“I have nothing more to say.”
Dale then remarked quietly:
“You will proceed on board the Bon Homme Richard.”
“If you will permit me to go below, I will silence the firing on the lower deck,” said the lieutenant.
“No!” replied Dale firmly.
By that time the Bon Homme Richard’s men had swarmed over the side, and some of the British sailors and officers, running up from below and not knowing that the ship had struck, dashed upon the Americans, and several blows were exchanged. The officers, though, on both sides quelled the mêlée and the British sailors then quietly submitted. But another row, worse than the first, was likely to be precipitated by Danny Dixon. He marched up to one of the Serapis’s cabin boys, who was about twice as big as himself, and who was armed with the cabin broom as the most available weapon he could find at short notice. Getting close up, Danny bawled at him:
“You are my prisoner!”
The Serapis boy looked with undisguised contempt at Danny, and for answer said sulkily:
“Go along with you. I ain’t none o’ your prisoner. I’m took by that pirate Paul Jones, I am.”
Before the words were well out of his mouth Danny hauled off and hit the boy a resounding slap in the face. The boy promptly responded by knocking Danny down with his broom.