And so it was. The captain of the port came out next day with authority to make a treaty. But the captain did not want to return the property taken from the American ships, saying that it had been scattered among many hands. "I can't help that. It must be returned or paid for," said Decatur. Then the captain did not want to pay $10,000 for a vessel that had been captured, and he wanted tribute from the United States. He told Decatur what a great man his master, "Omar the Terrible," was, and asked for a three hours truce. "Not a minute," said Decatur. "If your ships appear before the treaty is signed by the Dey, and the American prisoners are on board my ship, I shall capture every one of them." The only concession Decatur would make was to promise to return the _Mashouda_. But this was to be taken as a gift from the Americans to the Dey, and as such it must not appear in the treaty. The Algerian, finding that all his eloquence was wasted on the unyielding Yankee, hurried ashore with the treaty, arranging to display a white flag in case of its being signed. An hour after he left an Algerian man-of-war was seen out to sea, and the American vessels got ready for action. But before anything was done the captain of the port came out with a white flag. He brought the treaty and the prisoners. That ended the trouble with Algiers. When the ten freed captives reached the deck some knelt down and gave thanks to God, while others hastened to kiss the American flag. Then Decatur sailed to Tunis and Tripoli and made their rulers come to terms. From that day to this no American ship has been troubled by the corsairs of Barbary. CHAPTER XX COMMODORE PERRY OPENS JAPAN TO THE WORLD AN HEROIC DEED WITHOUT BLOODSHED THERE are victories of peace as well as of war. Of course, you do not need to be told that. Everybody knows it. And it often takes as much courage to win these victories as it does those of war. I am going now to tell you of one of the greatest victories ever won by an American naval hero, and without firing a gun. Not far away from the great empire of China lies the island empire of Japan. Here the map shows us three or four large islands, but there are many hundreds of small ones, and in and out among them flow the smiling blue waters of the great Pacific Ocean. The people of Japan, like the people of China, for a long time did not like foreigners and did not want anything to do with them. But that was the fault of the foreigners themselves. For at first these people were glad to have strangers come among them, and treated them kindly, and let missionaries land and try to make Christians of them. But the Christian teachers were not wise; for they interfered with the government as well as with the faith of the people.