"All right! but only until daylight," replied the officer, and ordered a line to be lowered.
Without a moment's delay, a boat under the command of young Lawrence put off from the Intrepid. On meeting the pirate boat, he took the line and rowed back to the ketch.
The Americans, in their red jackets and fezzes, hauled away with a right good will, and brought their little craft steadily in toward the huge black hull of the frigate, where they were soon being made fast under her port side.
As the ketch now drifted into a patch of moonlight, the pirate officer spied the anchors with their cables coiled up.
"Keep off! You have lied to me," he shouted, and ordered his men to cut the hawser.
As if by magic, the deck of the ketch swarmed with men, whose strong arms forced their vessel up against the side of the Philadelphia.
"Americans! Americans!" cried the dazed Tripolitans.
"Board! board!" shouted Decatur, as he made a spring for the deck of the frigate, followed by his gallant men.
Although taken by surprise, the Tripolitans fought hard. They were called the best hand to hand fighters in the world, but they were no match for American sailors. As Preble's orders were "to carry all with the sword," no firearms were used. The only weapons were cutlasses. The watchword was "Philadelphia," which they were to use in the darkness.