h ambassador at Paris had
declared that the American cruiser was a detestable pirate; and that
for France to permit the pirate to anchor in her harbors, or sell his
prizes in her markets, was equal to a declaration of war against
England. Wickes was, therefore, admonished to take his ships and
prisoners away. But even in that early day Yankee wit was sharp, and
able to extricate its possessor from troublesome scrapes. Wickes knew
that there were plenty of purchasers to be had for his prizes: so,
gathering a few ship-owners together, he took them out to sea beyond
the jurisdiction of France, and there sold them to the highest bidder.

The money thus obtained Wickes used in purchasing vessels suitable for
armed cruisers. While these were fitting out, the "Lexington" and the
"Dolphin" arrived in France, and soon joined the "Reprisal" in a
cruise around the British Islands. The little squadron fairly swept
the Channel and the Irish Sea of merchantmen. The excitement in
England ran high, and the admiralty despatched all the available
men-of-war in search of the marauders. But the swift-sailing cruisers
escaped all pursuers. Once indeed the "Reprisal" came near falling
into the hands of the enemy, but escaped by throwing overboard every
thing movable, sawing away her bulwarks, and even cutting away her
heavy timbers.

The result of this cruise so aroused England, that France no longer
dared to harbor the audacious Yankee cruisers. The "Lexington" and
"Reprisal" were, therefore, ordered to leave European waters
forthwith. The "Lexington" complied first, and when one day out from
the port of Morlaix encountered the British man-of-war cutter "Alert."
The "Alert" was the smaller of the two vessels, but her commander had
in him all that pluck and those sterling seamanlike qualities that
made the name of England great upon the ocean. A stiff breeze was
blowing, and a heavy cross sea running, when the two vessels came
together. The gunners sighted their pieces at random and fired,
knowing little whether the shot would go plunging into the waves, or
fly high into the air. As a result, they carried on a spirited
cannonade for upwards of two hours, with the sole effect of carrying
away the top hamper of the "Alert," and exhausting most of the powder
on the American craft.

Finding his ammunition rapidly giving out, the captain of the
"Lexington" clapped on all sail, and soon showed his crippled
antagonist a clean pair of heels. But