e hauling in the finny monsters right merrily,
the hail of the lookout warned them that a strange sail was in sight.
The stranger drew rapidly nearer, and was soon made out to be a war
vessel. Jones, finding after a short trial that his light craft could
easily outstrip the lumbering man-of-war, managed to keep just out of
reach. Now and then the pursuer would luff up and let fly a broadside;
the shot skipping along over the waves, but sinking before they
reached the "Providence." Jones, who had an element of humor in his
character, responded to this cannonade with one musket, which, with
great solemnity, was discharged in response to each broadside. After
keeping up this burlesque battle for some hours, the "Providence"
spread her sails, and soon left her foe hull down beneath the horizon.

After having thus eluded his pursuer, Jones skirted the coast of Cape
Breton, and put into the harbor of Canso, where he found three British
fishing schooners lying at anchor. The inhabitants of the little
fishing village were electrified to see the "Providence" cast anchor
in the harbor, and, lowering her boats, send two crews of armed
sailors to seize the British craft. No resistance was made, however;
and the Americans burned one schooner, scuttled a second, and after
filling the third with fish, taken from the other two, took her out of
the harbor with the "Providence" leading the way.

From the crew of the captured vessel, Jones learned that at the Island
of Madame, not far from Canso, there was a considerable flotilla of
British merchantmen. Accordingly he proceeded thither with the
intention of destroying them. On arriving, he found the harbor too
shallow to admit the "Providence;" and accordingly taking up a
position from which he could, with his cannon, command the harbor, he
despatched armed boats' crews to attack the shipping. On entering the
harbor, the Americans found nine British vessels lying at anchor.
Ships and brigs, as well as small fishing schooners, were in the
fleet. It was a rich prize for the Americans, and it was won without
bloodshed; for the peaceful fishermen offered no resistance to the
Yankees, and looked upon the capture of their vessels with amazement.
The condition of these poor men, thus left on a bleak coast with no
means of escape, appealed strongly to Jones's humanity. He therefore
told them, that, if they would assist him in making ready for sea such
of the prizes as he wished to take with him,