structions in that river to satisfy any ordinary demand, the
_Sea-Nymph_ very soon grounded herself upon another of them. But
unfortunately she took up her permanent position at a considerable
distance from her consort.

Here now were the vessels which were to conduct this memorable
sea-fight, all three fast in the sand and unable to move, and their
predicament was made the worse by the fact that it would be five hours
before the tide would rise high enough for any one of them to float. The
positions of the three vessels were very peculiar and awkward; the
_Henry_ and the _Royal James_ were lying so near to each other that Mr.
Rhett could have shot Major Bonnet with a pistol if the latter gentleman
had given him the chance, and the _Sea-Nymph_ was so far away that she
was entirely out of the fight, and her crew could do nothing but stand
and watch what was going on between the other two vessels.

But although they could not get any nearer each other, nor get away from
each other, the pirates and Mr. Rhett's crew had no idea of postponing
the battle until they should be afloat and able to fight in the ordinary
fashion of ships; they immediately began to fire at each other with
pistols, muskets, and cannon, and the din and roar was something that
must have astonished the birds and beasts and fishes of that quiet
region.

As the tide continued to run out of the river, and its waters became
more and more shallow, the two contending vessels began to careen over
to one side, and, unfortunately for the _Henry_, they both careened in
the same direction, and in such a manner that the deck of the _Royal
James_ was inclined away from the _Henry_, while the deck of the latter
leaned toward her pirate foe. This gave a great advantage to Bonnet and
his crew, for they were in a great measure protected by the hull of
their vessel, whereas the whole deck of the _Henry_ was exposed to the
fire of the pirates. But Mr. Rhett and his South Carolinians were all
brave men, and they blazed away with their muskets and pistols at the
pirates whenever they could see a head above the rail of the _Royal
James_, while with their cannon they kept firing at the pirate's hull.

For five long hours the fight continued, but the cannon carried by the
two vessels must have been of very small calibre, for if they had been
firing at such short range and for such a length of time with modern
guns, they must have shattered each other into kindling wood. But