Hardly had a prize crew in charge of Lieutenant Biddle been placed aboard of her, when the man on the lookout sang out: "The _Poietiers_ is close at hand, and she is heavily armed." And even as he spoke the heavy boom of a gun was heard. The _Poietiers_ had signaled the _Wasp_ to lay to. The _Poietiers_ carried seventy-four guns, and was a formidable enemy. Her great hull seemed to cast a shadow over the water, and the jubilation of the Americans was hushed in the solemnity of the coming contest. CHAPTER XVI. THE MERCHANT CAPTAIN'S CARGO. "In with your canvas high, We shall want no sail to fly! Topsail, foresail, spanker and jib-- With the heart of oak in the oaken rib-- Shall serve us to win or die." Lieutenant Biddle saw the English war vessel bearing down upon the _Frolic_. He had hoped to take her into port, but his hopes were rudely shattered by the appearance of the English frigate. For he recognized her as the _Poietiers_, a British seventy-four gun ship. To fight was impossible, and to escape seemed equally so. Both the _Frolic's_ masts had gone by the board within a few minutes after the flag was struck. At the very moment the man in the crow's-nest sighted the _Poietiers_, the prize crew was working hard to clear from her decks the dead bodies, wreckage, and tangled mass of rigging, which made navigation impossible. The sea was rough, the wind heavy. The _Frolic_ was tossed about in the trough of the sea, a helpless mass. The lieutenant looked over the billowy waters to see if any help was at hand. The _Wasp_ had seen the _Poietiers_ almost as soon as she had been sighted by the _Frolic_. Captain Jones examined his guns, and found that he had no chance to fight successfully with the new enemy. Even had the _Wasp_ been fresh and ready for battle, the chances would have been slight, for the British frigate was in every way the superior of the American sloop. Jones sighed as he ordered the sails to be set for retreat. It was better to run away than fight under such disadvantages. But the sails, when shaken out, were found to have been cut to pieces by the _Frolic's_ shot. "Beat to quarters!" shouted the captain. The men understood that the _Wasp_ would sting as long as possible. "Clear the deck for action!" The Stars and Stripes was run up the halliards, and the crew gave a hearty and lusty cheer, though they knew their defeat and death were near. The _Poietiers_ sailed down upon the almost helpless _Wasp_, and fired a broadside. Captain Jones answered with another broadside. It was plucky, and the Britishers were surprised. They thought bulldog courage was only found under the Union Jack. The plucky commander of the _Wasp_ tried hard to get close to the _Poietiers_, so that he might board her. He had resolved that it would be better for every one of his men to die fighting than that they should be taken prisoners. But fate was against him.