ico, hailed him as a pirate, and opened fire. The engagement was
terrifically hot, and Jean Lafitte was killed at the head of his men
while resisting a boarding party.

Take next the case of that noted pirate Captain Avery "whose adventures
were the subject of general conversation in Europe." He captured one
of the Great Mogul's ships laden with treasure; it was reported that he
had wedded a daughter of that magnificent ruler and was about to found
a new monarchy; that he gave commissions in his own name to the
captains of his ships and the commanders of his forces and was
acknowledged by them as their prince. With sixteen stout fellows of
his own kidney, he ran off with a ship in which he had sailed from
England as mate, and steered for Madagascar in the year 1715. "The
Pirates' Own Book" tells the story of Captain Avery, his treasure, and
the melancholy fate of both, and the author is, as a rule, such a
well-informed historian of these matters, that he should be allowed to
set it forth in his own words, which are framed in a style admirably
befitting the theme.

"Near the river Indus the man at the mast-head espied a sail upon which
they gave chase; as they came nearer to her they discovered that she
was a tall vessel, and might turn out to be an East Indiaman. She,
however, proved a better prize; for when they fired at her, she hoisted
Mogul colors, and seemed to stand upon her defense. Avery only
cannonaded at a distance, when some of the men began to suspect he was
not the hero they had supposed. His sloops, however, attacked, the one
on the bow, and another upon the quarter of the ship, and so boarded
her. She then struck her colors. She was one of the Great Mogul's own
ships, and there were in her several of the greatest persons in his
court, among whom, it was said, was one of his daughters going upon a
pilgrimage to Mecca; and they were carrying with them rich offerings to
present at the shrine of Mahomet. It is a well-known fact that the
people of the East travel with great magnificence, so that these had
along with them all their slaves and attendants, with a large quantity
of vessels of gold and silver, and immense sums of money to defray
their expenses by land. The spoil, therefore, which they received from
that ship was almost incalculable.

"Our adventurers made the best of their way back to Madagascar,
intending to make that place the deposit of all their treasure, to
build a small fort, an