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〃 'Ay； tear her tattered ensign down！ Long has it waved on high；' 〃 Austin said； quoting the first line of the Oliver Wendell Holmes poem； 〃Old Ironsides；〃 that had inspired the nation to save the ship from destruction。
Slade grinned and quoted the second line； 〃 'And many an eye has danced to see that banner in the sky 。 。 。' Sounds as if you know your naval history； sir。〃
〃I know the ship fought the Barbary pirates and gave the British a major headache during the War of 1812。 That she was undefeated in battle。 And during the fight with the British frigate H。M。S Guerriere； cannonballs bounced off her sides as if they were made of iron。〃 His eyes fondly swept the two…hundred…four…foot length of the frigate； taking in the long bowsprit； We expansive spar deck with the neat rows of cannon and the two…hundred…twenty…foot…tall main…mast。 〃Hope I look half as good when I'm her age。〃
〃Thank you。 We take great pride in keeping her ship…shape。 She was built not far from here； launched in 1797。 Actually； her sides were made of live oak from the south…eastern U。S。 Her hull is twenty…five inches thick at the waterline。 Paul Revere did the copperwork and made the ship's bell。 Don't mean to give you the guide routine；〃 he apologized； 〃but we're awfully proud of the lady。〃 His face grew serious。 〃Instead of giving you a history lesson； I should call the Coast Guard and let them know we've got an injured man on board。〃 Slade patted the pockets of his coat and frowned。 〃Damn。 My cell phone must have fallen out when I got in the gig。 I've got a walkie…talkie we use to keep in touch with the tugboat when we're being pushed or towed。 I'll ask the crew to relay a message to the Coast Guard。〃
While Slade retrieved his handheld radio； Austin went over to where Petrov was stretched out on the deck。 Someone had covered him with a section of sail。 A crewman was keeping watch。
Austin knelt by Petrov's side。 〃How are you feeling； tovarich？〃
Petrov groaned。 〃I have a splitting headache； as you would expect after having a bullet bounce off a er of my skull。 Why is it that every time I get too close to you； I get blown up or shot up？〃
〃Just lucky； I guess。 Razovmust have taken something I said the wrong way。 Sorry that you lost your man。〃
〃I am； too。 He wasn't a bad sort for a Ukrainian。 He was aware he was in a dangerous business； though。 His family will be well…pensated。〃
Austin told Petrov to take it easy； then he rose and walked to the thick wooden bulwark； the chin…high raised side that enclosed the uppermost deck。 While he was scanning the harbor； Slade returned。
〃Mission acplished；〃 he said。 〃The tug crew will notify the Coast Guard and the police harbor patrol。 They'll ask them to send some EMTs over to take care of your friend。 How's he doing？〃
〃He'll live。 A half an inch lower and he would have lost some brain power。〃
〃Is he with NUMA； too？〃
〃He's a Russian trade representative from Siberian Pest Control。〃
Slade gave him that funny look again。 〃What's he doing in Boston Harbor？〃
〃Looking for Siberian pests；〃 Austin said。
Slade noticed Austin peering back toward where the tugboat was nudged up against the stern of the ship。
〃The tug pushed us away from the wharf；〃 Slade explained。 〃We were getting ready to raise sail after they got us into the outer harbor。 We're supposed to do a run for the television cameras； then rendezvous with the tug and get a ride back to the navy yard。〃
Austin was only half listening。 He squinted into the darkness at the snarl of boat motors。 The sound grew louder。 Then he saw firefly points of light made by muzzle flashes。
Traveling in a line； three fast powerboats materialized and raced toward the stern of the sailing vessel。 Then came the snap and whine of rounds ricocheting off the tugboat。 Sparks exploded where the bullets struck the steel hull。 The tugboat crew got over its surprise at being fired upon。 With a roar of its engines； the tugboat went into reverse and headed off at full throttle。 The boats circled the slower craft； riddling the wooden pilothouse with bullets。 The tug slowed； traveled a few hundred feet before it stopped pletely。
Austin clenched his fists in anger； helpless to prevent the cowardly attack on the innocent tugboat。 He asked Slade to call the tug on his walkie…talkie。 After several attempts； the sailor gave up。 ； 〃It's no use；〃 he said。 〃Damn； why'd they attack those guys？〃
〃They know the tug was our only propulsion。〃
