Evening star., 1928-11-18

anchor hooked itself in the Richards
stays. The line held and the two ships
settled side by side, gripping each other
fast as they tore at each others vitals.
In passing over a hawser, Samuel
Stacy. the assistant master, discharged
sailors cath. 1t gave John Paul
Jones the opportunity to make one of
. those sanity remarks which school his
tories love to attribute to heroes:
Don't swear, Mr.. Stacy. we may at
the next moment be In eternity. but let
us do our duty"
This does not accord with Nathaniel
Fanning's account. He says that Jones.
in rallying the French marines, uttered
"such imprecations upon the enemy as
never before or since heard in French
or any other language"
A T that moment things we're hap
Apening which could not have per-
mitted Jones much time to pronounce
rotund sentiments. Fire suddenly be-
gan to lick upward to the Richards s
rigging, and she settled further in the
water. The opposing gunners stepped
to each others decks to swab their
cannon. Burbank, the acting master
and released the English prisoners con-
fined below, who came flooding up on
deck, mad with fear.
Jones snapped his pistol at Burbank.
and when 1t missed fire, felled him with
the butt He then ordered the pris-
oners to man the pumps. One refused
and Gerard shot him through the head
This was the basis of late canard to
the effect that in the action Jones
shot and killed Lieut.. Grub" of his
own crew. Dale then came running up
and with a pistol herded the prisoners
to the pumps.
A shot now broke the Richards flag
staff and the ensign trailed In the
water astern. Randall, the gunner,
yelling that the ship was sinking. called
for quarter. The exultant cry, They've
surrendered" swept through the
Scraps Capt. Pearson came to the
rail
DO I understand that you have
struck?"
Here the schoolbook story differs
from that of Jones himself. The tradi-
ton is that Jones replied:
i nave just begun to fight" This
Is in agreement with the memoir of
Pierre Gerard which makes Jones saw.
Non! je vais rinstant commencer
lie combat (Nol I am just now begin
ming the fight)."
Jones, however, in his report to Frank
lin, merely states that he answered.
Pearson "in the most determined mega
tive" but in his Journal he expands his
reply as follows:
Il have no intention of surrender
ing. but am resolved to make you ask
quarter"
And then came up Landais for the
second time. He crossed the Richards
bow and again fired on her, killing one
man and wounding others.
The battle was renewed, Jones re-
cords, with double fury" He adds:
Il was advised to yield by officers of
whose courage I had and still have a
high opinion. But, having other objects
in view, I declined the advice"
Jones was capable of cool thinking
at the hottest moments. He knew that
victory over an English line-ship
would bring him renown, while to sur
render would fetch him to an English
hangman's gibbet as a pirate.
The English now changed their tao
tics. They began to hack at the LASH
ings which bound them to the Richard.
knowing that if only they could wrench II
their ship free, her heavy guns would
soon finish the waterlogged enemy. But
American and French marksmen pick
ed off the axmen as fast as they an
peared and Jones himself took a hand
in this sharpshooting He was. in
truth, all over the ship. He was re-
solved either to win or sink
The English, having detected the
arming of boarders, then attempted a.
countercharge at the gangway, and
Jones dropped his musket to seize a
pike and lead the defense. The attack
was repeiled. but in the rush Jones lost
his hat. Midshipman West Linthwaite
brought another
Never mind the hat, West" ex-
claimed the sweating captain, "I'll fight
this out in my scalp"
Meanwhile John Mayrant had as
sembled Is or 80 men under the break
of the quarterback Pixies being short,
they had armed themselves chiefly with
cutlasses and pistols. Most Of them
"A1e you ready, boarders?" shouted
Jones.
"Ay, ay, sir"
Then now is your time, John, go in"
X X n
WITH his fierce Huguenot blood
w boiling" writes Henry Gardner,
Mayrant leaped the rail. followed by
Red Cherry" and charged into the
waist of the Scraps. He was met by
a sailor whose pike pierced his thigh
He shot the sailor dead
John Kilby's narrative relates May
rants exploit differently. Kilby says, at
the moment when Jones gave the order
to the boarders. Mayrant was discovered
in the main chains ION the opposite side
n.