The men fully believed him.
CHAPTER VII.
For six days the weather continued to be very uncertain, and the Ranger ran from point to point between the Scotch and Irish coasts, waiting for a chance to slip in the port of Carrickfergus and have it out, yardarm to yardarm, with the Drake. At last, on the morning of the 24th of April, Paul Jones found himself off the harbor’s mouth. The bay, the castled crag, the picturesque town, and the handsome sloop of war looked as lovely in the brilliant morning light as in the soft afternoon glow when the Ranger had first reconnoitered the town.
But no longer was the American vessel unsuspected. By the time she had passed the headland and got in full view of the town and shipping her warlike character was suspected, although she showed no colors, her ports were closed, and only a few of her company were allowed upon deck. But the Carrickfergus people had heard about the daring American cruiser that had been hovering off the coasts of the three kingdoms for ten days, and the Drake felt disposed to find out the standing of the strange ship in the offing. As the Ranger neared the harbor’s mouth her people could hear the creaking of the capstan and the hoarse rattle of the hawser as the Drake’s anchor was being rapidly tripped. Nothing could have pleased Paul Jones more than this, and he smiled as he said to his sailing master:
“Keep off a little, Mr. Stacy. The Drake evidently wishes for a personal interview with us, and I would like to oblige her. I think, though, we will come about, so as to show her as little as possible of ourselves, in order that she may come out as far as possible.”
The Ranger then went completely about, as if she were running away. Still she had thrown her main topsail aback and had hauled up her courses.
The Drake then determined to send out a boat to reconnoiter. As the Ranger’s stern was still kept toward the boat nothing could be discovered of her character, and the boat came on within hailing distance. The Ranger, however, did not hail. The boat continued to advance, and finally hailed. Stacy, under Paul Jones’s orders, answered the hail.
“What ship is that?” was called from the boat.
Paul Jones, standing at Stacy’s elbow, told him in a low voice what to say.
“The Mind-your-business-and-keep-off,” Stacy rattled off so fast that he could not possibly be understood.