Chapter 6 Chapter Five: The Fate of the Pirate "Blackbeard"

one Modern people are protected by the law and the people around them in real life, so it is difficult for people to imagine what life was like for American colonists in the early 18th century.At that time, in that place, there were not only vicious pirates like Captain Teach, but also the governor and state ministers who shared the spoils with the pirates. They always shielded and protected the pirates from legal sanctions. At that time, the American colonists were mostly vulgar people, and most of them lived in small colonies far away from each other, so they could neither make laws nor use laws to protect their own interests.Everyone or every small group has to rely on their own strength to protect what belongs to them and prevent others or other groups from plundering their own property.

It is human nature for everyone to want to have everything they can get.For example, a child always wants to take what he wants from others and keep it for himself.At this time, the only way is to keep educating him and let him know that force should not be used to take what does not belong to him.Only through education and training can people learn to be honest and trustworthy, and will not take things that do not belong to them.If they are not adequately educated of this kind, or if there is something in a man's nature which prevents it from being given to him, he will, as soon as the opportunity presents itself, rob him as soon as he wants. s things.

As mentioned earlier, in the colony at that time, the land was sparsely populated, and because the people were too scattered, it was difficult to stop those who were determined to take what they wanted by force. Therefore, people all Live a life free from scruples and laws.Now, we live in a well-managed social order, so it must be difficult to understand the situation at that time. Interstate commerce was carried on by sea in coastal trade ships.And these coastal trading merchant ships have almost no defense capabilities, and the governments of various states are also unable to protect them, so those who want to rob merchant ships will hardly encounter any risk, and they are almost hit with a hundred shots.

In the western world at that time, armed pirates were everywhere, often intercepting merchant ships and taking whatever they wanted. At that time, the states were under the rule of royal governors appointed by the King of England, and each governor could do whatever he wanted within the limits of his own jurisdiction.He is only responsible to the king and the government, and England is quite far away from the United States, so in fact, he only has to be responsible to himself, and he does not need to be responsible to anyone else. Governors, therefore, were as eager as anyone else to grab as much wealth as quickly as possible, and to get for themselves all they could get their hands on; wrong.Though they want to be rich easily and quickly, this desire is not strong enough to make them do things that they are ashamed of in their own and other people's opinion.They even tried their best to stop the pirates from doing anything wrong, but the state government was too weak to stop the pirates from plundering merchant ships, nor could they punish the pirates who went ashore.The state government does not have a navy. In fact, it can be said that it does not have any armed forces. Even in the community, there are not enough people to deal with these powerful gangsters through legal means.

When pirates snatched goods from merchant ships, the goods were lost forever.The shippers can't find them at all, and even if they do, they will find them in vain.The stolen goods were piled up in the warehouses of the pirates, who seemed to be the owners of the goods. Of course, the governor and state ministers would not do things like robbing merchant ships, which would ruin their reputation, but they often took things that seemed to have no owner after the goods were stolen. Behavior doesn't seem so unethical. Children are often taught by adults that it is bad behavior to take candy from other children.But if one bad kid snatches candy from other kids and offers it to a third kid to take a bite of, it doesn't look like something evil to them.Although he also knew that the candy was robbed from other children, and the robbed child was still crying.

So, there is no doubt that for Governor Eden and Secretary of State of North Carolina, Governor Fletcher of New York, or other colonial governors, taking the loot of pirates, such as "Blackbeard" stole, seems to be It's not an evil thing, even forcing the pirates to give up some things that don't belong to them and don't seem to have an owner, it's not an evil thing. During the reign of Governor Eden, the population of the colony increased, and the laws in terms of protecting people's legal property gradually became stronger and stronger.Governor Eden was the last person to make such a deal with pirates, and "Blackbeard" was almost the last such a savage and powerful pirate. Do not interfere with this.

