In a minute the men came tumbling up from below like so many rats. They had been trained what to do in case of a night-fire and every man ran to his place. Captain Porter had even built fires that sent up volumes of smoke, so as to make them quick to act and to steady their nerves. While the cry of fire roused the Americans, it scared the conspirators, and before they could get back their wits the sailors were on them. It did not take long to lock them up again. In that way Porter and Farragut saved their ship. The time was coming in which he would lose his ship, but the way he lost it brought him new fame. I must tell you how this came about. When the _Constitution_ and the _Hornet_, as I have told you in another story, were in the waters of Brazil, the _Essex_ was sent to join them. You know what was done there, how the _Constitution_ whipped and sunk the _Java_, and the _Hornet_ did the same for the _Peacock_. There was no such luck for the _Essex_, and after his fellow-ships had gone north Captain Porter went cruising on his own account. In the Pacific Ocean were dozens of British whalers and other ships. Here was a fine field for prizes. So he set sail, went round the stormy Cape Horn in a hurricane, and was soon in the great ocean of the west. I shall not tell you the whole story of this cruise. The _Essex_ here was like a hawk among a flock of partridges. She took prize after prize, until she had about a dozen valuable ships. When the news of what Porter was doing reached England, there was a sort of panic. Something must be done with this fellow or he would clear the Pacific of British trade. So a number of frigates were sent in the hunt for him. They were to get him in any way they could. After a long cruise on the broad Pacific, the _Essex_ reached the port of Valparaiso, on the coast of Chile, in South America. She had with her one of her prizes, the _Essex Junior_. Here Porter heard that a British frigate, the _Phoebe_, was looking for him. That pleased him. He wanted to come across a British war-vessel, so he concluded to wait for her. He was anxious for something more lively than chasing whaling ships. He was not there long before the _Phoebe_ came, and with her a small warship, the _Cherub_. When the _Phoebe_ came in sight of the _Essex_ it sailed close up. Its captain had been told that half the American crew were ashore, and very likely full of Spanish wine. But when he got near he saw the Yankee sailors at their guns and ready to fight. When he saw this he changed his mind. He jumped on a gun and said:-- "Captain Hillyar's compliments to Captain Porter, and hopes he is well." "Very well, I thank you," said Porter. "But I hope you will not come too near for fear some accident might take place which would be disagreeable to you." "I had no intention of coming on board," said Captain Hillyar, when he saw the look of things on the deck of the _Essex_. "I am sorry I came so near you."