{"id":"01KG8AKMX5SSCP4P5YGHA4SV68","cid":"bafkreiaoqvtsocwyzmtxt2bgrooyzyoitm6mir57xjo4oxoa47fae2awa4","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":5856,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:05.591Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","start_line":5792,"text":"CHAPTER XX.\r\nTHE SHUTTLE.\r\n\r\n\r\nFor a time back, across the otherwise blue-jean career of Israel, Paul\r\nJones flits and re-flits like a crimson thread. One more brief\r\nintermingling of it, and to the plain old homespun we return.\r\n\r\nThe battle won, the squadron started for the Texel, where they arrived\r\nin safety. Omitting all mention of intervening harassments, suffice it,\r\nthat after some months of inaction as to anything of a warlike nature,\r\nPaul and Israel (both, from different motives, eager to return to\r\nAmerica) sailed for that country in the armed ship Ariel, Paul as\r\ncommander, Israel as quartermaster.\r\n\r\nTwo weeks out, they encountered by night a frigate-like craft, supposed\r\nto be an enemy. The vessels came within hail, both showing English\r\ncolors, with purposes of mutual deception, affecting to belong to the\r\nEnglish Navy. For an hour, through their speaking trumpets, the\r\ncaptains equivocally conversed. A very reserved, adroit, hoodwinking,\r\nstatesman-like conversation, indeed. At last, professing some little\r\nincredulity as to the truthfulness of the stranger’s statement, Paul\r\nintimated a desire that he should put out a boat and come on board to\r\nshow his commission, to which the stranger very affably replied, that\r\nunfortunately his boat was exceedingly leaky. With equal politeness,\r\nPaul begged him to consider the danger attending a refusal, which\r\nrejoinder nettled the other, who suddenly retorted that he would answer\r\nfor twenty guns, and that both himself and men were knock-down\r\nEnglishmen. Upon this, Paul said that he would allow him exactly five\r\nminutes for a sober, second thought. That brief period passed, Paul,\r\nhoisting the American colors, ran close under the other ship’s stern,\r\nand engaged her. It was about eight o’clock at night that this strange\r\nquarrel was picked in the middle of the ocean. Why cannot men be\r\npeaceable on that great common? Or does nature in those fierce\r\nnight-brawlers, the billows, set mankind but a sorry example?\r\n\r\nAfter ten minutes’ cannonading, the stranger struck, shouting out that\r\nhalf his men were killed. The Ariel’s crew hurrahed. Boarders were\r\ncalled to take possession. At this juncture, the prize shifting her\r\nposition so that she headed away, and to leeward of the Ariel, thrust\r\nher long spanker-boom diagonally over the latter’s quarter; when\r\nIsrael, who was standing close by, instinctively caught hold of it—just\r\nas he had grasped the jib-boom of the Serapis—and, at the same moment,\r\nhearing the call to take possession, in the valiant excitement of the\r\noccasion, he leaped upon the spar, and made a rush for the stranger’s\r\ndeck, thinking, of course, that he would be immediately followed by the\r\nregular boarders. But the sails of the strange ship suddenly filled;\r\nshe began to glide through the sea; her spanker-boom, not having at all\r\nentangled itself, offering no hindrance. Israel, clinging midway along\r\nthe boom, soon found himself divided from the Ariel by a space\r\nimpossible to be leaped. Meantime, suspecting foul play, Paul set every\r\nsail; but the stranger, having already the advantage, contrived to make\r\ngood her escape, though perseveringly chased by the cheated conqueror.\r\n\r\nIn the confusion, no eye had observed our hero’s spring. But, as the\r\nvessels separated more, an officer of the strange ship spying a man on\r\nthe boom, and taking him for one of his own men, demanded what he did\r\nthere.\r\n\r\n“Clearing the signal halyards, sir,” replied Israel, fumbling with the\r\ncord which happened to be dangling near by.\r\n\r\n“Well, bear a hand and come in, or you will have a bow-chaser at you\r\nsoon,” referring to the bow guns of the Ariel.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJJRQA5EDSW298W4T2SYR","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKMXCGF80GNEDDB8QXG8P","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:11.173Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:17.382Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}