men, but these were hearts of oak, tried in many a
desperate undertaking, and burning now to redeem their country's
honour.

As the _Intrepid_ drew in with the land, they saw that the boiling
surf of the western passage would force them to select the northern
entrance, which twisted and turned between the rocks and the shoals.
It was now nearly ten o'clock, and as the ketch drifted in before the
light easterly breeze she seemed a modest trader bent upon barter, and
laden with anything but the hopes of a nation.

The night was beautiful; a young moon sailed in the sky; the lights
from wall and tower and town, and from the ships lazily rocking at the
anchorages, filled the water with a thousand points of fire. The
gentle breeze wafted the little craft past reefs and rocks into the
harbour noiselessly, save for the creaking of the yards, the
complainings of the block, the wimple of wavelets at the bow, and the
gurgle of eddies at the pintles and under the plashing counter. On
deck forward only a few figures were silhouetted against the
background of white wall and grayish sky; and aft Decatur and the
pilot stood conning the ship as it stole slowly for the frigate's bow.

Owing to the ketch's native rig, and to the glib Tripolitanese of the
Sicilian pilot, no suspicion was excited in the _Philadelphia's_ watch
by the answer to their hail that she had lost her anchors in a gale
and would like to run a line to the war-ship and to ride by it through
the night. So completely were the Tripolitans deceived that they
lowered a boat and sent it with a hawser, while at the same time some
of the _Intrepid's_ crew leisurely ran a fast to the frigate's
fore-chains. As these returned they met the enemy's boat, took its
rope, and passed it into their own vessel. Slowly, but firmly, it was
hauled upon by the men on board, lying on their backs, and slowly and
surely the _Intrepid_ was warped alongside. But at the critical moment
the ruse was discovered, and up from the enemies' decks went the
wolf-like howl of "Americanos! Americanos!"

The cry roused the soldiers in the forts and batteries, and the chorus
these awakened startled the Pasha from his sleep, and thrilled with
joy the captive Americans behind their prison walls.

In another moment the _Intrepid_ had swung broadside on, and
quickly-passed lashings held the two ships locked in a deadly embrace.
Then Decatur's cry of "board" rang out, and with a quick rush, and the
dischar