floated. When it moved away only some floating planks were to be seen.
The proud _Guerriere_ would never trouble Yankee sailors again.

CHAPTER XIII

A FAMOUS VESSEL SAVED BY A POEM

"OLD IRONSIDES" WINS NEW GLORY

"_OLD IRONSIDES_ was a noble old ship, and a noble old ship was she."
Come, I know you have not heard enough about this grand old ship, so let
us go on with her story. And the first thing to tell is how she served
another British ship as she had served the _Guerriere_.

Four months after Captain Hull's great victory, the _Constitution_ was
in another sea and had another captain. She had sailed south and was now
off the coast of Brazil. And William Bainbridge had succeeded Isaac Hull
in command.

It was almost the last day of the year. Chilly weather, no doubt, in
Boston from which she had sailed; but mid-summer warmth in those
southern waters. It certainly felt warm enough to the men on deck, who
were "spoiling for a fight," when the lookout aloft announced two sails.

The sailors who had been lounging about the deck sprang up and looked
eagerly across the waves, as the cheerful "Sail-ho!" reached their ears.
Soon they saw that one of the vessels was coming their way as fast as
her sails could carry her. The other had sailed away on the other tack.

The vessel that was coming was the _Java_, a fine British frigate. As
she drew near she showed signals. That is, she spread out a number of
small flags, each of which had some meaning, and by which British ships
could talk with each other. Captain Bainbridge could not answer these,
for he did not know what they meant. So he showed American signals,
which the captain of the _Java_ could not understand any better.

Then, as they came nearer, they hoisted their national flags, and both
sides saw that they were enemies and that a fight was on hand.

Captain Bainbridge was not like Captain Hull. He did not wait till the
ships were side by side, but began firing when the _Java_ was half a
mile away. That was only wasting powder and balls, but they kept on
firing until they were close at hand, and then the shots began to tell.

A brave old fellow was the captain of the _Constitution_. A musket ball
struck him in the thigh as he was pacing the deck. He stopped his
pacing, but would not go below. Then a copper bolt went deep into his
leg. But he had it cut out and the leg tied up, and he still kept on
deck. He wanted to see the fight.

Hot and fierce