When the squall cleared away the British ships were far astern. But the wind fell again and all that night the chase kept up. Captain Hull threw water on his sails and made every rag of canvas draw. When daylight came only the top sails of the enemy could be seen. At eight o'clock they gave up the chase and turned on their heels. Thus ended that wonderful three days chase, one of the most remarkable in naval history. And now we come to the greatest story in the history of the "Old Ironsides." In less than a month after the _Guerriere_ had helped to chase her off the Jersey coast, she gave that proud ship a lesson which the British nation did not soon forget. Here is the story of that famous fight, by which Captain Hull won high fame: In the early morning of August 19, while the old ship was bowling along easily off the New England coast, a cheery cry of "Sail-ho!" came from the lookout at the mast-head. Soon a large vessel was seen from the deck. On went the Yankee ship with flying flag and bellying sails. The strange ship waited as if ready for a fight. When the _Constitution_ drew near, the stranger hoisted the British flag and began to fire her great guns. It was the _Guerriere_. When he saw the Stars and Stripes, Captain Dacres said to his men: "That is a Yankee frigate. She will be ours in forty-five minutes. If you take her in fifteen, I promise you four months pay." It is never best to be too sure, as Captain Dacres was to find. The _Guerriere_ kept on firing at a distance, but Captain Hull continued to take in sail and get his ship in fighting trim, without firing a gun. After a time Lieutenant Morris came up and said to him: "The British have killed two of our men. Shall we return their fire?" "Not yet," said Captain Hull. "Wait a while." He waited until the ships were almost touching, and then he roared out: "Now, boys; pour it into them!" Then came a roaring broadside that went splintering through the British hull, doing more damage than all the _Guerriere's_ fire. Now the battle was on in earnest. The two ships lay side by side, and for fifteen minutes the roar of cannon and the rattle of musketry filled the air, while cannon balls tore their way through solid timber and human flesh. Down came the mizzen-mast of the _Guerriere_, cut through by a big iron shot. "Hurrah, boys!" cried Hull, swinging his hat like a schoolboy; "we've made a brig of her." The mast dragged by its ropes and brought the ship round, so that the next broadside from the _Constitution_ raked her from stem to stern.