pared, he extinguished
the candle, crossed his arms, and fired at his company. The one pistol
did no execution, but the other wounded Hands in the knee. Interrogated
concerning the meaning of this, he answered with an imprecation, "That
if he did not now and then kill one of them, they would forget who he
was." Hands was eventually tried and condemned, but as he was about to
be executed, a vessel arrived with a proclamation prolonging the time of
his Majesty's pardon, which Hands pleading, he was saved from a violent
and shameful death.

In the commonwealth of pirates, he who goes the greatest length of
wickedness, is looked upon with a kind of envy amongst them, as a person
of a most extraordinary gallantry; he is therefore entitled to be
distinguished by some post, and, if such a one has but courage, he must
certainly be a great man. The hero of whom we are writing was thoroughly
accomplished in this way, and some of his frolics of wickedness were as
extravagant as if he aimed at making his men believe he was a devil
incarnate. Being one day at sea, and a little flushed with drink;
"Come," said he, "let us make a hell of our own, and try how long we can
bear it." Accordingly he, with two or three others, went down into the
hold, and closing up all the hatches, filled several pots full of
brimstone, and other combustible matter; they then set it on fire, and
so continued till they were almost suffocated, when some of the men
cried out for air; at length he opened the hatches, not a little pleased
that he had held out the longest.

Those of his crew who were taken alive, told a story which may appear a
little incredible. That once, upon a cruise, they found out that they
had a man on board more than their crew; such a one was seen several
days amongst them, sometimes below, and sometimes upon deck, yet no man
in the ship could give any account who he was, or from whence he came;
but that he disappeared a little before they were cast away in their
great ship, and, it seems, they verily believed it was the devil.

One would think these things should have induced them to reform their
lives; but being so many reprobates together, they encouraged and
spirited one another up in their wickedness, to which a continual course
of drinking did not a little contribute. In Black Beard's journal,
which was taken, there were several memoranda of the following nature,
all written with his own hand.--"Such a day, rum all out;--our com