r captain was vastly astounded to hear that the
United States had at last sent out cruisers against the French, who
had come to look upon Americans as their legitimate prey. Keeping "Le
Croyable" alongside, Decatur ran for Philadelphia, where he was
received with unbounded enthusiasm. The captured ship was taken into
the United States navy, under the name of the "Retaliation," and sent,
under command of Lieut. Bainbridge, to cruise in search of other
privateers.

But the career of the "Retaliation" under the American flag was
neither long nor glorious. Ill luck seemed to attend the vessel in all
her cruises, and Bainbridge wandered up and down the high seas without
getting within range of a French cruiser or privateer. In November,
1798, the "Retaliation" was cruising, with two other men-of-war, in
the West Indies, not far from Guadaloupe. One day three sails were
made out to the eastward, and two more to the westward. Bainbridge
thought that at last his opportunity had arrived; and the
"Retaliation" set off to reconnoitre the strangers on the eastward,
while the two other American ships made after the three sails in the
opposite direction. As Bainbridge gained upon his chase, he concluded
from their appearance that they were two English ships, and
accordingly threw aside all caution, and sailed boldly alongside.
Unluckily, they proved to be hostile French cruisers; and, when the
discovery was made, the "Retaliation" was well within range. Every
sail was set, and the ship put before the wind, to escape from the
enemy, but too late. The leading ship of the enemy was a fine frigate;
and she rushed through the water after the fugitive, like a dolphin
after a flying-fish. Soon a heavy shot from one of the frigate's
bow-chasers came whizzing by the "Retaliation," unpleasantly reminding
the Americans that they were still within range, and their adversaries
carried heavy metal. The second frigate soon opened fire, and the
position of the "Retaliation" became hopeless. Her flag was
unwillingly hauled down, and the vessel became again the property of
its original owners. It is a strange coincidence, that this ship
should have thus been the first prize of both Americans and French in
the war.

The Frenchmen were not content with their success in capturing the
"Retaliation:" so, while one frigate stopped to secure the prize, the
other passed on in hot chase after "The Retaliation's" two former
consorts, the "Montezuma" and "Nor