e by either party. This fact
made many French privateers assume an injured air, on being captured
by United States ships, and complain that they had never heard of any
declaration of war. With a Frenchman of this sort, Stephen Decatur the
younger had an experience early in his naval career.

This occurred in February, 1799. The frigate "United States" was
cruising near Martinique in that year, and to her young Decatur was
attached as a sub-lieutenant. One morning a French privateer was
sighted, and the frigate set out in hot pursuit. The privateer took
the alarm quickly, and crowded on all sail, until her long, narrow
hull slipped through the waves like a fish. The breeze was fresh, and
the chase an exciting one; but gradually the immense spread of the
frigate's canvas began to tell, and she rapidly overhauled the
fugitive. The French captain was plucky, and even desperate, in his
attempt to escape; for, seeing that he was about to be overhauled, he
resorted to the expedient of a fox chased by hounds, and doubled,
turning short to windward, and running right under the guns of the
frigate. The move was a bold one, and might well have succeeded, had
it not been for the good marksmanship of a gunner on the frigate, who
promptly sent a twenty-four-pound shot (the only one fired in the
affair) straight through the hull of the privateer, between wind and
water. In an instant all was confusion on the French vessel. The water
poured into her hold through the hole cut by the shot; and the hasty
lowering of her sails, and the frantic howls for succor from the crew,
told the people of the "United States" that their chase was at an end.
The boats of the frigate were quickly lowered, and Decatur went in one
as officer in command. When he reached the sinking ship, he found a
scene too ludicrous to be pathetic. Along the rail of the vessel, from
bow to stern, the Frenchmen were perched like birds. Many had stripped
off all their clothes, in order to be prepared to swim; and from all
arose a medley of plaintive cries for help, and curses on that unlucky
shot. By skilful management of the boats, all were saved; and it
happened that Decatur pulled into his own boat the captain of the
sinking vessel.

Brushing the salt water out of his eyes, this worthy expressed great
surprise that he had been fired upon by a vessel bearing the United
States flag.

"Ees eet that that ees a sheep of les Etats-Unis?" he inquired, in the
broken English