ich the British
afterwards recaptured, back to Massachusetts, he continued his cruise
along the Nova Scotia coast. Again he sought out the harbor of Canso,
and, entering it, found a large English transport laden with
provisions aground just inside the bar. Boats' crews from the "Alfred"
soon set the torch to the stranded ship, and then, landing, fired a
huge warehouse filled with whale-oil and the products of the
fisheries. Leaving the blazing pile behind, the "Alfred" put out again
into the stormy sea, and made for the northward.

As he approached Louisbourg, Jones fell in with a considerable fleet
of British coal-vessels, in convoy of the frigate "Flora." A heavy fog
hung over the ocean; and the fleet Yankee, flying here and there, was
able to cut out and capture three of the vessels without alarming the
frigate, that continued unsuspectingly on her course. Two days later,
Jones snapped up a Liverpool privateer, that fired scarcely a single
gun in resistance. Then crowded with prisoners, embarrassed by prizes,
and short of food and water, the "Alfred" turned her course homeward.

Five valuable prizes sailed in her wake. Anxiety for the safety of
these gave Jones no rest by day or night. He was ceaselessly on the
watch lest some hostile man-of-war should overhaul his fleet, and
force him to abandon his hard-won fruits of victory. All went well
until, when off St. George's Bank, he encountered the frigate
"Milford,"--the same craft to whose cannon-balls Jones, but a few
months before, had tauntingly responded with musket-shots.

It was late in the afternoon when the "Milford" was sighted; and
Jones, seeing that she could by no possibility overtake his squadron
before night, ordered his prizes to continue their course without
regard to any lights or apparent signals from the "Alfred." When
darkness fell upon the sea, the Yankees were scudding along on the
starboard tack, with the Englishman coming bravely up astern. From the
tops of the "Alfred" swung two burning lanterns, which the enemy
doubtless pronounced a bit of beastly stupidity on the part of the
Yankee, affording, as it did, an excellent guide for the pursuer to
steer by. But during the night the wily Jones changed his course. The
prizes, with the exception of the captured privateer, continued on
the starboard tack. The "Alfred" and the privateer made off on the
port tack, with the "Milford" in full cry in their wake. Not until the
morning dawned did the Engl