Captain Cottineau, of the Pallas, on seeing the Bon Homme Richard change her course and wear, rashly concluded that the crew had mutinied, had killed the commodore, and were running away with the ship. It is a singular instance of the faith which his associates had in Paul Jones, that Captain Cottineau should have been convinced of Paul Jones’s death before the command of the ship could be taken from him.
The captain of the Pallas therefore hauled by the wind and tacked, laying his head off shore. He did not follow the Bon Homme Richard, until, seeing her begin the action, he knew that Paul Jones still lived and commanded.
The ships were now within two cables’ length of each other. Paul Jones then tacked, in order to cross the bow of the Serapis. At this moment he perceived a man, at the order of Captain Pearson, fastening the Union Jack to the mizzen peak.
“Look!” said Paul Jones to Dale, “they are nailing the flag to the mast. There is no need to nail mine, for the first man that dares to touch it will never breathe again.”
The Serapis was within pistol shot and to windward, and both ships were on the port tack. The Serapis hailed as follows:
“This is his Majesty’s ship Serapis, forty-four guns. What ship is that?”
Stacy, the acting sailing master, answered the hail after Paul Jones’s directions, who wished to get in a raking position on the bow of the Serapis.
“I can’t hear what you say,” was the reply through the trumpet.
“What ship is that?” was again called out from the Serapis. “Answer immediately, or I shall be under the necessity of firing into you.”
At this, Richard Dale, who commanded the gun deck, cried to his men, “Blow your matches, boys!” and in another instant the Bon Homme Richard thundered out her broadside. So promptly was this returned from the Serapis that both reports seemed almost simultaneous. The roar was tremendous, and echoed and re-echoed over the sea and from the chalky cliffs.