"DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP!" The second year of the war by sea opened brilliantly enough to satisfy the American people, who were now in a mood to expect too much of their navy.

In February the story of the _Wasp_ and the _Frolic_ was repeated by two ships of precisely the same class.

The American sloop-of-war _Hornet_ had sailed to South America with the _Constitution_ and was detached to blockade, in the port of Bahia, the British naval sloop _Bonne Citoyenne_, which contained treasure to the amount of half a million pounds in specie.

Captain James Lawrence of the _Hornet_ sent in a challenge to fight, ship against ship, pledging his word that the _Constitution_ would not interfere, but the British commander, perhaps mindful of his precious cargo, declined the invitation.

Instead of this, he sensibly sent word to a great seventy-four at Rio de Janeiro, begging her to come and drive the pestiferous _Hornet_ away.
The British battleship arrived so suddenly that Captain Lawrence was compelled to dodge and flee in the darkness.