Accordingly, he made his way to Alexandria, sought out the banished
ruler, proposed his plan, and it was eagerly accepted. He furnished the
consul with a cavalry escort, enlisted a number of Greek soldiers, the
party marched a thousand miles across the flaming Barcan desert, and in
April appeared before Derne, one of the seaports of the reigning
monarch, who was also advancing upon the place. With the help of the
American fleet, the town was captured, and, for the first time in its
history, the Stars and Stripes were given to the breeze above a
fortification on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

By the enlistment of the mongrel population of the neighborhood, the
American consul gathered a formidable force, with which the enemy were
again defeated. Then they boldly set out for Tripoli.

Meanwhile the usurper was shivering with fear, and was more than ready
to make a treaty of peace with the terrible barbarians from the other
side of the ocean. The treaty was signed on June 2, 1805. The Bashaw,
who had demanded a princely sum for the release of his American
prisoners, was now glad to set them free for $60,000. It was agreed,
furthermore, that no more tribute should be paid, and thus ended all our
troubles with Tripoli.

These proceedings left the rightful ruler in the lurch. He had been
promised that he should be restored to his throne on condition of
helping the Americans, and he had given the most valuable sort of aid,
but the treaty declared that no assistance should be given him. It was a
gross injustice on the part of our Government, which did no special
credit to itself, when, after the deposed ruler had made a pitiful
appeal to Congress, that body presented him with a beggarly pittance of