THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN 



JOURNAL. 



'erms , Four Dollars a Year. ; 

 Ten Cents a Copy. t 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JANUARY a 1878- 



> Volnrae 9.-No. 22. 

 >No. Ill Full on St., N Y. 



For Forest and Stream and. Bod and Gun, 



{Concluded.) 



[T was a bright, sunshiny day, this 17th of November, 1718, 

 when, everything being in readiness, the gallant May- 

 iard and his no less gallant crew started on their perilous un- 

 ertaking. Unfurling their sails and hoisting the kiDg's 

 olors, the two sloops left anchorage at Kecquetin, on the 

 amea River, and sailed down toward the bay. Maynard, 

 taring learned that Blackboard was certainly lurking in the 

 dcinity of Okerecoch, and that his crew had been roaming 

 it will through the country, engaging in every kind of de- 

 much, directed his course at once to the North Carolina coast. 

 jYom the same source he was apprised that the pirate, at the 

 mteide, could not have more than half his men with him, and 

 n this condition he hoped to surprise the party and kill or 

 japture them before they could make any formidable resist- 

 ance. With this design the English officer slowly and steadi- 

 y made his way, obtaining all information of the pirate that 

 he schooners and sloops meeting him could impart, and order- 

 ng all vessels going in the direction of his foe to drop in his 

 wake. But notwithstanding all these precautions, Blackbeard 

 lad certain tidings of his approach from the secretary of Gov. 

 Eaden, who privately conveyed the intelligence Maynard 

 jought to hide. However, instead of profiting by the knowl- 

 5dge, strong in his fancied security, and rash in his self-reli- 

 inee, the pirate captain made no effort to collect his crew or 

 prepare for the coming combat. 



On the evening of the 21st of November, Maynard dropped 

 anchor in Okerecoch Inlet, in sight of the two vessels of his 

 foe. And now Blackbeard beat to quarters and put his ves- 

 jels in a state of defence. The evening was drawing to a 

 2lose. the water was shallow where they both lay anchored, 

 and the channel was intricate, so that all thoughts of an en- 

 iounter till next morning were put aside as impossible. A 

 quiet night came on ; the wind sank to a gentle breeze that 

 scarcely rippled the waters ; the stars one by one shone out in 

 the calm depth of heaven and were reflected back in the lan- 

 guid, tranquil waves. The sloops.swung idly in the current, 

 ind no sound of life disturbed the gentle peace that brooded 

 over all. 



The night passed slowly by, its moments leaden weighted 

 to Maynard and his crew, who were oppressed with anxious 

 care and forebodings for the morrow. Would another night 

 And them alive ? Were these their last hours in this world ? 

 Would they never see dear, absent faces again on earth ? 

 never hear the home voices they loved? Was this dream of 

 life, with all its hopes, its joys, aye, its sorrows, over for- 

 ever ? Was the mystery of Eternity to be so soon solved to 

 their souls? and to whose soul? Who would be taken and 

 who left ? Was there no answer on earth or sky or their own 

 hearts ? Nothing but the monotonous dip of the vessel to the 

 incoming tides— nothing but that restless, maddening waiting. 

 Yes, and how many there were indeed whose eyes were for- 

 ever closed to the sinking of that sun for whose advent they 

 waited 1 Brave, valiant souls that passed from lif e to death 

 in all the abnegation of self-sacrifice ! May Heaven have 

 made amends for all, we pray ! 



Maynard and his crew sat on deck all the night and dis- 

 cussed at times in low tones the approaching event. The 

 lieutenant paced the deck in alert watch ; but such care was 

 needless if he had but known it. Blackbeard and his men 

 were passing those hours in wild carousal. He had given 

 them as much to drink as they would have, and had then left 

 ttiem to themselves, while he and a trader, as inveterate and 

 hard a drinker as himself, spent the night in a schooner lying 

 near. 



Blackbeard felt confident of victory. His long continued 

 successes had induced him to believe his strength invincible. 

 Besides, every detail of Maynard's force had been divulged to 

 him ; he knew there were no mounted guns on the attacking 

 Bide. And though he was aware his own vessels were but 

 half manned, as they lay anchored together in the stream, he 

 never doubted but that his heavy guns would more than 

 counterbalance this weakness. 

 At last the stars died out; a cool, fresh breeze sprang up ; 

 eves began to glow with a faint hue caught from the 

 coming morn. The glory slowly gathered in the East and 



heralded the approach of full orbed day. And now light 

 streamed athwart the sky, and a pathway of gold lay wide 

 upon the waters. On both sides the men were at. their posts. 

