On giving his first order, that the "main topsail be filled away,"
the trouble began. The old captain, furious at hearing a command
given aboard his vessel by a boy not yet in his teens, replied to
the order, with an oath, that he would shoot any one who dared
touch a rope without his orders. Having delivered this mandate, he
rushed below for his pistols.

The situation was critical. If the young commander hesitated for a
moment, or showed the least sign of submitting to be bullied, his
authority would instantly have fallen from him. Boy as he was,
David realized this, and, calling one of the crew to him,
explained what had taken place, and repeated his order. With a
hearty "Aye, aye, sir!" the sailor flew to the ropes, while the
plucky midshipman called down to the captain that "if he came on
deck with his pistols, he would be thrown overboard."

David's victory was complete. During the remainder of the voyage
none dared dispute his authority. Indeed his coolness and
promptitude had won for him the lasting admiration of the crew.





III. "FARRAGUT IS THE MAN"


The great turning point which placed Farragut at the head of the
American navy was reached in 1861, when Virginia seceded from the
Union, and he had to choose between the cause of the North and