at time was young and poor. It had not been
twenty years free from British armies. But it was proud, if it was poor,
and did not like to have its captains and consuls ordered about like
servants. So the President and Congress thought it was time to teach the
Moors a lesson.

This was in 1801. By that time a fleet of war vessels had been built,
and a squadron of these was sent to the Mediterranean under Commodore
Richard Dale. This was the man who had been in Paul Jones's great fight
and had received the surrender of the captain of the _Serapis_. He was a
bold, brave officer, but Congress had ordered him not to fight if he
could help it, and therefore very little was done.

But there was one battle, the story of which we must tell. Commodore
Dale had three frigates and one little schooner, the _Enterprise_. All
the honor of the cruise came to this little craft.

She was on her way to Malta when she came in sight of a low, long
vessel, at whose mast-head floated the flag of Tripoli. When this came
near, it was seen to be a corsair which had long waged war on American
merchantmen.

Before Captain Sterrett, of the _Enterprise_, had time to hail, the
Moors began to fire at his ship. He was told not to fight if he could
help it, but Sterrett decided that he could not help it. He brought his
schooner within pistol shot of the Moor, and poured broadsides into the
pirate ship as fast as the men could load and fire. The Moors replied.
For two hours the battle continued, with roar of cannon and rattle of
muskets and dense clouds of smoke.

The vessels were small and their guns were light, so that the battle was
long drawn out.

At last the fire of the corsair ceased, and a whiff of air carried away
the smoke. Looking across the waves, the sailors saw that the flag of
Tripoli no longer waved, and three hearty American cheers rang out. The
tars left their guns and were getting ready to board their prize, when
up again went the flag of Tripoli and another broadside was fired into
their vessel.

Their cheers of triumph turned to cries of rage. Back to their guns they
rushed, and fought more fiercely than before. They did not care now to
take the prize; they wished to send her, with her crew of villains, to
the bottom of the sea.

The Moors fought as fiercely as the Americans. Running their vessel
against the _Enterprise_, they tried again and again to leap on board
and finish the battle with pistol and cutlass; but each time