The Cairo bulletin., 1904-07-30

Ilsh liidH cNtH u plIdts do bOiu dn DUH
net would wish to run and SO there
was no sleep that night on the Royal
James The blows of the hammers
and the sounds of the saws made a
greater noise than they had ever done
before, so that the night birds were
frightened and flew shrieking away
Every man worked with all the energy
that was in him, for each hairy rascal
had reason TO believe that If the vessel
they were on did not get out Of the
river before the two armed strangers
should be afioat there might De hard
times ahead for them. Even Ben
Creenway was aroused. THE dell
| shall not get him any sooner than can
be helped" he said to himself, and he
hammered and sawed with the rest Of
them
on his stout and wel-armed slocp
the Henry, Mr.. William Rhett, OF
| Charles Town, South Carolina, paced
anxiously all night. Frequently from
the sand-bar on which his vessel was
| grounded he called over to his other
| sloop also fast grounded, giving orders
| and asking questions. On both yes
/ sells everybody was at work, getting
| ready for action when the tide should
| rise
Some weeks before the walls and
complaints of a tortured sea-coast had
come down from the Jersey shores TO
South Carolina, asking for help at the
only place along that coast whence
help could come. A pirate named
Thomas was working his way south
ward. spreading terror before him and
leaving misery behind. These appeals
touched the hearts of the people OF
Charles Town already sore from the
injuries and insults inflicted upon them
by Blackboard in those days when
Bonnet sat silently on the pirate ship,
doing nothing and learning much.
There was no hesitancy; for their
own sake and for the sake OF their
commerce, this new pirate must not
come to Charles Town harbor, and an
expedition of two vessels, heavily
armed and we'll manned and COM
manded by Mr.. William Rhett, was
sent northward up the coast to look
for the pirate named Thomas and to
destroy him and his ship, Mr. Rhett
was not military man, nor did he
belong to the navy. He was a citizen
capable of commanding soldiers, and
as such he went forth to destroy the
pirate Thomas.
Mr. Rhett met people enough along
the coast who told him where he might
find the pirate, but he found no one
to- tell him how to navigate the dan
gerous waters of the Cape Fear River
and so il was that soon after entering
chat fine stream he and his consort |
found themselves aground.
Mr. Rhett was quite sure that he
had discovered the lair OF the big game |
he was looking for. Just before dark. |
three boats, we'll filed with men, had
appeared from up the river, and they |
had looked so formidable that every !
thing had been made ready to resist /
an attack from them. They retired, /
but every now and then during the |
night, when there was quiet for few |
minutes. there would come down the /
tant hammering and the noise of saws
1t was after midnight before the |
Henry and the Sea Nymph foated free, |
but they anchored where they were !
and waited for the morning. Whether I
they would sail up the river after the [
pirate or whether be would come down /
to them, daylight would show
Mr.. Rhett's vessels had been at \
anchor for five hours, and every man .
on board of them were watching and 1
waiting, when daylight appeared and /
showed them a tall ship, under full I
sail. rounding the distant headland UP
the river Now up came their anchors
and their sails were set. The pirate
was coming!
Whatever the Royal James intended
to do. Mr. Rhett had but one plan. and
that was TO meet the enemy as soon as
possible and fight him. so up sailed
the Henry and up sailed the Sea
Nymph, and they pressed ahead so
steadily to meet the Royal James that
the latter vessel. in carrying out what
was now her obvious intention of get
ting out TO sea, was forced shoreward,
where she speedily ran upon a bar
Then. from the vessels of Charles
Town there came great shouts OF
triumph, which ceased when first the
Henry and then the Sea Nymph ran
upon other bars and remained sta
tionary.
Here was an unusual condition
three ship of war all aground and
about to begin battle. battle which
would probably last for FIVE hours If
one or more of the stationary vessels
were not destroyed before that time.
II was soon found, however, that there
would only be two parties TO the fight,
for the Sea Nymph was too far away
to use her guns The Royal James had
an advantage over her opponents.
since. when she slightly careened. her
decks were slanted away from tle
enemy. while the latier's were pre-
gonted 10 her fire.
At Il they went. hot and heavy.
Bonnet and his men now knew that
they were engaged with commissioned
war vessels. and they fought for their
lives. Mr. Rhett knew that he was
aehting Thomas. the dreaded pirate Of