Nicholson had his sails trimmed like a merchantman’s, and the privateer drew near to inspect, but soon saw that the _Trumbull_ was a man-o’-war. At that, although he carried thirty-four guns to the Yankee’s twenty-eight, he made sail to escape. But Nicholson was after him with a swifter ship, and fight he had to. A right stubborn fight it was, too. It began at a range of 100 yards, and it was soon carried on with yardarms interlocked. The blazing gun-wads of the enemy were several times blown through the open parts of the _Trumbull_, and she was twice set on fire. But at the end of three hours, and just when the enemy’s fire had slacked away to the point of surrendering, the _Trumbull’s_ mainmast went by the board, dragging the fore topmast and the mizzen after it, and there she lay helpless. The privateer might have riddled her then, but he had had enough, and was glad to get away. It was learned afterward that the enemy was the _Watt_, a privateer especially designed and fitted to whip any American frigate. She lost ninety in killed and wounded. The _Trumbull_ lost thirty-nine in killed and wounded. Perhaps the most curious fact about this fight was this, that a very large proportion of the _Trumbull’s_ crew were suffering from the worst stage of seasickness when she opened fire. The _Trumbull_ made port, but was unable to see service again until August of the next year. Meantime the _Saratoga_, under Capt. James Young, sailed from Philadelphia in October, 1780, and on the 8th fell in with three vessels. By hoisting English colors, the largest, a heavily armed ship, was decoyed alongside, where she reported herself as a merchantman called the _Charming Molly_, from Jamaica. At this the _Saratoga_ hoisted the American flag, gave her a broadside, and crashing alongside, threw grapnels over her rail and rigging and held her fast. The first lieutenant of the _Saratoga_, at this time, was Joshua Barney, whose exploit in the _Hyder Ali_ has already been described. At the head of a party of fifty boarders Barney climbed over the rail of the merchantman, and after a sharp fight cleared her deck. Then it was learned that she carried ninety men. She was manned by a prize crew under Barney, and sent in. The _Saratoga_ then made sail after the other two, who had been fleeing down the wind to escape. It is not hard for a sailorman to picture their hopeless race as the long Yankee, with a cloud of canvas aloft and the white foam roaring away from her bows, came a-whooping after them. It was a hopeless race because they were only brigs, the one carrying fourteen and the other four guns. They were taken without resistance, and manned and sent toward port.