Among all the American colonies at that time, Virginia was the most powerful and richest state, and South Carolina, which was adjacent to North Carolina, was also very economically developed. "Blackbeard" burned, killed and looted in these two states, and poisoned the living beings, causing the most serious harm. Later, even the most simple residents could not bear this kind of life that was often robbed by pirates. Merchants and others harassed by the pirates clamored for protection from the government, and the governors could no longer ignore the voice of the crowd. People have petitioned Governor Eden to take action to stop the heinous behavior of these pirates, but Eden has a good relationship with the pirates, so he can't do anything, just like a child who tastes candy, he must be very kind to the child who gives him candy Friendly as well.

Later, "Blackbeard" went to the center of Virginia to plunder and took away the daughter of the most important person in the area. The governor of Virginia found that the governor of North Carolina was unwilling to do anything to punish these atrocities, so he decided to send This thing is taken care of.He immediately offered a reward of one hundred pounds for the capture of "Blackbeard". At the same time, he also offered rewards of different amounts to the other pirates under "Blackbeard", whether they were dead or alive, they all offered rewards according to their heads.

Governor Spottywood then appointed Captain Maynard to lead an army against pirates operating in neighboring North Carolina waters.Although he has the right to issue this reward order, he has no right to take this action.This also reflects the barbaric and disorderly management of the colonies at that time. On November 11th, the governor issued a reward order for catching the pirates.The reward was read in all churches on Sunday and posted on the doors of all government customs offices in the Eastern Virginia area.Admiral Parker assembled the ships to suppress the pirates, and on the 17th of that month, Captain Maynard sailed these ships to Oak Creek.Five days later, war finally broke out.

When hearing Governor Spottywood's reward order, the fleet of "Blackbeard" was mooring in the middle of a sandbar in Oak Creek Bay. At that time, there had just been a storm at sea, and many ships sailed into the bay to take refuge. "Blackbeard" knew almost all the captains here, and he heard about this reward order from these captains. The strong wind from the sea from the southeast is still raging, and there are about a dozen ships parked in the bay. "Blackbeard" boarded a merchant ship from Boston. Another captain was visiting this Boston merchant ship at the time. When they saw pirates coming in, the two captains suddenly stopped talking.But at this time, "Blackbeard" already knew enough information to understand the general meaning of the conversation between the two. "I've heard what you've said, so why not?" he said. "So what? Do you think I'll take it seriously? Spottywood's going to send for me, That's what you guys were talking about. Well, so what? Do you think I'd be scared?"

