There came no answer from the Ranger; the lieutenant saw a long line of grinning faces looking down at him over her rail and he grew purple with rage.
“You unmannerly rascals,” he roared, “I’ll teach you respect to a king’s officer.”
He gave a command to his men; they dropped their oars, seized their arms and followed him up the Ranger’s side. The vessel’s ports were closed and the lieutenant had mistaken her for a saucy merchantman. But imagine his consternation when he found himself upon the deck of a fully armed ship and face to face with a smiling young officer who politely demanded his sword.
“The Continental sloop-of-war, Ranger,” answered John Paul Jones, still smiling. “I think your commander has been in search of us.”
“He has,” answered the lieutenant, filled with anger at the result of his own and his captain’s lack of caution. “And he’ll sink you now, sir, you may be sure.”
The American looked toward the Drake, which was now hoisting her anchors and apparently preparing to come out, and added:
“The Drake seems a pretty ship, indeed, in daylight. I have only seen her once before, and that was under cover of night. She looks as though she would offer a very interesting battle indeed.”
“You may be sure of that, sir,” answered the British officer stiffly.
Both he and his boat’s crew were disarmed and sent below; then their boat was cast off and the Ranger made ready for action. While this was being done Ethan cried suddenly to Captain Jones:
He pointed toward the British ship as he spoke; and the captain saw a number of boats containing soldiers, pulling out to her.
“Oh, Captain Burdon of the Drake is adding to his ship’s company,” commented he, evenly. “Well, perhaps he’ll need them.”
“They look like volunteers, by their uniform,” remarked Longsword.
In this the Irish dragoon was right. A Lieutenant William Dobbs had been engaged in recruiting a band for coast defense in the neighborhood of Carrickfergus; he had offered them to Captain Burdon for service upon the Drake at this crisis, and they had been accepted.
The regular ship’s company of the frigate was one hundred and fifty officers and men; she carried two more guns than the Ranger, but they were lighter; and so the vessels were pretty evenly matched.