Finding his officer did not return, the commander of the _Drake_ got under way. Meantime signal fires had been built on every hilltop along both coasts, and the black columns of smoke were rising high in air. Moreover, a fleet of five excursion boats crowded with curious spectators was seen following the British man-of-war. But the wind was light and the tide against him, and it was not until an hour before sunset that the _Drake’s_ captain was able to bring his ship within fighting range of the Yankee. Finally he found himself under the lee quarter of the _Ranger_ and but a pistol-shot away. There he hoisted his colors. Captain Jones at once ran up the Stars and Stripes. “What ship is that?” said a voice on the _Drake_. “It is the American continental ship _Ranger_. We are waiting for you. The sun is but little more than an hour from setting. It is therefore time to begin,” replied Captain Jones. Then turning to the man at the wheel, Captain Jones ordered the helm hard up. The _Ranger_ wore slowly around, and the _Drake_ followed her motion until they were drifting broadside to broadside and yardarm to yardarm fair before the wind. And then Captain Jones opened the battle with a broadside. The enemy replied in kind, and as fair a fight as naval annals record was begun. But after a little the fore and main topsail-yards of the _Drake_ were cut in two at the masts and hung useless. The mizzen-gaff was shot away and dropped. The jib fell and dragged overboard in the water. The rigging and sails were in tatters. Worse yet, blood was trickling from her scuppers because of the dead and wounded on her deck. Among the dead at the last was her commander, Captain Burden, who was killed by a musket-ball through his brain. Among the wounded was the first lieutenant, and he was mortally hurt. The flag first spread on the _Drake_ was shot away, but they raised another. This, too, was shot away, and falling overboard, it dragged in the water. A little later, and just as the sun was going down behind the Irish hills, a cry for quarter was raised on the _Drake_, and the battle came to an end. The _Ranger_ in this fight had eighteen guns. The _Drake_ carried twenty. The _Ranger’s_ crew numbered 123. The _Drake_ had 151 men on her books, and, in addition to these, had taken on a number of volunteers from the shore, who had been anxious to help whip the Yankees. These raised the number of her crew to 160 by the lowest account and 190 by the highest. The _Ranger_ lost two killed, including Lieutenant Wallingsford, and six wounded. The _Drake_ lost forty-two killed and wounded. It is fair to say that the British account of the battle in Allen’s history says the loss was but twenty-four. But Allen probably counted only those killed and wounded among the ship’s regular crew and ignored the volunteers, while the Americans counted the corpses and men under the surgeon’s care. The odds had been against him, but the honors remained with John Paul Jones.