Part 3 (1/2)

Leaving orders that the fire be speedily kindled, Captain Jones took with him a few men, and scaled the walls of the batteries which protected the harbor. He locked the sleeping sentinels in the guardhouse and spiked the cannon.

Then, sending his men back to the harbor, he went, with one man only, to another fort, which was a quarter of a mile away. Here he also spiked the guns.

After all this had been done he returned to his boats to find that his sailors had done nothing. Not one s.h.i.+p was on fire!

The lieutenant in charge told Paul Jones that their torches had gone out. ”Anyway,” he said, ”nothing can be gained by burning poor people's property.”

Determined that they should not leave the harbor until something was destroyed, Paul Jones ran to a neighboring house and got a light. With this he set fire to the largest s.h.i.+p.

By this time the people had been aroused, and hundreds were running to the sh.o.r.e.

There was no time to do more. The sailors hastened back to the _Ranger_, taking with them three prisoners, whom Paul Jones said he would show as ”samples.”

The soldiers tried to shoot the sailors from the forts; but they could do nothing with the spiked guns. The sailors amused themselves by firing back pistol shots.

On reaching the s.h.i.+p they found that a man was missing. Paul Jones was afraid that harm had befallen him. He need not have been troubled, however, for the man was a deserter. He spread the alarm for miles along the sh.o.r.e. The people afterward called him the ”Savior of Whitehaven.”

Paul Jones was greatly disappointed by the failure of his plans. He knew that if he had reached the harbor a few hours earlier he could have burned, not only all the s.h.i.+ps, but the entire town.

Although the plan to destroy English property to aid the American cause, was a wise one, from a military point of view, yet we cannot understand why Paul Jones should have selected Whitehaven for this destruction.

There he had received kindness and employment when a boy. His mother and sisters lived just across the bay, and had he succeeded in burning Whitehaven, the people, in their anger, might have injured the family of the man who had so cruelly harmed them. We wonder if he thought of these things.

The Earl of Selkirk lived near Whitehaven, on St. Mary's Isle. As the _Ranger_ sailed by this island, Paul Jones thought it would be well to take the earl prisoner.

There were many Americans held as prisoners, by the English, and the earl could be exchanged for some of these.

So, with a few men, Paul Jones rowed to the sh.o.r.e, where some fishermen told him that the earl was away from home. Paul Jones started to go back to his vessel. But his sailors were disappointed and asked his permission to go to the earl's house and take away the silver.

Paul Jones did not like this plan, but at last consented. He did not go with the men, however, but walked up and down the sh.o.r.e until they returned.

The sailors found Lady Selkirk and her family at breakfast. They took all the silver from the table, put it into a bag, and returned to the s.h.i.+p.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MAP OF THE IRISH SEA, SHOWING THE CRUISE OF THE RANGER.]

Paul Jones was always troubled about this. He afterwards bought the silver for a large sum of money, and sent it back to Lady Selkirk with a letter of apology.

The people in the neighborhood were frightened when they heard of the earl's silver being taken. They ran here and there, hiding their valuables. Some of them dragged a cannon to the sh.o.r.e, and spent a night firing at what they supposed in the darkness to be Paul Jones' vessel.

In the morning they found they had wasted all their powder on a rock!

The next day the alarm was carried to all the towns along the sh.o.r.e: ”Beware of Paul Jones, the pirate!”

VIII.--THE RANGER AND THE DRAKE.

An English naval vessel called the _Drake_ was sent out to capture the _Ranger_. Every one felt sure that she would be successful, and five boatloads of men went out with her to see the fight.

When the _Drake_ came alongside of the _Ranger_, she hailed and asked what s.h.i.+p it was. Paul Jones replied: ”The American Continental s.h.i.+p _Ranger_! Come on! We are waiting for you!”

After a battle of one hour, the _Drake_ surrendered. The captain and forty-two men had been killed, and the vessel was badly injured. Paul Jones lost only his lieutenant and one seaman. Six others were wounded, one of whom died.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RANGER AND THE DRAKE.]