Captain Paul Jones crosses now to the north shore of the Solway for a morning call upon the Earl of Selkirk. He schemes to capture that patrician, and trade him back to the English for certain good American sailors whom they hold as prisoners. The plan falls through, since the noble earl is not at home. In lieu, the Ranger’s crew take unto themselves the Selkirk plate, which Captain Paul Jones subsequently buys from them, paying the ransom from his own purse, and returns with his compliments gallantly expressed in a letter to the earl.
From the Solway, the little Ranger stands west by north across the Irish Sea. Off Carrickfergus she finds the Drake, an English sloop of war that is two long nines the better than the Ranger in her broadsides, and thirty-one men stronger in her crew. To save trouble, the Ranger is hove to off the mouth of Belfast Lough, and waits for the Drake to come out. This the English ship does slowly and with difficulty, being on the wrong side of wind and tide.
“The sun is no more than an hour high,”
The Story of Paul Jones suggests Lieutenant Wallingford wistfully. “Shouldn’t we go to meet them, sir?”
Captain Paul Jones shakes his head.
“We’ve better water here,” says he. “Besides, the moon will be big; we’ll fight them by the light of the moon.”
Slowly, reluctantly, the Drake forges within hail. She is in doubt about the Ranger.
“What ship is that?” cries the Drake.
Captain Paul Jones puts his speaking-trumpet to his lips.
“The American ship Ranger,” he replies. “Come on; we’re waiting for you.”