"Of course not, Captain, I don't think so," said the visiting captain. "I would like to ask, what right does he have to send someone to North Carolina to fight against me?" "He has no right," reassured the Boston captain. "Would you like some Dutch schnapps, Captain?" "He's got no right to come down on Governor Eden's grounds in a huff, while I can go over to your ship and grab a couple of casks of Dutch schnapps to drink, don't I, Tom Burleigh?" Captain Burleigh of Boston gave a forced laugh. "Ah, Captain," said he, "as for two or three casks of gin, you see there is still some in this ship, and if you want to drink some yourself, I'll send you there, who made us old friends? ?” "But I have to tell you, Captain, the thing is this," the visiting captain said to "Blackbeard", "they are determined to deal with you this time, and I tell you, Captain, Governor Spottywood has issued a An urgent warrant for your arrest, which has been recited in all the churches. I have seen this posted on the door of the Customs Office at Yorktown. The governor offers a reward of £100 for your arrest, and £50 for the officers who arrest you. A reward of £20 is offered for the capture of your sailor." "Ah, well," said Blackbeard, "then I wish them luck. When they get my £100, they may not have a chance to spend it. As for the Dutch gin," he said. Turning to Captain Burleigh, "I know what you have on board and what you don't have. Do you think you can fool me? Very well, send me two barrels, so I don't have to do it myself." The two captains fell into a trap. silence. "As for Captain Maynard you mentioned," said Blackbeard, "I know him well, he's been busy catching pirates off Madagascar. I'm sure you'd love to see him get rid of me, but he did No. In the Royal Navy, I would most like to meet him. I will make it clear to him that this is North Carolina, not Madagascar." That same night, two ships under Captain Maynard's command sailed into Oak Creekt Bay.At this time, the weather had cleared up, and all the ships sailed out of the harbor, except for one New York ship.The ship only stayed here for a day and a night, and the captain and "Blackbeard" became good friends. On the night Maynard sailed into port, there was a wedding being held on shore.Many come to the beach in ox carts or sleds, and many come from further afield by boat. When it got darker, Captain New York and "Blackbeard" went ashore together.That afternoon, the two stayed on the pirate ship and drank.Captain New York was a little drunk now, and when he rowed ashore with Blackbeard he laughed and talked foolishly, while the pirate sat gravely and said nothing. It was already dark when the two went ashore. The captain of New York stumbled and fell to the ground, rolling around, and the sailors on board laughed loudly. People have started dancing in an open-air shed facing the shore.A bonfire made of pine branches was lit in front of the shed, and under the light of the flames, the shed glowed red.A black man was playing the violin inside, and it was crowded with all kinds of dancing people.When they jumped to their hearts content, they also yelled from time to time.Through the noisy crowd and noisy footsteps, the strings of the violin were continuously transmitted. Captain Teach and Captain New York stood and watched.Captain New York is leaning on a pillar, holding the pillar with one hand for support, and snapping his fingers foolishly with the other hand. At this time, the bride walked towards the two people.She has been dancing for a long time, her face is flushed, and her hair is a little messy on her forehead. "Hey, Captain, why don't you ask me to dance?" she said to Blackbeard. "Blackbeard" stared at her and asked, "Who are you?" She laughed. "You look like you're going to eat people," she said aloud. "Blackbeard" gradually relaxed, "Oh, you are such a thick-skinned person," he said, "Okay, I will dance with you for a while, and I will make your heart beat out." He stepped forward and elbowed the groom aside.Seeing that "Blackbeard" had drunk too much, the man laughed, and the other people standing aside all backed away. After a while, the field was clean.The Negro, who was sitting on a barrel at the end of the room, grinning and showing his white teeth, did not stop playing the fiddle, but scraped a bow vigorously, and the music immediately changed to a cheerful trot dance music. "Blackbeard" jumped into the air, touched his heels, let out a short scream, and then jumped up. The dance steps looked very strange and passionate.His female dance partner knuckles her butt from time to time, and everyone laughs at Blackbeard's odd moves.They were laughing and clapping, and the black man on the violin was pulling his bow like crazy.At this time, the bride's hair had fallen to her back, and she pulled it up directly, then jumped up, laughing and panting, sweat dripping down her face.She danced and danced until suddenly she laughed and stopped, panting. "Blackbeard" jumped into the air again, touched his heels, fell to the ground with a scream, and began to spin.Everyone laughed wildly again and clapped wildly, even the