“And yet, despite his brutality, his murderous ways, his utter depravity, Teach apparently was a great favorite with the ladies. At any rate, he was married fourteen times—although history fails to mention divorces—his last wife being, according to those who knew, ‘a beautiful young creature of sixteen.’ It certainly would be interesting to know by what manner of courtship the villainous old wretch could win the hearts of innocent young girls, but perchance in his love-making he was as gentle and as ardent as he was brutal and devilish in his piracy.
“For two years Teach ravaged the Caribbean [[223]]and the coast of the Atlantic states, sailing as far north as Massachusetts and the coast of Maine, and making his headquarters either in the Bahamas or in the waters of Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Indeed, there was more than good reason to suspect that the governor of Carolina was hand and glove with Teach, and that the pirate paid a goodly tribute to the executive in return for freedom from molestation while in the Carolina waters.
“But at last Blackbeard’s activities became too great to be borne longer by the long-suffering mariners and merchants of the colonies. They rose and demanded his apprehension or destruction, and the Governor of Virginia thereupon offered a reward of one hundred pounds sterling ‘for one Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard, pirate,’ dead or alive, and forty pounds for each and every other pirate. One hundred pounds in those days was a fortune, and Teach, reading a copy of the proclamation, swelled with pride to think that his fame and notoriety were such as to bring forth such an offer. But he had no fear whatever of any one claiming it. His mere name was enough to drive every one scurrying [[224]]to safety, he had perfect confidence in his ability to look out for himself, and he took the whole matter as a bit of a joke.
“Indeed, he thought so lightly of it that he boldly sailed into Pamlico Sound, came to anchor in a little cove at Ocracoke Inlet, and there fell in with an old friend, a merchant skipper, with whom he spent the night drinking and swapping yarns of old days before Teach had gone a-pirating.” [[225]]
CHAPTER XIII
THE END OF BLACKBEARD
“As is often the case, Teach, just when he felt himself safest, was in the most imminent peril. The munificent reward offered for his death or capture had proved a tempting bait, and a brave young naval officer, Lieutenant Maynard of H.M.S. Pearl, had made up his mind to pocket that one hundred pounds and several of the forty pound rewards as well. Gathering together a few brave and tried friends and old shipmates, Maynard manned a small sloop, loaded it with a plentiful supply of arms and ammunition and, having learned of Blackbeard’s whereabouts, set sail for Ocracoke. Long before the gallant lieutenant came within sight of the pirates’ lair, however, Teach had word of his coming, but this only amused the black-whiskered corsair. It would serve to enliven a dull day, and he and his men looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to Maynard’s arrival. [[226]]
“But the villainous pirate little knew the manner of man who was coming to attack him. As the day dawned, those on the pirate ship saw the sloop approaching, and, realizing that his situation in the exposed anchorage was not well adapted to defensive tactics, Blackbeard cut his cable, hoisted the black flag and allowed his vessel to drift upon the mudflats with the tide. This was a tactful move, for Maynard’s craft drew too much water to come to grips with the pirate, and as neither vessel carried cannon, the battle would have to be a hand-to-hand combat, and the pirates would have every advantage, as their enemies would be compelled to board them. But the lieutenant had no intention of giving the pirates any advantage he could avoid. He was out to get Blackbeard, dead or alive, and he meant to succeed. Throwing over his ballast, together with anchors, fittings, water casks and spare spars, Maynard lightened his sloop until she could pass over the flats, and then, hoisting sail, he bore down upon the stranded pirate craft.
“Blackbeard, with lighted fuses glowing in his hair and beard, drawn cutlass and pistols in hand, leaped upon the rail, ‘hailed him in a rude manner and cursed most horribly,’ as the old accounts tell [[227]]us, and then, in a bit of bravado, raised a glass of grog and in full view of his enemies drank to ‘the damnation of the attackers.’