One night a British officer came on board and said there was an American deserter on his ship, the Havana, and that the Americans could have him if they sent for him.
Captain Hull, of the Constitution, was then in London, so Lieutenant Morris, who had charge of the ship, sent for the man; but when his messenger came, he was told that the man said he was a British subject, and therefore he should not be given up. They were very sorry, and all that, but they had to take the man's word for it. Morris thought this very shabby treatment but he soon had his revenge. For that very night a British sailor came on board the Constitution, who said he was a deserter from the Havana.
"Of what nation are you?" he was asked.
"I'm an American, sor," said the man, with a strong Irish accent.
Lieutenant Morris sent word to the Havana that a deserter from his ship was on the Constitution. But when an officer from the Havana came to get the deserter, Morris politely told him that the man said he was an American, and therefore he could not give him up. He was very sorry, he said, but really the man ought to know to what country he belonged. You may be interested to learn that Lieutenant Morris was the man who had been first to board the Philadelphia in the harbor of Tripoli.
This was paying John Bull in his own coin. The officers in the harbor were very angry when they received this answer. Next, they tried to play a trick on the Americans. Two of their warships came up and anchored in the way of the Constitution. But Lieutenant Morris got up anchor and slipped away to a new berth. Then the two frigates sailed up and anchored in his way again. That was the way matters stood when Captain Hull came on board in the evening.
When the captain was told what had taken place, he saw that the British were trying to make trouble about the Irish deserter. But he was not the man to be caught by any trick. He loaded his guns and cleared the ship for action. Then he pulled up his anchor, slipped round the British frigates, and put to sea.
He had not gone far before the two frigates started after him. They came on under full sail, but one of them was slow and fell far behind, so that the other came up alone.
"If that fellow wants to fight he can have his chance," said Captain Hull, and he bade his men to make ready.
Up came the Englishman, but when he saw the ports open, the guns ready to bark at him across the waves, and everything in shape for a good fight, he had a sudden change of mind. Round he turned like a scared dog, and ran back as fast as he had come. That was a clear case of tit for tat, and tat had it. No doubt, the Englishman knew that he was in the wrong, for English seamen are not afraid to fight.