task under the protection of a guard
of marines. When the figure-head was completed it was securely
bolted to the cutwater of the Constitution, which was then hauled
out to her anchorage, and a vessel was stationed on either side of
her.

The Bostonians grew more and more indignant, and finally a daring
young mariner from Cape Cod, Captain Samuel Dewey, determined that
he would decapitate the obnoxious image. The night which he selected
was eminently propitious, as a severe rain storm raged, accompanied
by heavy thunder and sharp lightning. Dewey sculled his boat with
a muffled oar to the bow of the frigate, where he made it fast,
and climbed up, protected by the head boards, only placed on the
vessel the previous day. Then, with a finely tempered saw, he cut
off the head, and returned with it to Boston, where a party of his
friends were anxiously waiting for him at Gallagher's Hotel. He
was at once made a lion of by the Whigs, and Commodore Elliott was
almost frantic with rage over the insult thus offered to his chief.

Dewey soon afterward went to Washington, where he exhibited the
grim features of the head to several leading Whigs, and finally
carried it, tied up in a bandana handkerchief, to the Navy Department.
Sending in his card to Mr. Mahlon Dickerson, then the Secretary of
the Navy, he obtained an audience. He was a short, chunky sailor-
man, with resolute blue-gray eyes, which twinkled as he said, "Have
I the honor of addressing the Secretary of the Navy?"

"You have," replied Mr. Dickerson, "and, as I am very busy, I will
thank you to be brief."

"Mr. Dickerson," said the Captain, "I am the man who removed the
figure-head from the Constitution, and I have brought it here to
restore it."

Secretary Dickerson threw himself back in his chair and looked with
astonishment at the man who had cast such an indignity on the
Administration.

"Well, sir," said he, in an angry tone, "you are the man who had
the audacity to disfigure Old Ironsides?"

"Yes, sir, I took the responsibility."

"Well, sir, I will have you arrested immediately," and the Secretary
reached toward his bell to summon his messenger.

"Stop, Mr. Secretary," said Captain Dewey; "you, as a lawyer, know
that there is no statute against defacing a ship-of-war, and all
you can do is to sue me for trespass, and that in the county where
the offense was committed. If you desire it, I will go back to
Middles