All our stores were on board, and all our arms and powder. The guns were in their places; the extra carpenters who had been retained on board under pay, in order to prevent their telling what we were about, were discharged and put ashore; and the complement of the crew was taken on at the anchorage to which we dropped down off the Battery. Everything was done so quickly that we were at sea before the news of the declaration of war was generally known in New York.
I steered away to the eastward, while David took a southerly course. Before we separated we made a small wager as to who should take the first prize. He was in search of vessels plying between England and the West Indies; while I wanted those whose course was to or from Halifax.
At daylight, on my third morning at sea, a sail was reported on the starboard bow. I scanned her through my glass, concluded she was what I wanted, and ordered all sail to be cracked on in her direction.
The stranger did not change her course at all. She was a full-rigged ship, much larger than the Marguerite, and evidently a merchantman. We hung out the American flag, but she did not respond to the courtesy; it was manifest that her captain did not consider it worth his while to display his colors to such an insignificant craft as an American schooner.
We could out-sail and out-maneuver the stranger. By my orders we ranged up abreast of her so as to have the weather gauge, and when within hailing distance, I called out,--
For fully a minute there was no answer, and then came the words,--
This was a bit of impudence that angered and, at the same time, amused me. I held my temper and responded,--
"The American privateer, Marguerite. Heave to, or I'll fire into you!"
There was no response, either by word or action. The ship held on her course, and the Marguerite held to hers; but all the time she drew nearer the stranger, till the vessels were not more than a hundred yards apart. Then I ordered a blank shot to be fired across her bow; as she did not stop at this warning, we fired a shotted gun in the same direction.
Still she kept on; and then I gave orders in a loud voice to make ready for a broadside.
This brought the captain of the stranger to his senses. The English flag went fluttering to its place, the sails were hove aback, and a hoarse voice hailed, and asked what we wanted.
