about this man for forty years. The
lies that have been told about him are legion. The fellows used to say
he was the "Iron Mask;" and poor George Pons went to his grave in the
belief that this was the author of "Junius," who was being punished
for his celebrated libel on Thomas Jefferson. Pons was not very strong
in the historical line.

A happier story than either of these I have told is of the war. That
came along soon after. I have heard this affair told in three or four
ways--and, indeed, it may have happened more than once. But which ship
it was on I cannot tell. However, in one at least, of the great
frigate-duels with the English, in which the navy was really baptised,
it happened that a round-shot from the enemy entered one of our ports
square, and took right down the officer of the gun himself, and almost
every man of the gun's crew. Now you may say what you choose about
courage, but that is not a nice thing to see. But, as the men who were
not killed picked themselves up, and as they and the surgeon's people
were carrying off the bodies, there appeared Nolan, in his
shirt-sleeves, with the rammer in his hand, and, just as if he had
been the officer, told them off with authority--who should go to the
cock-pit with the wounded men, who should stay with him--perfectly
cheery, and with that way which makes men feel sure all is right and
is going to be right. And he finished loading the gun with his own
hands, aimed it, and bade the men fire. And there he stayed, captain
of that gun, keeping those fellows in spirits, till the enemy
struck--sitting on the carriage while the gun was cooling, though he
was exposed all the time--showing them easier ways to handle heavy
shot--making the raw hands laugh at their own blunders--and when the
gun cooled again, getting it loaded and fired twice as often as any
other gun on the ship. The captain walked forward by way of
encouraging the men, and Nolan touched his hat and said:

"I am showing them how we do this in the artillery, sir."

And this is the part of the story where all the legends agree; the
commodore said:

"I see you do, and I thank you, sir; and I shall never forget this
day, sir, and you never shall, sir."

And after the whole thing was over, and he had the Englishman's
sword, in the midst of the state and ceremony of the quarter-deck, he
said:

"Where is Mr. Nolan? Ask Mr. Nolan to come here."

And when Nolan came, he said:

"Mr. Nolan, we are all ve