The lads, Albert and Max, were very good friends, in spite of an occasional tilt over the respective claims of the two countries to preeminence in one thing or another, usually in regard to the bravery and competence of her soldiers and sailors.
One evening Albert began lauding Nelson as the greatest naval hero the world had ever seen, winding up his eulogy with a challenge to Max to mention any one to compare to him in seamanship, fighting qualities, or bravery.
“Well, I don’t know of any other Englishman to compare to him,” replied Max coolly, “but we’ve had a number of officers in our navy that I think were quite equal to him.”
“Which, pray?” sneered Albert.
“There was Commodore McDonough, who whipped the British in the battle of Lake Champlain. It was so terrible a fight that one of the British sailors engaged in it, and who had been with Nelson at Trafalgar, said that battle was a mere flea-bite in comparison.”
“But in the action at Trafalgar Lord Nelson defeated the combined navies of France and Spain.”
“Yes, the British whipped them, and the Americans whipped the British,” said Max. “You ought to think it a greater feat to whip the British than to conquer in fight with Frenchmen and Spaniards,” he added laughingly.
“But the odds against Nelson were very much greater. Our force in the battle of Lake Champlain was only slightly superior.”
“I am not so sure about that,” replied Max, “I know at least one historian says it was decidedly superior. But McDonough was a Christian, and before going into the fight he called his officers about him, and kneeling on the quarter deck, asked help of God in the coming battle.”
“Then, if his prayer was granted, he had better help than all the navies of the world could have given him.”