Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/154

 ; and Captain Thompon, from whom the Negroes were taken, had them retored to him, for the Ue of his Owners.

Vane cruied ome Time off the Bar, in hopes to catch Yeats at his coming out again, but therein he was diappointed; however, he unfortunately for them, took two Ships from Charles-Town, bound home to England. It happen’d that jut at this Time two Sloops well mann’d and arm’d, were equipp’d to go after a Pyrate, which the Governor of South-Carolina was informed, lay then in Cape Fear River, a cleaning: But Colonel Rhet, who commanded the Sloops, meeting with one of the Ships that Vane had plundered, going back over the Bar, for uch Necearies as had been taken from her, and he giving the Colonel an Account of her being taken by the Pyrate Vane, and alo, that ome of her Men, while they were Prioners on Board of him, had heard the Pyrates ay, they hould clean in one of the Rivers to the Southward; he altered his firt Deign, and intead of tanding to the Northward, in puruit of the Pyrate in Cape Fear River, he turns to the Southward after Vane; who had ordered uch Reports to be given out, on purpoe to end any Force that hould come after him, upon a wrong Scent; for in Reality he tood away to the Northward, o that the Puruit proved to be the contrary Way.

Colonel Rhet’s peaking with this Ship, was the mot unlucky Thing that could have happened, becaue it turned him out of the Road, which in all Probability, would have brought him into the Company of Vane, as well as of the Pyrate he went after; and o they might have been both detroy’d; whereas, by the Colonel’s going a different Way, he not only lot the Opportunity of meeting with one, but if the other had not been infatuated, to lye ix Weeks together at Cape Fear, he would have