how he
came to be made first lieutenant of the _Alfred_. Congress took him at
his own price.

But Commodore Hopkins, who commanded the fleet, was wise enough to see
that Jones knew more about his work than most of the captains in the
service. So he ordered him to take command of the _Providence_, the snug
little brig that had first been offered to him.

The new captain was set at work to carrying troops and guarding merchant
vessels along the shore, and he did this with wonderful skill. There
were British men-of-war nearly everywhere, but Jones managed to keep
clear of them. He darted up and down Long Island Sound, carrying
soldiers and guns and food to General Washington. So well did he do his
work that Congress made him a captain. This was on August 8, 1776, a
month and more after the "Declaration of Independence." He had a free
country now to fight for, instead of rebel colonies.

The _Providence_ was a little vessel, but it was a fast sailer, and was
wonderfully quick to answer the helm. That is, it turned very quickly
when the rudder was moved. And it had a captain who knew how to sail a
ship. All this brought the little brig out of more than one tight place.

I must tell you about one of these escapes, in which Captain Jones
showed himself a very sharp sea-fox. He came across a fleet of vessels
which he thought were merchant ships, and had a fancy he might capture
the largest. But when he got close up he found that this was a big
British frigate, the _Solebay_.

Away went the _Providence_ at full speed, and hot-foot after her came
the _Solebay_. For four hours the chase was kept up, the frigate
steadily gaining. At last she was only a hundred yards away. Now was the
time to surrender. Nearly any one but Paul Jones would have done so. A
broadside from the great frigate would have torn his little brig to
pieces. But he was one of the "never surrender" kind.

What else could he do? you ask. Well, I will tell you what he did. He
quietly made ready to set all his extra sails, and put a man with a
lighted match at each cannon, and had another ready to hoist the union
flag.

Then, with a quick turn of the helm, the little brig swung round like a
top across the frigate's bows. As she did so all the guns on that side
sent their iron hail sweeping across the deck of the _Solebay_. In a
minute more the studding sails were set on both sides, like broad white
wings, and away went the _Providence_ as swift as a racer,