ick on the Americans. Two of their warships came up and anchored in
the way of the _Constitution_. But Lieutenant Morris got up anchor and
slipped away to a new berth. Then the two frigates sailed up and
anchored in his way again. That was the way matters stood when Captain
Hull came on board in the evening.

When the captain was told what had taken place, he saw that the British
were trying to make trouble about the Irish deserter. But he was not the
man to be caught by any trick. He loaded his guns and cleared the ship
for action. Then he pulled up his anchor, slipped round the British
frigates, and put to sea.

He had not gone far before the two frigates started after him. They came
on under full sail, but one of them was slow and fell far behind, so
that the other came up alone.

"If that fellow wants to fight he can have his chance," said Captain
Hull, and he bade his men to make ready.

Up came the Englishman, but when he saw the ports open, the guns ready
to bark at him across the waves, and everything in shape for a good
fight, he had a sudden change of mind. Round he turned like a scared
dog, and ran back as fast as he had come. That was a clear case of tit
for tat, and tat had it. No doubt, the Englishman knew that he was in
the wrong, for English seamen are not afraid to fight.

Home from Plymouth came the _Constitution_ and got herself put in shape
for the war that was soon to come. It had not long begun before she was
off to sea; and now she had a remarkable adventure with the _Guerriere_
and some other British ships. In fact, she made a wonderful escape from
a whole squadron of war vessels. She left the Chesapeake on July 12,
1812, and for five days sailed up the coast. The winds were light and
progress was very slow. Then, on the 17th, the lookout aloft saw four
warships sailing along close in to the Jersey coast.

Two hours afterward another was seen. This proved to be the frigate
_Guerriere_, and it was soon found that the others were British ships
also. One of them was a great ship-of-the-line. It would have been
madness to think of fighting such a force as this, more than six times
as strong as the _Constitution_, and there was nothing to do but to run
away.

Then began the most famous race in American naval history. There was
hardly a breath of wind, the sails hung flapping to the masts; so
Captain Hull got out his boats and sent them ahead with a line to tow
the ship. When the British saw th