Paul Jones saw, that, as the _Serapis_ was so much the better ship of
the two, his only hope lay in getting the vessels so close together that
the men could board the _Serapis_ from the _Richard_.
All this time the vessels had been sailing in the same direction,
crossing and re-crossing each other's course.
Finally Paul Jones ran the _Richard_ across the bow of the _Serapis_.
The anchor of the _Serapis_ caught in the stern of the _Richard_ and
became firmly fastened there. As the vessels were swung around by the
tide, the sides came together. The spars and rigging were entangled and
remained so until the close of the engagement.
With the muzzles of the guns almost touching, the firing began. The
effect was terrible.
Paul Jones, who had only two guns that could be used on the starboard
side, grappled with the _Serapis_. With the help of a few men, he
brought over a larboard gun, and these three were all that he used
during the rest of the battle.
Meanwhile the other ships of the American squadron did strange things.
The _Pallas_, alone, did her duty. In a half hour she had captured the
_Countess of Scarborough_. The _Vengeance_ simply sailed for the nearest
harbor.
Worst of all was the conduct of Captain Landais and his ship _Alliance_.
For a while he looked quietly on as though he were umpire. At 9:30
o'clock he came along the larboard side of the _Richard_ so that she was
between him and the enemy. Then he deliberately fired into her, killing
many men.
Many voices cried out that he was firing into the wrong ship. He seemed
not to hear, for, until the battle was over, his firing continued. The
_Poor Richard_ had an enemy on each side.
Paul Jones sent some men up the masts and into the rigging to throw
hand-grenades, or bombs, among the enemy. One of these set fire to some
cartridges on the deck of the _Serapis_. This caused a terrible
explosion, disabling all the men at the guns in that part of the ship.
Twenty of them were killed outright.
By this time so much water had leaked into the _Richard_ that she was
settling. A sailor, seeing this, set up the cry: "Quarter! quarter! Our
ship is sinking!"
Captain Pearson, hearing the cry, sent his men to board the _Richard_.
Paul Jones, with a pike in his hand, headed a party of his men similarly
armed, and drove the English back.
Some of the _Richard's_ men ran below and set the prisoners free. There
were more than a hundred of them.
One of these prisoners climbed through the port holes into the
_Serapis_. He told Captain Pearson that if he would hold out a little
longer, the _Richard_ would either sink or strike.
Poor Paul Jones was now in a hard place. His ship was sinking. More than
a hundred prisoners were running about the decks, and they, with the
crew, were shouting for quarter. His own ship, the _Alliance_, was
hurling shots at him from the other side. Everywhere was confusion.
But he, alone, was undismayed. He shouted to the prisoners to go below
to the pumps or they would be quickly drowned. He ordered the crew to
their places. He himself never left the three guns that could still be
fired.
At half-past ten o'clock, the _Serapis_ surrendered.
[Illustration: THE SERAPIS AND THE BON HOMME RICHARD.]
When Captain Pearson gave his sword to Paul Jones, he said it was very
hard to surrender to a man who had fought "with a halter around his
neck." Paul Jones replied, "Sir! You have fought like a hero. I hope
your king will reward you."
This battle had lasted for three hours and a half. It has since been
known in history as one of the greatest victories ever won upon the
seas. The _Serapis_ and the _Countess_ were both new ships, one of forty
guns and the other of twenty. The crews were well-drilled Englishmen.
Everything was against the _Richard_, and the victory was due alone to
the great courage and will of its commander. When the fight was over,
Paul Jones separated the ships and set the sails of the _Richard_. All
night every sailor was busy fighting the fire which raged on both ships.
When daylight showed to Captain Pearson the wreck of the _Richard_, he
was sorry he had surrendered. Her rudder was gone and her rotten timbers
were split into pieces. Some of the shots had passed entirely through
her.
Paul Jones wished to take her into port to show how desperately he had
fought, but this was out of the question. By nine o'clock the sailors
abandoned her, and at ten she suddenly went down.
Repairing the _Serapis_ as best he could, Paul Jones took her and the
_Countess of Scarborough_, with his unfaithful fleet, to Holland.