Six o'clock passed before the battle began. Then for fifteen minutes the three ships hurled their iron balls as fast as the men could load and fire. By that time the smoke was so thick that they had to stop firing to find out where the two fighting ships were. The _Constitution_ now found herself opposite the _Levant_ and poured a broadside into her hull. Then she sailed backward--a queer thing to do, but Captain Stewart knew how to move his ship stern foremost--and poured her iron hail into the _Cyane_. Next she pushed ahead again and pounded the _Levant_ till that lively little craft turned and ran. It had enough of the _Constitution's_ iron dumplings to last a while. This was great sailing and great firing, but Captain Stewart was one of those seamen who know how to handle a ship, and his men knew how to handle their guns. There were never better seamen than those of the _Old Ironsides_. The _Levant_ was now out of the way, and there was only the _Cyane_ to attend to. Captain Stewart attended to her so well that, just forty minutes after the fight began, her flag came down. Where, now, was the _Levant_? She had run out of the fight; but she had a brave captain who did not like to desert his friend, so he turned back and came gallantly up again. It was a noble act, but a foolish one. This the British captain found out when he came once more under the American guns. They were much too hot for him, and once more he tried to run away. He did not succeed this time. Captain Stewart was too much in love with him to let him go, and sent such warm love-letters after him that his flag came gliding down, as his comrade's had done. Captain Stewart had shown himself a true prophet. He had met, fought with, and won two ships of the enemy. No doubt after that his officers were sure they had a prophet for a captain. That evening, when the two British captains were in the cabin of the _Constitution_, a midshipman came down and asked Captain Stewart if the men could not have their grog. "Why, didn't they have it?" asked the captain. "It was time for it before the battle began." "It was mixed for them, sir," said the midshipman, "but our old men said they didn't want any 'Dutch courage,' so they emptied the grog-tub into the lee scuppers." The Englishmen stared when they heard this. It is very likely their men had not fought without a double dose of grog. We have not finished our story yet. Like a lady's letter, it has a postscript. On March 10, the three ships were in a harbor of the Cape de Verde Islands, and Captain Stewart was sending his prisoners ashore, when three large British men-of-war were seen sailing into the harbor. Stewart was nearly caught in a trap. Any one of these large frigates was more than a match for the _Constitution_, and here were three in a bunch. But, by good luck, there was a heavy fog that hid everything but the highest sails; so there was a chance of escape.