 Maynard called his men together and said to them : ' ' My lads, 

 it is no child's play we have undertaken. Instead of surpris- 

 ing Blackbeard, as I had hoped, he has by some m»known 

 means discovered our intentions, and is thoroughly prepared. 

 We will have a square fight, hand to hand ; a struggle for 

 life or death, where no quarter will be given or asked. You 

 are all volunteers — picked men, and I have every confidence 

 that you will do your duty. Remembes, we must conquer or 

 die." A loud murmur of assent was the reply, and every 

 hand grasped his weapon more tightly, and every face grew 

 sterner with the full import of the hour. 



" Is your powder dry, and are your cutlasses well sharp- 

 ened?'' asked the captain. 



"Yes!" 



" Then, forward ! and follow me !" 



At the signal the anchors were weighed, and sending a boat 

 ahead to sound the Inlet the sloop slowly advanced. And 

 now while the intrepid officer is going forward to the attack, 

 and the pirate with his desperate crew awaits the onset, I will 

 seize this occasion to say that this is history, and no romance, 

 that I am writing. Cooper and Reid may portray vividly the 

 battles at sea, even as their own imaginations may suggest, 

 and paint them with all the, fervent colors that make them 

 living realities. But this is a reality, founded on sober fact. 

 Not only has tradition handed the event down, but old let' 

 ters, old chronicles, old books all record the same plain un- 

 varnished tale. Any one desirous of testing the assertion may 

 do so by overlooking the old history of Virginia, and especial- 

 ly that quaint and ancient volume of " Johnson's History of 

 Pyrates." Though the combat reminds one of Homer's in 

 the Illiad, it is none the less true that it was so daring, and 

 none the less reliable and worthy though its record is not well 

 known or often read. 



But to proceed. The channel proved difficult to thread, 

 and at every few rods a sounding had to be made. The ad- 

 vance was therefore necessarily slow. On the pirate's side 

 the preparations were soon completed. The Guerneyman, 

 commanded by Blackbeard, had only about one-sixth of her 

 original crew ; and on his own vessel there were but twenty- 

 five men, though to embolden them he gave out that there 

 were forty on board. His guns were loaded, and some of his 

 crew were on deck armed to the teeth. Blackbeard placed 

 one man at the powder magazine with a loaded pistol, stern- 

 ly ordering him to blow up the vessel should Maynard cap- 

 ture it. 



Maynard steadily approached the Pirate's ship, the Queen 

 Annie's Revenge, which was anchored near the shore, his 

 own sloop, the Ranger, leading. As soon as he was within 

 gun shot, Blackbeard opened on him with round shot. The 

 waters all around bubbled and hissed as the solid ball struck 

 them, but fortunately none touched the sloops that kept their 

 onward way. The sun was now rising high in the heavens, 

 gleaming on the Bang's colors, the Union Jack, that Maynard 

 ordered unfurled. In response the black flag was run up the 

 halyards and flapped ominously on the breeze. 



The light wind filled Maynard's sails, and his sloop surged 

 ahead and neared the pirate. Seeing that his foe was trying 

 to board him, Blackbeard cut his cable and endeavored to 

 make a running fight, and sink his enemy with his guns. 

 Maynard instantly divined this manoeuvre, and knew that if 

 it could not be prevented his ship would be knocked to 

 pieces. So he hurried on all sail, and made use of oars to ac- 

 celerate his speed that he might the sooner close with the 

 outlaw. In a short while he was near enough to use his 

 small arms. But this did him little good, for the pirate's ship 

 at once turned and gave him a broadside that smashed the 

 top of his bow and wounded several men with splinters. It 

 was becoming exceedingly critical with Maynard, when for- 

 tunately Blackbeard ran aground. Maynard, still keeping 

 close to the enemy's ship with the intention of boarding, also 

 stuck fast within a pistol-shot of the pirate. In the meautime 

 the other sloop was following up Blackboard's second vessel, 

 and soon both were out of sight. 



Finding himself thus aground, Maynard ordered all his 

 ballast to be thrown overboard, even his water casks, and thus 

 lightened, floated still nearer to his antagonist. Blackbeard 

 stood in the midst of his men with only his face visible, and 



such a face !— his beard, tied with red ribbons; his eyes, 

 mad with fury and drink, gleaming like a savage beast's. He 

 hailed Maynard, and, with bitter curses, asked, "Whoare you?" 



