Part 6 (1/2)

He was not disappointed in this. He was in Copenhagen but a few weeks, when he received the offer of a position in the Russian navy, with the rank of rear-admiral.

He gave up the hope of the prize money, and started in April, 1788, for St. Petersburg.

The story of his trip to Russia shows what a fearless man he was. No danger was too great for him to brave, in order to accomplish any purpose he had in mind.

In order to reach St. Petersburg with the least delay, he went to Stockholm, Sweden. Here he took an open boat and crossed the Baltic Sea, which was full of floating ice.

He did not let the boatmen know of his intentions until they were well out at sea. Then, pistol in hand, he compelled the unwilling men to steer for the Russian sh.o.r.e.

For four days and nights they were out in the open boats, carefully steering through the ice, and many times barely escaping death.

When, at last, they arrived safely at a Russian port on the Gulf of Finland, he rewarded the boatmen and gave them a new boat and provisions for their return. Scarcely would any one believe the story, as such a trip had never been made before, and was thought to be impossible.

He hurried on to St. Petersburg, where he was warmly welcomed. The story of his trip across the Baltic, added to other tales of his bravery, caused the empress to show him many favors.

XIV.--SAD DISAPPOINTMENTS.

After a few days in St. Petersburg, Paul Jones hurried on to the Black Sea to take command of his fleet. But he again met with disappointments.

He was not given the command of the whole fleet, as he had expected.

Instead, he was given only half, Prince Na.s.sau commanding the remainder.

Both of these men were under a still higher authority, Prince Potemkin.

Potemkin was as fond of glory as was Paul Jones. He and Na.s.sau were both jealous of the foreigner, and Potemkin finally succeeded in having Paul Jones recalled to St. Petersburg.

He arrived there, full of sorrow, because he had achieved no fame. More trouble was in store for him. Some jealous conspirators so blackened his character that the empress would not allow him to appear at court.

Even after proving his innocence to the satisfaction of the empress, he could not regain his former position.

About this time his health began to fail. Sick, both in body and mind, he went back to Paris in 1790, having been in Russia about eighteen months.

It was nearly a year afterward, before he gave up all hope of regaining a position in the Russian service. When the empress refused him this, he quietly waited for death.

This occurred on the 18th of July, 1792, in his lodgings in Paris. His pride and love of t.i.tles had left him. He told his friends that he wished no longer to be called Admiral or Chevalier.

He wished to be simply a ”citizen of the United States.”

The National a.s.sembly of France decreed him a public funeral, and many of the greatest men of the time followed his body to the tomb. The place of his burial has been forgotten.

The most enduring monument to his memory is to be found in the grateful recollections of his countrymen. The name of Paul Jones, the first naval hero of America, will not be forgotten so long as the stars and stripes float over the sea.

THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY

[Ill.u.s.tration: Oliver Hazard Perry]