This must have been said at about twenty minutes past 4 o’clock, for it was at that time that the English officers hoisted flags to every mast-head and opened fire, “more with a view to try the distance than for any effectual attack.” [Illustration: Action between the _Constitution_ and the _Guerrière_.--I. _From the painting by Birch, at the Naval Academy, Annapolis._] At that Captain Hull began to shorten sail on the _Constitution_. The breeze was steady and fresh, and the water fairly smooth. It was just the kind of weather he would have chosen for such a battle. All the light sails, including the top-gallant sails, were furled, the courses were hauled up to the yards, and the royal-yards were sent down. Then the top-sails were double-reefed, and as the men came down from the top-sail-yards the drums beat to quarters. Not many of the crew had ever been in battle, but “from the smallest boy in the ship to the oldest seaman not a look of fear was seen.” The enemy’s first shots fell short, but the second round passed over the deck of the _Constitution_, though without doing any damage. A deal of what a yachtsman would call jockeying for position followed. The enemy squared away before the wind, and wore around until her port (left side) battery would bear, and then, as the _Constitution_ was coming down the wind and following close after her, she wore back till her starboard (right side) battery would bear. As she turned from side to side she fired on the _Constitution_. The _Constitution_ replied with an occasional shot from a bow-gun. The enemy was twisting about to avoid being raked by the _Constitution_, and was firing to cripple the enemy’s rigging. But all that the twisting amounted to was to keep the _Guerrière_ at “long balls”--out of range of the shorter guns of the _Constitution_. To end that kind of work Captain Hull spread his maintopgallant sail and foresail. Impelled by these, the _Constitution_ began to forge within close range, and the projectiles from the _Guerrière_ began to come on board. One big shot through the forward bulwarks knocked no end of splinters across the deck, and some of them pierced several of a gun’s crew hard by. The men were eager to return the fire, but Captain Hull paced the quarter-deck, saying nothing. A rousing cheer from the British crew came over the water as they saw that they had hulled the _Constitution_. Lieutenant Morris walked aft, and said to Captain Hull: “The enemy has opened fire and killed two of our men. Shall we return it?” [Illustration: Action between the _Constitution_ and the _Guerrière_.--II. _From the painting by Birch, at the Naval Academy, Annapolis._]