is
hands and breast covered with blood. As he walked to the quarter-deck,
he was the centre of observation of all on the flag-ship. Stepping up
to the commodore, he said quietly,--

"Well, commodore, I have brought you out three of the gunboats."

Preble turned upon him fiercely, seized him with both hands by the
collar, and shaking him like a schoolboy, snarled out,--

"Ay, sir, why did you not bring me more?"

The blood rushed to Decatur's face. The insult was more than he could
bear. His hand sought his dagger, but the commodore had left the
quarter-deck. Turning on his heel, the outraged officer walked to the
side, and called his boat, determined to leave the ship at once. But
the officers crowded about him, begging him to be calm, and reminding
him of the notoriously quick temper of the commodore. While they
talked, there came a cabin steward with a message. "The commodore
wishes to see Capt. Decatur below." Decatur hesitated a moment, then
obeyed. Some time passed, but he did not re-appear on deck. The
officers became anxious, and at last, upon some pretext, one sought
the commodore's cabin. There he found Preble and Decatur, sitting
together, friendly, but both silent, and in tears. The apology had
been made and accepted.

There is one humble actor in the first attack upon Tripoli, whom we
cannot abandon without a word. This is Reuben James. That heroic young
sailor quickly recovered from the bad wound he received when he
interposed his own head to save his commander's life. One day Decatur
called him aft, and publicly asked him what could be done to reward
him for his unselfish heroism. The sailor was embarrassed and
nonplussed. He rolled his quid of tobacco in his mouth, and scratched
his head, without replying. His shipmates were eager with advice.
"Double pay, Jack: the old man will refuse you nothing;" "a
boatswain's berth;" "a pocket-full of money and shore leave," were
among the suggestions. But James put them aside. He had decided.

"If you please, sir," said he, "let somebody else hand out the
hammocks to the men when they are piped down. That is a sort of
business that I don't exactly like."

The boon was granted; and ever afterwards, when the crew was piped to
stow away hammocks, Reuben James sauntered about the decks with his
hands in his pockets, the very personification of elegant leisure.

For modesty, the request of the preserver of Decatur is only equalled
by that of the sailor who deci