good seamanship. After the merchant failed
in business, John Paul still continued to follow a seafaring life, and in
a short time became a captain. But when his brother in Virginia died, John
Paul went to Fredericksburg to manage the plantation his brother had left.

It was now his intention to spend the rest of his life here, but, like
Patrick Henry, he failed as a farmer. In fact, it would seem that he was
born to be a sailor.

In the meantime he had come to be a loyal American, and when the
Revolution broke out he determined to offer his services to Congress. When
he did so, he changed his name to John Paul Jones. Just why, we do not
know.

[Illustration: Battle Between the Ranger and the Drake.]

Congress accepted his services by appointing him first lieutenant. He
proved himself so able that in the second year of the war he was put in
command of two vessels, with which he captured sixteen prizes in six
weeks.

In the following year he was appointed captain of the Ranger and sent to
France with letters to Benjamin Franklin, who was then American
commissioner at the French court, trying to secure aid for the American
cause.

At that time English vessels were annoying American coasts by burning and
destroying property. Jones got permission from Franklin to attack British
coasts in the same way, and he was allowed to sail from France in his
vessel with that purpose in view.

His plan was to sail along the western coast of England and set fire to
the large shipping-yards at Whitehaven, with which harbor, you remember,
he had become familiar in boyhood. He meant to burn all the three hundred
vessels lying at anchor there. Although he succeeded in setting fire to
only one large ship, he alarmed the people all along the coast. The
warning was carried from town to town: "Beware of Paul Jones, the pirate!"

An English war vessel, the Drake, was sent out to capture the Ranger. As
the Drake carried two more guns and a crew better drilled for fighting, it
was thought she would make short work of the American ship in a fight. But
it was just the other way, for after a battle of a single hour the English
vessel surrendered, having lost many men. The American loss was only two
men killed and six wounded.

After this brilliant victory the young captain put back to France. There
he found great rejoicing among the people, whose good-will was more with
America than with England. And as war had already broken out between
Fra