A brief conversation followed, during which the ketch edged closer, but the Tripolitans soon discovered the men in the stargleam, and the alarm was sounded; but with great coolness and haste the ketch was worked into position and Decatur gave the order to board.
The eager Americans, with cutlass and boarding pike in hand, dashed through the gun ports and over the bulwarks.

In a twinkling the quarter deck was cleared and all the Tripolitans on the forecastle were rushed overboard.

The noise brought up a number of Turks from below, but the moment they saw what was going on they either leaped into the sea or hid themselves in the hold.

They were pursued, and within ten minutes the frigate was captured, without a shot having been fired or an outcry made.
An abundance of combustibles had been brought, and they were now distributed and fired so effectively that nothing could save the fine vessel.

Then the Americans scrambled back to the ketch, Lieutenant Decatur being the last to leave the doomed frigate, from which the dazzling glare lit up the harbor and revealed the smaller boat straining to get away.