At noon on the 3d he had overhauled the fleet, and from that time until daylight of the 4th he was busy trying to cut out some of the merchantmen without exciting suspicion. By signalling to the _Alfred_ with the captured code, he succeeded in concealing his character effectually; but on the morning of the 4th he gave up the hope of getting a merchantman, and sought a fight instead. Leaving the _Alfred_, that was too slow for the enterprise, behind, he steered with closed ports right through the fleet until in an advantageous position on the weather side of one of the brigs, the _Druid_, when he opened up his ports, set his flag, and fired a broadside into the unsuspecting Britisher. The effect of the broadside upon the other ships of the fleet was picturesque. Everywhere the pipe of the boatswain to call all hands was heard. On every ship the men ran to and fro to crowd on sail, while every tiller was thrown up or down as every ship strove to get as far away from every other ship as possible. For no one knew what minute another supposed cargo-carrier would prove to be a Yankee warship. Meantime Captain Thompson fired volley after volley into the _Druid_, receiving only a feeble fire in return, until the brig was so well wrecked that she had to return to England. Her loss, according to Captain Carteret, who commanded her, was six killed and twenty-six wounded, he himself being among the severely wounded. But, although badly cut up, the _Druid_ did not surrender; and when the other two warships, with several of the best-armed merchantmen who had recovered from the panic, drew near, the _Raleigh_ squared away and returned to the _Alfred_. Rightly considered, it was not an exploit to excite the pride of the American naval officer, for the _Raleigh_ had more guns than the two brigs together, and should have been almost a match for all three of the warships. American sailors had not yet reached the efficiency as man-o’-warsmen that afterwards made them famous. However, the two American ships reached France, and loaded their supplies. On returning they took the southern route, hoping to meet some British merchant ships. They met, instead of merchantmen, two British men-of-war--the _Ariadne_ of twenty guns and the _Ceres_ of fourteen. It happened that the two Americans were at the time (it was on March 9, 1778) far apart, the _Raleigh_ being hull down to leeward. The two Britishers came down on the _Alfred_, and without making very much of a fight she surrendered. Seeing this, the _Raleigh_ up helm and sailed for home, where, on his arrival, the captain was very properly relieved from the command of the ship. What John Paul Jones would have accomplished had he been in command of the _Raleigh_ that voyage, instead of Thompson, may be inferred from what he did when a command was given him, as will be told in the next chapter. CHAPTER VI JOHN PAUL JONES AND THE _RANGER_