[Illustration: _Death of Black Beard._]

Upon this, during the smoke occasioned by one of these case-boxes, Black
Beard, with fourteen of his men, entered, and were not perceived until
the smoke was dispelled. The signal was given to Maynard's men, who
rushed up in an instant. Black Beard and the lieutenant exchange shots,
and the pirate was wounded; they then engaged sword in hand, until the
sword of the lieutenant broke, but fortunately one of his men at that
instant gave Black Beard a terrible wound in the neck and throat. The
most desperate and bloody conflict ensued:--Maynard with twelve men, and
Black Beard with fourteen. The sea was dyed with blood all around the
vessel, and uncommon bravery was displayed upon both sides. Though the
pirate was wounded by the first shot from Maynard, though he had
received twenty cuts, and as many shots, he fought with desperate valor;
but at length, when in the act of cocking his pistol, fell down dead. By
this time eight of his men had fallen, and the rest being wounded, cried
out for quarter, which was granted, as the ringleader was slain. The
other sloop also attacked the men who remained in the pirate vessels,
until they also cried out for quarter. And such was the desperation of
Black Beard, that, having small hope of escaping, he had placed a negro
with a match at the gunpowder door, to blow up the ship the moment that
he should have been boarded by the king's men, in order to involve the
whole in general ruin. That destructive broadside at the commencement of
the action, which at first appeared so unlucky, was, however, the means
of their preservation from the intended destruction.

Maynard severed the pirate's head from his body, suspended it upon his
bowsprit-end, and sailed to Bath-town, to obtain medical aid for his
wounded men. In the pirate sloop several letters and papers were found,
which Black Beard would certainly have destroyed previous to the