black man who played the violin couldn't help but stop. There is a small shed nearby that sells alcohol.After the dance, "Blackbeard" and Captain New York walked over to drink. "Hey, Captain," cried one, "Maynard's ship is over there in the port. Bishop Jack was passing there just now, and he said Namaed called him and wanted a navigator to show him into port. .” "Okay, he's lucky! Hurry up, I can't wait!" "Blackbeard" shouted in a hoarse voice. "Well, Captain," said the voice, "will you fight him tomorrow?" "Yes," shouted the pirate, "if he comes to me, I will surely grant them everything they want! As for the navigator, I tell you, if someone gives that scoundrel a navigator, it's a big deal." It's going to be the worst job of his life. I'm going to die with him." And he laughed. "Captain, a toast, let's toast to this!" "Yes, captain, a toast, a toast!" several people shouted. "Well," shouted the pirate captain, "tomorrow there will be a lively and intense show, and the winner will be king, bang! bang! That's it." He wanted to take the pistol out of his pocket, but the gun got stuck in the pocket. He pulled it out hard and pulled it out hard.The people standing in front of him began to flee in all directions, and finally he pulled out the pistol and twirled it in his hand. There was silence all around, and suddenly there was a flash of fire, and there was a deafening gunshot, followed by the sound of broken glass. sound.A person yelled, and suddenly stretched out his hand to touch his back. "All the shards of the glass he broke fell on me," he yelled. "That's it," said Blackbeard. "Attention," said the innkeeper, "if such a thing happens again, I will not sell a drop of wine. If there is any more trouble, I will immediately turn off the lights and close up." The violin was still playing from the shed over there, and the dance was still going on. "Captain, if you are unlucky tomorrow," a man called out, "what will happen?" "Well, if that's the case," said Blackbeard, "I'll admit it, and that's it." "Your wife will be a rich widow by then, won't she?" someone yelled, and the crowd erupted in wild laughter. "Why," said Captain New York, "why should a man with blood on his hands like you have a wife like a good man?" "She won't be richer than she is," said Blackbeard. "Does she know where your money is hidden, Captain?" someone asked aloud. "The devil knows where I hid my money," said Blackbeard. "I know where I hid my money. He who lives longest in the world shall get all my treasures, that's all." When Captain "Blackbeard" and Captain New York walked back, it was already light.Captain New York staggered to and fro, leaning against "Blackbeard" for a while, and stumbling to the other side for a while. two About eight o'clock in the morning, Captain Maynard sent a boat from the schooner to sail four or five miles to the colony.Many people were lazily standing on the shore, watching the boat gradually approaching.When the boat was near the quay, the oars were lowered, and the boatswain of the galleon, who commanded the little boat, rose and asked the shore if any one would be their navigator, and lead the ship through the shallows. No one answered him, everyone just stared at him stupidly.After a while, at last a man took his pipe from his mouth and said, "There is no navigator here, sir, and none of us are navigators." "Well, you're lying!" cried the bosun. "Do you think I've never been here? Do you think I don't know that there's no one here who doesn't know the waterway in the ford?" The man with the pipe in his hand looked at the other man, and said, "You know the water way in the ford here, Jem?" The hair of the young man being questioned was fluffy and messy like weeds, and his eyes were covered.He shook his head and muttered, "No, I don't know." "This is the Royal Navy Fleet commanded by Captain Maynard," said the bosun. "We will pay the navigator £5." People on the docks looked at me and I looked at you, and no one spoke.The boatswain saw that these men did not want to answer his question. "Why?" said he, "I reckon you're out of your head? It must be. Send me ashore, boys, I'll see if I can find a man who'll make five pounds, but it's just piloting. " When the bosun came ashore, the idlers on the pier looked at the boat and began to talk, obviously for those in the boat. "Here they come," said one, "and drive 'Blackbeard' off the sea." "Yeah," said another, "he's so calm he'll lie still and let them beat him, he I will." "There's a young man there," said another, "who doesn't look like he ought to be dead, he shouldn't. Well, I wouldn't trade him for a thousand pounds." "I guess 'Blackbeard' is so frightened he's lost his mind with fright," added the first to speak. Then a man in the boat spoke up. "Maybe he really doesn't know what to think of us," he said, "but when we're done with him, we'll open his eyes." At this moment, more and more people gathered at the pier, and everyone looked at the people in the boat. "What are these Virginia tobacco eaters doing in North Carolina? Anyway," said a newcomer, "they don't have orders to come to North Carolina." "Maybe