There was no response, either by word or action. The ship held on her course, and the Marguerite held to hers; but all the time she drew nearer the stranger, till the vessels were not more than a hundred yards apart. Then I ordered a blank shot to be fired across her bow; as she did not stop at this warning, we fired a shotted gun in the same direction. Still she kept on; and then I gave orders in a loud voice to make ready for a broadside. This brought the captain of the stranger to his senses. The English flag went fluttering to its place, the sails were hove aback, and a hoarse voice hailed, and asked what we wanted. "Send a boat on board!" was all the answer I chose to give. My men were at their guns, everything was ready for action, and what was more, the state of affairs on board the Marguerite was plainly discernible from the decks of the stranger. Her captain had probably reached the conclusion that any further discourtesy on his part would be followed by an order to fire. There was a light sea running, but it was not enough to make the launching of a boat at all dangerous. In a quarter of an hour a boat came from the strange vessel, bringing her first officer, who mounted to our deck and was met by me at the gangway. With an air of offended dignity, he announced that the ship was the Camperdown of London, for Halifax, and then asked, with still more offended dignity in his manner,-- "What is the meaning of this?" "It means," I answered, "that the United States Government has declared war against Great Britain, and the Camperdown is the prize of the United States schooner Marguerite, a privateer commanded by Captain John Crane." "When was war declared?" he asked, his manner changing to one of surprise, although it was by no means bereft of its haughtiness. "On the 19th of June," I replied. "The Marguerite was ready for sea, and sailed immediately. Come aft," I added in a more friendly tone, "for I began to pity the fellow, and I will show you the announcement of the declaration, and also my commission, to prove that you are not being imposed upon." He accompanied me to the cabin, and I showed him the papers that convinced him of the actual state of war between the two countries. As soon as he examined them he returned on board his ship, and the captain of the Camperdown came to make a formal surrender of his vessel. Resistance was useless, as she had only two small guns for signaling purposes, to oppose to our seven large guns, and a crew ready for battle, and considerably outnumbering hers. "We have been driven out of our course by contrary winds," said the captain, "or you would not have found us here." "But I might have found you farther to the north," I replied, "as it was my intention to run in that direction till I should be on the track of vessels from England to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland."