At the beginning of hostilities, the Tripolitans placed great reliance upon their ability to fight at close quarters.  Undeniably, they did better in such position than in handling their ships.  They had all the viciousness of wild cats, and it has been shown how fiercely they fought in hand-to-hand encounters; but their experience with the Americans taught them that they were to be dreaded in any situation where their anger was aroused, and, as a consequence, the Turks became less eager for tests of individual strength, skill and bravery.

CHAPTER X.

The Bomb Ketch—­A Terrible Missile—­Frightful Catastrophe—­Diplomacy in Place of War—­Peace.

Whenever a war is under way a number of persons on each side are certain to come forward with ingenious schemes for injuring their opponents, through improvements upon the accepted methods of conducting hostilities.  So it came about, after the slight success attained in bombarding Tripoli, that a plan was formulated for creating consternation in the blockaded city and bringing the defiant Bashaw to his senses.

The new scheme was to fix up the Intrepid as a bomb ketch, send her into the harbor at night and there explode her.  While a few had no faith in the plan, others believed it would cause great destruction and spread dismay among the Tripolitans.

In the forward hold were stowed one hundred barrels of gunpowder, and on the deck above were piled one hundred and fifty shells and a lot of shot and scrap iron.  The plan was to give this floating volcano the appearance of a blockade-runner.  Two small boats were taken along, to be used by the crews after setting off the fuse that was to blow the ketch into a million atoms.  It will be seen that the task was of the most dangerous nature conceivable, and yet when Captain Preble called for volunteers it seemed as if every one was eager to go.

The command was given to Master-Commandant Richard Somers, who was of the same age as Decatur and Stewart, and had established a reputation for coolness and intrepidity in the operations of the fleet.  Midshipman Henry Wadsworth, an uncle of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the poet, was the second in command.  They were accompanied by another midshipman named Israel, who begged so hard to be allowed to go that he could not be refused, and ten of the best seamen.

After waiting for several days, the night of September 4 was found to be just what was desired.  A fog lay like a blanket on the sea, but it was so clear overhead that the stars shone with brilliant splendor.  Before the start was made, Decatur, Stewart and Somers, all the most intimate of friends, had a long talk in the cabin of the ketch, no one else being present.  Each felt the gravity of the situation.  Somers, though cool and composed, seemed to feel a presentiment that he would not return.  He took a ring off his finger, and breaking it apart, gave one portion to Decatur, one to Stewart, and kept the other for himself.  He told his friends what he wished done in case of his death, and they assured him that every wish should be respected.