{"id":"01KG8AKJ9EYMZ0QQ4Z18VTPQRM","cid":"bafkreieoerpzfak3kvisnzafmfgscvmsxxfvggvzi7xldkqgq74iqaepki","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":2586,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:05.590Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","start_line":2507,"text":"Paul slightly started, and turned inquiringly upon Israel, who, equally\r\nowing to Paul’s own earnestness of discourse and Israel’s motionless\r\nbearing, had thus far remained undiscovered.\r\n\r\n“Never fear, Captain,” said the sage, “this man is true blue, a secret\r\ncourier, and an American born. He is an escaped prisoner of war.”\r\n\r\n“Ah, captured in a ship?” asked Paul eagerly; “what ship? None of mine!\r\nPaul Jones never was captured.”\r\n\r\n“No, sir, in the brigantine Washington, out of Boston,” replied Israel;\r\n“we were cruising to cut off supplies to the English.”\r\n\r\n“Did your shipmates talk much of me?” demanded Paul, with a look as of\r\na parading Sioux demanding homage to his gewgaws; “what did they say of\r\nPaul Jones?”\r\n\r\n“I never heard the name before this evening,” said Israel.\r\n\r\n“What? Ah—brigantine Washington—let me see; that was before I had\r\noutwitted the Soleby frigate, fought the Milford, and captured the\r\nMellish and the rest off Louisbergh. You were long before the news, my\r\nlad,” he added, with a sort of compassionate air.\r\n\r\n“Our friend here gave you a rather blunt answer,” said the wise man,\r\nsagely mischievous, and addressing Paul.\r\n\r\n“Yes. And I like him for it. My man, will you go a cruise with Paul\r\nJones? You fellows so blunt with the tongue, are apt to be sharp with\r\nthe steel. Come, my lad, return with me to Brest. I go in a few days.”\r\n\r\nFired by the contagious spirit of Paul, Israel, forgetting all about\r\nhis previous desire to reach home, sparkled with response to the\r\nsummons. But Doctor Franklin interrupted him.\r\n\r\n“Our friend here,” said he to the Captain, “is at present engaged for\r\nvery different duty.”\r\n\r\nMuch other conversation followed, during which Paul Jones again and\r\nagain expressed his impatience at being unemployed, and his resolution\r\nto accept of no employ unless it gave him supreme authority; while in\r\nanswer to all this Dr. Franklin, not uninfluenced by the uncompromising\r\nspirit of his guest, and well knowing that however unpleasant a trait\r\nin conversation, or in the transaction of civil affairs, yet in war\r\nthis very quality was invaluable, as projectiles and combustibles,\r\nfinally assured Paul, after many complimentary remarks, that he would\r\nimmediately exert himself to the utmost to procure for him some\r\nenterprise which should come up to his merits.\r\n\r\n“Thank you for your frankness,” said Paul; “frank myself, I love to\r\ndeal with a frank man. You, Doctor Franklin, are true and deep, and so\r\nyou are frank.”\r\n\r\nThe sage sedately smiled, a queer incredulity just lurking in the\r\ncorner of his mouth.\r\n\r\n“But how about our little scheme for new modelling ships-of-war?” said\r\nthe Doctor, shifting the subject; “it will be a great thing for our\r\ninfant navy, if we succeed. Since our last conversation on that\r\nsubject, Captain, at odds and ends of time, I have thought over the\r\nmatter, and have begun a little skeleton of the thing here, which I\r\nwill show you. Whenever one has a new idea of anything mechanical, it\r\nis best to clothe it with a body as soon as possible. For you can’t\r\nimprove so well on ideas as you can on bodies.”\r\n\r\nWith that, going to a little drawer, he produced a small basket, filled\r\nwith a curious looking unfinished frame-work of wood, and several bits\r\nof wood unattached. It looked like a nursery basket containing broken\r\nodds and ends of playthings.\r\n\r\n“Now look here, Captain, though the thing is but begun at present, yet\r\nthere is enough to show that _one_ idea at least of yours is not\r\nfeasible.”\r\n\r\nPaul was all attention, as if having unbounded confidence in whatever\r\nthe sage might suggest, while Israel looked on quite as interested as\r\neither, his heart swelling with the thought of being privy to the\r\nconsultations of two such men; consultations, too, having ultimate\r\nreference to such momentous affairs as the freeing of nations.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJJ26N7N0C417TC8ET2RR","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKJ9CE3XY05XDQKB7GQTJ","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKJ9J06JXTMAK0BF2EDGP","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:08.494Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:14.947Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}