Young John Paul would have been the envy of many a modern boy and girl, for he was off to sea at the age of twelve. At thirteen, he made his first trip to America, as cabin boy of the Friendship. From then on, the sea became the young Scots boy’s life.
And he learned his trade well—so well that when his chance came he was ready for it. On a ship homeward bound for Scotland, both the captain and the mate died of fever. Young John Paul was the only one aboard who knew how to sail the ship. When he brought it safely into port he was made its captain.
For several years all went well. Then a dreadful thing happened, and the name of Captain John Paul was heard no more. Instead, in Edenton, North Carolina, plain Mr. Paul Jones, American, was beginning to be an outstanding figure in the growing rebellion of the colonies against British domination.
How America’s first great naval hero and his famous ships—the Providence, the Ranger, and the Bonhomme Richard—played their part in making our country‘s history is the climax of one of the most stirring and inspiring stories that Iris Vinton has ever written.
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