gain her crew was
weakened by the scarcity of good seamen, and this time Nicholson had
adopted the dangerous and indefensible expedient of shipping British
prisoners-of-war. There were fifty of these renegades in the crew; and
naturally, as they were ready to traitorously abandon their own
country, they were equally ready for treachery to the flag under which
they sailed. There were many instances during the Revolution of
United States ships being manned largely by British prisoners. Usually
the crews thus obtained were treacherous and insubordinate. Even if it
had been otherwise, the custom was a bad one, and repugnant to
honorable men.

So with a crew half-trained and half-disaffected, the "Trumbull" set
out to convoy a fleet of merchantmen through waters frequented by
British men-of-war. Hardly had she passed the capes when three British
cruisers were made out astern. One, a frigate, gave chase. Night fell,
and in the darkness the "Trumbull" might have escaped with her
charges, but that a violent squall struck her, carrying away her
fore-topmast and main-top-gallant-mast. Her convoy scattered in all
directions, and by ten o'clock the British frigate had caught up with
the disabled American.

The night was still squally, with bursts of rain and fitful flashes of
lightning, which lighted up the decks of the American ship as she
tossed on the waves. The storm had left her in a sadly disabled
condition. The shattered top hamper had fallen forward, cumbering up
the forecastle, and so tangling the bow tackle that the jibs were
useless. The foresail was jammed and torn by the fore-topsail-yard.
There was half a day's work necessary to clear away the wreck, and the
steadily advancing lights of the British ship told that not half an
hour could be had to prepare for the battle.

There was no hope that resistance could be successful, but the brave
hearts of Nicholson and his officers recoiled from the thought of
tamely striking the flag without firing a shot. So the drummers were
ordered to beat the crew to quarters; and soon, by the light of the
battle-lanterns, the captains of the guns were calling over the names
of the sailors. The roll-call had proceeded but a short time when it
became evident that most of the British renegades were absent from
their stations. The officers and marines went below to find them.
While they were absent, others of the renegades, together with about
half of the crew whom they had tainted with