"What do you think she is, Mr. Jones?" asked Commodore Hopkins. He had more confidence in Paul Jones than he dared to confess, even to himself.
"I should say she was a British frigate, sir," was the lieutenant's prompt reply. "She is too small for a ship-of-the-line, and she does not carry sail enough for a merchantman under this breeze. It would seem to me that she is merely cruising about on the lookout for somebody."
"That 'somebody' is probably ourselves," answered the commodore uneasily, "if she's a British frigate as you think. She's likely out on scout duty, and has a squadron of sister ships somewhere nearby."
Signal lanterns were raised to the foremasthead, asking the Cabot, as the ship nearest the stranger, to engage the attention of the latter. But before the captain of the Cabot could comply it was seen that the distant ship had come about and was making straight for the two American vessels.
The decks of the Alfred and Cabot were immediately cleared for action. No drums were beat, or other unnecessary noise made. The men worked swiftly, went silently to their quarters; the batteries were masked and lights placed behind, while ammunition was hurried up from the magazine-room by the powder-monkeys, the youngest members of the crew.
The stranger bore down upon them. Presently came a hail from her deck: "Who are you, and whither are you bound?"
The Cabot made answer: "This is the Betsy, from Plymouth. Who are you?"
Every ear was strained to catch the answer. It came ringing over the clear water through the still night air:
"His Majesty's ship Glasgow, of twenty-four guns!"
As the Alfred's battery consisted of the same number of long 9-pounders on the gun deck and six 6-pounders on the quarter-deck it was apparent that, if the stranger had not lied, her strength in guns must be at least a match for the Britisher. In addition to this, the American flag-ship had the support of the little Cabot, with her own fourteen guns and crew of two hundred. Commodore Hopkins felt a great relief when he noted this. The American crews thought they would make short work of the enemy. But not so Paul Jones. He had already seen too much incompetence displayed on that cruise to feel anything but serious misgivings.