But if magical to the lookouts, it was sober business for the commanders below, who, by a series of “blunders” (James says so), had happened on the retreat of the ship they had failed to hold in Boston, and a race began such as had rarely stirred the souls of those engaged. Once clear of land the _Constitution_ cut adrift two boats that were towing astern. She was only a mile or so to windward of the enemy, and as the point was cleared, all six of the ships were on the port tack lying close up to the wind. The _Constitution’s_ log says that at 12.50 o’clock she was holding her own with the _Newcastle_ and _Leander_, on her lee quarter, while the _Acasta_, about dead astern, was dropping out of the race. And the log of the Acasta notes that the _Constitution_ was gaining on her while she herself gained on the two prizes. At 1.10 Captain Stewart ordered the _Cyane_ to tack, and Lieutenant Hoffman, in command, obeyed. The _Cyane_ was rapidly dropping into the clutches of the enemy before that, but now she sailed away and escaped altogether, the three British ships holding after the _Constitution_ and _Levant_. [Illustration: Charles Stewart (and the Battle of the _Constitution_ with the _Cyane_ and _Levant_). _From a lithograph at the Naval Academy, Annapolis._] Thirty-five minutes after the _Cyane_ had tacked away, the _Newcastle_, the leading British ship, opened fire on the _Constitution_. The ships were close enough for the officers, standing on the hammock-nettings, to see each other, but the shots all fell short, so firing ceased and the ships stood along in the close-hauled race until 3 o’clock, when the _Levant_ had lagged close enough to the enemy to be in real danger. So Captain Stewart signalled her to tack, as the _Cyane_ had done, whereat, to the astonishment of the Yankees, all three of the British frigates tacked after her, and the _Constitution_ sailed away free. The explanation made by the British writers regarding this remarkable episode is that the commanders of both the _Newcastle_ and the _Leander_ supposed that the little _Levant_ was either the “_President_, _Congress_, or _Macedonian_.” It is difficult for an unbiassed mind to see how this helps them any. Suppose it had been the big Yankee frigate _President_ instead of a little low-decked-sloop-of-war? How did it happen that two frigates, each of which was of greater force than the Yankee _President_ and another that was of but little less force, were needed to capture “the waggon?”