Let us see how this ill-fortune came about. The _Raleigh_ had not got far from port before two sails came in sight. Barry ran down to look at them, and found they were two English frigates. Two to one was too great odds, and the _Raleigh_ turned her head homewards again. But when night shut out the frigates she wore round and started once more on her former course. The next day opened up foggy, and till noon nothing was to be seen. Then the fog lifted, and to Barry's surprise there were the British ships, just south of his own. Now for three hours it was a hot chase, and then down came another fog and the game was once more at an end. But the _Raleigh_ could not shake off the British bull-dogs. At about nine o'clock the next morning they came in sight again and the chase was renewed. It was kept up till late in the day. At first the _Raleigh_ went so fast that her pursuers dropped out of sight. Then the wind failed her, and the British ships came up with a strong breeze. At five o'clock the fastest British frigate was close at hand, and Barry thought he would try what she was good for before the other came up. In a few minutes more the two ships were hurling iron balls into each other's sides, while the smoke of the conflict filled the skies. Then the fore-topmast and mizzen-topgallantmast of the _Raleigh_ were shot away, leaving her in a crippled state. The British ship had now much the best of it. Barry tried his best to reach and board her, but she sailed too fast. And up from the south came the other ship, at swift speed. To fight them both with a crippled craft would have been madness, and, as he could not get away, Barry decided to run his ship ashore on the coast of Maine, which was close at hand. Night soon fell, and with it fell the wind. Till midnight the two ships drifted along, with red fire spurting from their sides and the thunder of cannon echoing from the hills. In the end the _Raleigh_ ran ashore on an island near the coast. Here Barry fought for some time longer, and then set his ship on fire and went ashore with his men. But the British were quickly on board, put out the fire, and carried off their prize. Barry and his men made their way through the Maine woods till the settlements were reached. In 1781 Captain Barry was sent across the ocean in the _Alliance_, a vessel which had taken part in the famous battle of the _Bon Homme Richard_ and the _Serapis_. Here the gallant fellow fought one of his best battles, this time also against two British ships. When he came upon them there was not a breath of wind. All sail was set, but the canvas flapped against the yards, and the vessel lay "As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean." The British vessels were a brig and a sloop-of-war. They wanted to fight as badly as did Captain Barry, and, as they could not sail, they got out sweeps and rowed up to the American frigate. It was weary work, and it took them six hours to do it.