he ringleaders.

Having thus gained full knowledge of the plans of the mutineers, the
loyal seaman sought the first opportunity to warn the officers of the
ship. But not until three o'clock on the afternoon before the day set
for the mutiny could he manage to slip into the captain's cabin unseen
by the conspirators. Landais and Lafayette were seated there talking.

"Well, what's wanted now?" asked the captain in the peremptory tone
officers assume in speaking to a sailor.

The intruder stammered and looked confused, but finally managed to
tell the story. Landais was amazed. That so dangerous a conspiracy
should have been nurtured in his crew, astonished him beyond
expression. But he wasted no time in vain conjectures. Quietly the
word was passed to the officers and passengers to assemble in the
captain's cabin. Some trusty petty officers were given arms to
distribute among the American and French seamen who had not been
infected with the fever of mutiny. At a given signal the officers and
passengers rushed to the quarter-deck. The American and French seamen
joined them; and the conspirators suddenly found themselves confronted
by an angry body of determined men, fully armed.

The leading mutineers were pointed out by the informer, instantly
seized, and hurried below in irons. Then the work of arresting the
other conspirators began, and was continued until about forty of the
English were in irons. While the work was progressing, a square-rigged
ship hove in sight, and was soon made out to be one of the enemy's
twenty-gun ships. Under ordinary circumstances, the "Alliance" would
have sought to give battle to the enemy; but in the present instance,
with mutiny rife among his crew, Capt. Landais thought it his wisest
course to avoid the stranger. A few days later, the "Alliance" arrived
at Brest, where the mutineers were thrown into jail, and kept in close
confinement, until exchanged for American prisoners in the hands of
the British.

But to return to Paul Jones, whom we left with the "Bon Homme Richard"
lying at anchor in the harbor of L'Orient waiting for the arrival of
his allies. On the 19th of June, 1779, all were ready to sail, and
left the harbor with a few coasters and transports under convoy. The
"Bon Homme Richard" was the largest vessel of the little fleet; next
came the "Alliance," under command of Capt. Landais; then the
"Pallas," an old merchantman hastily remodelled, and mounting
thirty-two guns; then