Although the boats were out of sight at the edge of darkness； Austin could hear their idling motors。 Then he saw the gun flashes； followed by what sounded like a hundred woodpeckers attacking the ship。 Slade tried to lean over the bulwark to check out the noise。 Austin pulled him down on the deck。
〃Jeez； those idiots are shooting at us！〃 Slade yelled。 〃Don't they know this is a national treasure？〃
〃We'll be fine；〃 Austin said。 〃Old lronsides stopped cannonballs。 A little automatic gunfire isn't going to sink her。〃
〃I'm not worried about that。 I don't want my crew hurt。〃
Austin had been listening with one ear to the gunfire。 〃They've stopped shooting。 Tell your men to keep their heads down and wait for orders。〃 Austin realized Slade was in mand。 〃I'm sorry。 Those are suggestions。 This is your mand。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Slade said。 〃Your suggestions are well taken。 Don't worry； I won't fall apart。 I was a Marine before they gave me this duty。 I'm only here because I hurt my knee in an accident。〃
Austin studied the young man's face and saw no fear； only determination。
〃Okay； here's my take on that strafing run。 They wanted to drive off the tug so we'd be dead in the water。 They know they can't sink us。 My guess is that they'll try to board us。〃
Slade tucked his chin in。 〃That's unacceptable。 No enemy has ever e aboard the Constitution except for prisoners of war。 You can be certain it's not going to happen on my watch。〃 He glanced around the spar deck。 〃There's only one problem。 The ship originally carried more than four hundred men。 We're a little shorthanded。〃
〃We'll have to make do。 Can we get the old girl moving？〃
〃We were about to hoist sail when we stopped to pick you and your friend up。 The best we can get out of it is a couple of knots。 lronsides is no speedboat。〃
〃The main thing is that we establish even a little control of the situation。 It will keep them guessing。 Speed's not important。 What about weapons？ Any on board？〃
Slade laughed and pointed to the cannon lined up on both sides of the deck。 〃You're talking about a fighting ship。 Take your pick； thirty…two…pounder Carronades on this deck and twenty…four…pounder long guns below。 Plus a couple of Bow Chasers。 More than fifty cannon total。 Unfortunately； we're not allowed to carry gunpowder。〃
〃I was thinking about something more practical。〃
〃We've got boarding pikes and axes and cutlasses。 There are belaying pins everywhere。 They make fine blackjacks。〃
Austin told the young officer to do what he could。 Slade gathered his men around； introduced Austin and told the crew that the people who shot up the ship might try boarding it。 He ordered every light on the ship doused and told some of the crew to get aloft。 They scrambled up the rigging and onto the yards； where they loosed the topsails。 The inner jib was set and the ship began to move； on her own； at a speed of about one knot。
The sail crew dropped down to the deck and hauled up the main topsail yard。 The 3；500…square…foot mainsail filled with the breeze； and the mast began to squeak。 The ship crept along at the speed of a fast snail。 Then the outer jib was set； followed by the fore topsail。 The ship tripled its speed。 The movement would pose no problem for anyone trying to board； but it gave the crew a modicum of control。 In the meantime； weapons were being stacked on the deck。
Slade picked up a cutlass and felt the sharp edge of the blade。 〃Warfare was a personal thing back then； wasn't it？〃
〃Unless you know how to use that thing； this might be more practical；〃 Austin said； hefting a boarding pike； basically a long wooden shaft with a sharp metal spearhead on one end。
The crew split up into two parties； one for each side； and nervously kept watch。 A party was dispatched to the fighting platform halfway up the main mast where Marines and sharpshooters used to rain death down on attackers。 Austin paced restlessly back and forth； a belaying pin in his hand。
They didn't have to wait long。 The first sign of the renewed attack was the loud rapping against the ship's side。 The attackers were trying to soften them up with automatic gunfire。 The bullets chipped the black and white paint； but hardly put a dent in the two…foot… thick oak hull。 The doughty old ship plowed through the water； brushing off the bullets as if they were a swarm of pesky mosquitoes。 Like the Barbary pirates and the British navy； the attackers learned Old lronsides was no pushover。
The attackers saw that their bullets were having no effect and stopped firing； instead switching on their spotlights； revving their motors and closing on their slow…moving target。 Austin heard the boats thump against