Some weeks before he was made a captain, and while cruising off Bermuda,
he saw five sail far to the windward and he beat up, doing so carefully
and with the purpose of finding out whether there was a chance for him
to strike an effective blow. He picked out what looked like a large
merchant ship and gave chase. He gained fast, but to his dismay, when he
was quite close, he discovered that instead of a merchant ship he had
almost run into a twenty-eight gun frigate of the enemy.

Finding he had caught a Tartar, Jones did the only thing left to him. He
hauled off and put on every stitch of sail and the frigate did the same.
She proved the better sailer, and, though she gained slowly, it was
surely, and in the course of a few hours she had approached within
musket shot of the brig's lee quarter. There seemed no possible escape
for Jones, knowing which, he did a remarkable thing. He veered off until
the frigate was almost astern, when he put about dead before the wind,
with every yard of canvas set.

The Englishman was dumfounded by the daring manoeuvre, which brought
the American within pistol shot, for he did not fire a gun until Jones
was beyond reach of his grape. The pursuit was continued hour after
hour, but the brig was now at her best and finally left her pursuer
hopelessly astern. When the _Providence_ ran into Newport in October she
had captured or destroyed fifteen prizes.

Jones's bold and skilful seamanship drew attention to him and he was now
given command of the 24-gun ship _Alfred_, while Captain Hacker took
charge of the _Providence_. The two vessels started on a cruise in
company and some days later the _Alfred_ fell in with three British
vessels, and, after a brisk action, captured them all. One proved to be
a transport with 150 men and a large amount of supplies for Burgoyne's