orbidden to serve the _Kearsarge_, and Captain Winslow had to be his
own pilot--something he was well able to do because of his familiarity
with the coasts.

Finding the _Florida_ in Brest, he blockaded the port. It was in the
depth of winter and the shore was dangerous, but Winslow did his duty so
well that the _Florida_ dared not poke her nose outside, until he was
compelled, because of shortness of provisions, to steam over to Cadiz to
obtain them. He made all haste to return, but when he arrived the
_Florida_ had slipped out and was gone.

There was no telling to what part of the world she had fled, and Captain
Winslow sailed to Calais, where he learned that the rebel
_Rappahannock_ was awaiting a chance to put to sea. He held her there
for two months, when a French pilot purposely ran the _Kearsarge_ into
the piers along shore. It was done by prearrangement with the officers
of the _Rappahannock_, in order to give the latter a chance to put to
sea. The indignant Winslow drove all the French pilots off his ship, and
by vigorous work got her off by daylight the next morning. Meanwhile the
_Rappahannock_, which had greatly overstayed her time, was ordered by
the French authorities to leave. Winslow heard of this, and, without
waiting for some of his men and officers who were on shore, he moved out
of the harbor. When the commander of the _Rappahannock_ saw the
_Kearsarge_ once more off the port of Calais, he knew it was all up and
dismantled his ship.

There was one Confederate scourge that had been roaming the seas for
months which Captain Winslow was anxious, above all others, to meet;
that was the _Alabama_, commanded by his former room-mate, Captain
Raphael Semmes. The _Kearsarge_, like many other vessels of the United
States, had been hunting here and there for the ocean pest, but it
seemed impossible to bring her to bay.

On Sunday morning, June 12, 1864, the _Kearsarge_ was lying off the town
of Flushing, Holland, with many of the officers and men ashore, and
with everything wearing the appearance of a protracted rest for the
crew. Some hours later, however, a gun was fired as a signal for every
member of the ship's company to come aboard at once. The cause of this
sudden awaking was a telegram from Minister William L. Dayton, at Paris,
notifying Captain Winslow that the _Alabama_ had arrived at Cherbourg.
On Tuesday, Winslow appeared off the fort, and saw the cruiser within,
with her Stars and Bars floatin