blow
at the head of Decatur.

It seemed now as if nothing could save the struggling American. Only one
of his men was near by. This was a sailor named Reuben James, who had
been wounded in both arms. But he was a man of noble heart. He could not
lift a hand to save his captain, but his head was free, and with a
sublime devotion he thrust it in the way of the descending weapon.

Down it came with a terrible blow on his head, and he fell bleeding to
the deck, but before the Tripolitan could lift his weapon again to
strike Decatur, a pistol shot laid him low.

Decatur was left to fight it out with the giant Moor. With one hand the
huge wrestler held him tightly and with the other he drew a dagger from
his belt. The fatal moment had arrived. Decatur caught the Moor's wrist
just as the blow was about to fall, and at the same instant pressed
against his side a small pistol he had drawn from his pocket.

A touch of the trigger, a sharp report, and the body of the giant
relaxed. The bullet had pierced him through and he fell back dead.
Flinging off the heavy weight, Decatur rose to his feet.

Meanwhile his few men had been fiercely fighting the Tripolitan crew.
Greatly as they outnumbered the Americans, the Moors had been driven
back. They lost heart on seeing their leader fall and threw down their
arms.

Another gunboat was captured and then the battle ended. The attack on
Tripoli had proved a failure and the fleet drew off.

I know you will ask what became of brave Reuben James, who offered his
life for his captain. Was he killed? No, I am glad to say he was not. He
had an ugly cut, but he was soon well again.

One day Decatur asked him what reward he should give him for saving his
life. The worthy sailor did not know what to say. He scratched his head
and looked puzzled.

"Ask him for double pay, Rube," suggested one of his shipmates.

"A pocket full of dollars and shore leave," whispered another.

"No," said the modest tar. "Just let somebody else hand out the hammocks
to the men when they are piped down. That's something I don't like."

Decatur consented; and afterwards, when the crew was piped down to stow
hammocks, Reuben walked among them as free and independent as a
millionaire.

That is all we have here to say about the Tripolitan war. The next year
a treaty of peace was signed, and Captain Bainbridge and the men of the
_Philadelphia_ were set free from their prison cells.

In 1812, when war broke out