by letter to hang him "to the yard-arm" for an
offense against the majesty of Great Britain, replied, "Catch a man
before you hang him," was in command of the Continental vessel _Doria_.
He was so successful off the coasts of New England, that when, he
returned to the Delaware his prizes were so numerous, that, after
manning them, he had only five of his original crew left on board the
_Doria_.

The gallant Jones meanwhile had swept the seas along the coasts of Nova
Scotia, and sailed into Newport Harbor with fifteen prizes. After
resting on his laurels awhile, he was again on the Acadian coast late in
1776, where he captured a large British transport laden with supplies
for Burgoyne's army in Canada. By this time cruisers sent out by
Congress and privateers were harrying British shipping in all
directions.

Dr. Franklin carried with him to France a number of blank commissions
for army and navy officers, signed by the President and Secretary of
Congress. These Franklin and the other Commissioners filled and signed,
and under this authority cruisers sailed from French ports to attack
British vessels. It must be remembered that France at that time, in
order to injure her old enemy, England, was giving secret aid to the
Americans in revolt.

How active and how harmful to the British marine were some of the
cruisers commissioned by Franklin and his associates, and sent out from
French ports, we shall observe presently.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

[Begun in YOUNG PEOPLE No. 31, June 1.]

THE MORAL PIRATES.

BY W. L. ALDEN.

CHAPTER VII.

The sun was getting to be rather too hot for boating, when the boys saw
the half-sunken wreck of a canal-boat close to the west shore, where
there was a nice shady grove. They immediately crossed the river, and,
landing near the wreck, began to get their fishing-tackle in order.

As there were only two poles, one of which belonged to Harry and the
other to Tom, the two Sharpe boys were obliged either to cut poles for
themselves, or to watch the others while they fished. Jim cut a pole for
himself, but Joe preferred to lie on the bank. "I don't care to fish,
anyhow," he said. "I'll agree to eat twice as much fish as anybody else,
if I can be excused from fishing."

"If you don't want to fish, you'd better hunt bait for us," said Tom.

"I never thought about bait," exclaimed Harry. "How are we going to dig
for worms without a spade?"

"Who wants any worms?" replied Tom. "Gr