He gained fast, but to his dismay, when he was quite close, he discovered that instead of a merchant ship he had almost run into a twenty-eight gun frigate of the enemy.
Finding he had caught a Tartar, Jones did the only thing left to him.

He hauled off and put on every stitch of sail and the frigate did the same.
She proved the better sailer, and, though she gained slowly, it was surely, and in the course of a few hours she had approached within musket shot of the brig's lee quarter.

There seemed no possible escape for Jones, knowing which, he did a remarkable thing.

He veered off until the frigate was almost astern, when he put about dead before the wind, with every yard of canvas set.
The Englishman was dumfounded by the daring manoeuvre, which brought the American within pistol shot, for he did not fire a gun until Jones was beyond reach of his grape.

The pursuit was continued hour after hour, but the brig was now at her best and finally left her pursuer hopelessly astern.