Maynard shouted back, "You can see by my colors I ana 

 no pirate." 



Neither side fired a shot, and, like the Trojan heroes, these 

 rival captains kept up their menacing colloquy. 



" Send a boat on board that I may know who you are," said 

 Blackbeard. 



Maynard answered, "I cannot spare a boat, but I will come 

 aboard of you with my sloop. " 



Upon this Blackbeard took a glass of liquor and drank to 

 him in these words, " I swear by my beard I give no quarter, 

 nor will I give nor take any from you." 



Maynard's reply came across the water as clear as a bugle, 

 "I expect no quarter from you, nor will I give you any." 



Even as he spoke, Blackbeard's ship slewed round and fired 

 a whole broadside right into Maynard. The guns, double- 

 shotted with grape and canister, did terrible execution. May- 

 nard's ship's sides were cut up, and twenty of his men killed 

 or wounded. 



The battle seemed now already decided in favor of the 

 pirate- Maynard ordered his men to lie close down, and he 

 himself took the helm. Closer and closer he crept, till only 

 a few yards separated the two vessels. In a low, quick, de- 

 cided tone, he told his men not to move till he gave the signal. 

 Some crouched on deck and others in the hold, with a pistol 

 in the right hand and cutlass in their left. Thus, trembling 

 from intense excitement, yet with nerves like steel, they 

 waited their leader's command. 



The two vessels collided, and Blackbeard made his men 

 hurl into the "king's vessel hand grenades, made of casebottles, 

 filled with shot, slugs and scraps of iron, and in the mouth of 

 each a match. Off went these infernal machines, snapping, 

 crashing and roaring amid the noise and yells of the pirate 

 horde. They did some damage, and created some confusion; 

 but their leader's calm voice was heard, and the old salts, 

 thoroughly disciplined, cowered closely in their hiding-places 

 without betrayal of their presence. The explosion was soon 

 over. 



Blackbeard, seeing none of the crew visible but Maynard, 

 shouted to his men, " They are all killed; follow me," and 

 sprang on the Ranger's deck, he and his bloodthirsty crew 

 yelling like demons. His appearance was enough to daunt the 

 boldest heart, but he was opposed by a man equally fearless. 

 When the outlaw boarded the ship, with his fourteen demons, 

 Maynard gave his signal, and, like a thunderbolt, his men 

 rose up and fell upon the foe. Swords clashed, pistols cracked, 

 and the keen cutlasses were red with spouting blood. Hand 

 to hand, and face to face, with every bad passion in their 

 nature aroused, these men fought and tore each other like so 

 many ferocious beasts. Now backward, now forward, they 

 surged in their mad struggle. The metallic ring of the pistol, 

 the dull noise of the deadly cut, and the gurgling cry of the 

 dying, the groans of the wounded, the curses and oaths, the 

 sullen splash overboard of the dead, mingled in one mad 

 confusion, and made a scene worthy of " Dante's Inferno." 



Maynard met Blackbeard face to face. They fired at the 

 same time. Maynard stood unhurt. The mighty form of the 

 pirate reeled and swayed backward, but only for a moment. 

 The bullet had passed through his side, but struck no vital 

 part. Hurling his pistol at his foe, the wounded man shifted 

 his cutlass, and aimed a savage blow at his opponent, who 

 turned it. Both men were fine swordsmea, and a terrible 

 combat ensued. But Blackbeard's onset was so fierce, and 

 his strength so powerful, that the Englishman could not do 

 more than protect himself. He retreated, now parrying, now 

 eluding — using his whole art in self-defence. The strokes de- 

 scended like hail. One tremendous blow the Englishman 

 parried, but in so doing his cutlass-blade was snapped off 

 close to the hilt. Dropping the useless weapon, Maynard 

 drew a pistol from his belt— but too late. Blackbeard aimed 

 a stroke of his heavy cutlass at the young man's unguarded 

 head. One of Maynard's men saw the danger in time, and 

 threw up the weapon on a parry. The direction of the blow 

 was changed, but the force with which it was given was so 

 tremendous, that it beat down Maynard's guard and cut en- 

 tirely off, the fingers of his right hand. Before Blackbeard 

 could repeat the blow, the seaman gave him a bad wound in 

 the neck, and the blood spurted from the cut, crimsoning hia 



