disappointment to Barry, who longed for the excitement and
dangers of actual battle. With the British in force at Philadelphia,
it was madness to think of taking the frigates down the stream. But
Barry rightly thought that what could not be done with a heavy ship
might be done with a few light boats.

Philadelphia was then crowded with British troops. The soldiers were
well provided with money, and, finding themselves quartered in a city
for the winter, led a life of continual gayety. The great accession to
the population of the town made it necessary to draw upon the country
far and near for provisions; and boats were continually plying upon
the Delaware, carrying provisions to the city. To intercept some of
these boats, and to give the merry British officers a taste of
starvation, was Barry's plan.

Accordingly four boats were manned with well-armed crews, and with
muffled oars set out on a dark night to patrol the river. Philadelphia
was reached, and the expedition was almost past the city, when the
sentries on one of the British men-of-war gave the alarm. A few
scattering shots were fired from the shore; but the jackies bent to
their oars, and the boats were soon lost to sight in the darkness.
When day broke, Barry was far down the river.

Opposite the little post held by the American army, and called Fort
Penn, Barry spied a large schooner, mounting ten guns, and flying the
British flag. With her were four transport ships, loaded with forage
for the enemy's forces. Though the sun had risen, and it was broad
day, Barry succeeded in running his boats alongside the schooner; and
before the British suspected the presence of any enemy, the
blue-jackets were clambering over the rail, cutlass and pistol in
hand. There was no resistance. The astonished Englishmen threw down
their arms, and rushed below. The victorious Americans battened down
the hatches, ordered the four transports to surrender, on pain of
being fired into, and triumphantly carried all five prizes to the
piers of Fort Penn. There the hatches were removed; and, the Yankee
sailors being drawn up in line, Barry ordered the prisoners to come on
deck. When all appeared, it was found that the Yankees had bagged one
major, two captains, three lieutenants, ten soldiers, and about a
hundred sailors and marines,--a very respectable haul for a party of
not more than thirty American sailors.

The next day a British frigate and sloop-of-war appeared down the bay.