you can stop us from coming here, maybe you can't," said a man on board. "Well," replied the man on the pier, "we could have put you off pretty easily, but you're not worth it, that's the truth." There was a heavy iron bolt on the ground around it, and a man secretly kicked it up, and the bolt flew out, crashing on to the boat with a clang. "What do you mean?" cried the steward. "What do you mean, you scoundrel? Do you want to smash a hole in our boat?" "Well," said the guy who kicked the bolt, "you know I didn't mean to, right?" "Well, try again, and someone will pay for it," said the man on board, showing the butt of his pistol. The people on the pier burst into laughter.At this moment the boatswain returned from the village and came along the quay.As soon as he reached the pier, the commotion in the crowd died down, and people made way for him sullenly.The bosun didn't bring the navigator, he jumped on the stern and said curtly, "Go." The crowd on the shore watched them go, and after the ship left the land for a long distance, there was a mocking laugh from the crowd. "These rascals," said the bosun, "are all in one gang, and they won't let me go into the village to find the navigator." The captain and navigator saw the boat come back. "Have you found the navigator, Baldwin?" Mr. Maynard asked the boatswain, who was climbing up the deck. "No, sir," said Baldwin. "These fellows are either with the pirates, or are afraid of them, and they won't even let us go into the village to find the navigator." "Oh, then," said Mr. Maynard, "we'll do it ourselves. The tide is high at one o'clock, and we'll sail as far as we can. You scout out a channel by boat, and we'll follow with long oars. Behind you, don't you know the waters well?" "They said on shore that the villain had forty men on board," said the bosun.In fact, there were only 25 people on the pirate ship during the actual battle. three Captain Maynard went to battle with only 60 men, 35 in the schooner and 25 in the sloop.He had neither cannons nor cannons, and his ships were not equipped to fight pirates.The schooner he himself commanded offered little protection to the crew, the rails were less than a foot high, and those on deck were almost entirely exposed.The sloop has a slightly higher rail, but again is not suitable for combat situations.In fact, what the captain expected was to deter the pirates with the righteous power of the government, rather than to conquer them with actual weapons and troops.It never occurred to him that the pirates would actually go to war, and it wasn't until the final battle that he knew he was wrong.The pirates believed that the captain did not actually have the legal right to attack them in the North Carolina waters. If it wasn't for this, they might not have used force, and things are probably not what they are now. At noon they weighed anchor, and with the schooner leading ahead, the two ships entered the harbor slowly in the breeze.There is a person standing on the prow of each boat, constantly probing the water with a plumb bob.They drove slowly into the harbor in the bay, and found the pirate's sloop anchored just three miles away.A small boat was being lowered from the pirate ship and sailing towards the shore. The captain and the nautical officer stood atop the deckhouse.The navigator picked up the binoculars and looked into the distance. "Sir, it has a long gun," he said, "and four short guns. Sir, I think ships like ours, which are only equipped with light weapons, are only suitable for close combat. Fighting them will be very difficult. Big." The captain laughed. "Ah, Brooks," he said, "you look like you've been worrying about those belligerent pirates. You don't know them like I do. They make noise, cheer up morale by yelling, and once you've got them, tell them Throw a hard fist and they wilt quickly. Today you probably wouldn't hear a single shot. I've dealt with these guys for so many years that I don't really get to know them now." We mentioned above, until the end For a moment, the captain no longer thought that the pirates had no intention of using force. When the two ships were within a mile of the pirate's sloop, they found that the water was too shallow for them to move forward any longer.So they lowered their skiffs, and the bosun steered the skiff ahead to sound out the waterway, while the two galleys, with their sails hoisted, were not caught by the wind, and their long oars rowed slowly behind. The pirates hoisted their sails too, but stayed where they were, as if waiting for the schooners and sloops to come. The boatswain sailed in front of the two sailboats, and with difficulty surveyed the waterway, and the two sailboats squirmed slowly forward with their long oars, until they came within half a mile of the pirate ship.At this time the bosun's boat was only about a quarter of a mile from the pirate ship.Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke from the pirate ship, followed by two puffs of smoke, and soon there were three gunshots. "Bastards," the captain yelled, "they must be firing at the boat!" Then he saw the boat turn around and row towards them. The boatswain quickly rowed back in the boat, smoke was sprayed three or four times from the pirate ship not far away, and three or four gunshots were heard.Soon the boat was moored beside the sailboat, and the boatswain hurried up to the sailboat. "There's no need to hoist the boat," said the captain, "just drag it with the cable. You get aboard." He turned to the nautical officer. "Ah, Brooks, you've got to half-half sail to get the boat through the shallows." "But, sir," said the navigator, "we shall certainly run aground." "Very well, sir," said the captain, "you follow my orders. Strand as you please, that's all." "I find the water about six feet deep," said the navigator, "but the rascals won't let us approach any further. I think we're on the right course, with more openness ahead, and there's a cave there, and if we can get to In the shallows behind the cave, I think we'll be safe." "Very well, that's it, you take the helm, Baldwin," said the captain, "and put your talents to good use." Captain Maynard watched as the pirate ship in front also lowered half its sails and was heading here.He could see the men of the pirate ship hurrying up and down the deck.Then he went aft, to the side of the cabin.The sloop following at some distance looked as if it had run aground, and its occupants were trying to get out of trouble.The captain looked down at the water below the stern. The tide was out and the longitudinal cabin touched the mud.He walked along the deck again, and the sailors were crouching by the low rails, and the atmosphere was tense, and no one said a word.The captain looked down, "Jason," he said, "you go ahead and measure the water level with a plumb bob." And he said to the others, "Guys, get on board as soon as you get close to that boat, Understood? Don't wait for the sloop, don't worry about it, just get on board as soon as you see the hook and anchor secure. If anyone resists, kill him. Are you ready, Mr. Klinger?" "Yes, yes, sir," said the gunner. "Fine, then get ready, guys, we're about to board." "The water isn't six feet here, sir," said Jason, standing in the bow.At this moment there was a slight shock in the hull, and the schooner stopped and ran aground. "Shove it to leeward there and spread the sail!" growled the bosun at the helm, "shove it to leeward," he said, turning the wheel.The six jumped up, grabbed the long oar, and plunged it into the water.Others ran to help, but the long oars sank in the mud, and there was no way to move the schooner.The sail had come down, whistling by the wind.Now they were very close to the pirate ship, and suddenly they heard someone on the pirate ship greet them.The captain turned his head and saw a man standing on the railing of the pirate ship, holding the rear cable in his hand. "Who are you?" he cried from afar. "Where do you come from? What are you looking for? What do you come to us for?" The captain heard someone say, "That's 'Blackbeard'." He looked at the distant figure with interest. The pirate stood there boldly, with the blue sky and white clouds behind him.As if someone stood behind him and said something, he turned his head, and then back again. "We're just quiet businessmen!" he yelled. "What right do you have to come to us? If you come on board, I'll show you my certificate, which shows that we're just quiet businessmen." "Rogues!" said the captain to the navigator who was standing beside him, "they are law-abiding merchants, they! Don't they look like law-abiding merchants? There are four short guns and a long gun on board!" He shouted loudly: "As long as my boat can leave the shoal, I will drive the boat over and come to your boat to have a look." "If you must come aboard my ship," said the pirate, "I will let you be shot. You have no right to come aboard my ship, and I will not let you aboard. If you must come, then Just asking for trouble, not blaming others, because I will never show mercy to you." "Very well," said the captain, "if that's what you want, then do as you please. I'll certainly come aboard." "Bow out of there!" Baldwin yelled. "Come on, why don't you get the bow out of there?" "It's stranded," replied the gunner, "and we can't move a bit." "If they shoot at us now," said the navigator, "they will blow us to pieces." "They won't shoot at us," said the captain, "they dare not." With that, he went up to the sailors and urged them to get the ship off the ground.Soon, the boat started to move. At this moment, the navigator suddenly shouted: "Mr. Maynard, Mr. Maynard! They are going to attack us with broadsides!" As soon as he finished speaking, before Maynard could turn his head away, he heard a deafening explosion, followed by a second, third, and at the same time, the sound of cracking wood.Yellow pieces flew everywhere.Suddenly a person rushed towards the captain and almost knocked him down, but he managed to hold his body and held his breath suddenly.There were screams, groans and curses all around.The person who fell on him just now was lying face down on the deck, his thighs were twitching constantly, and the pool of blood under his body was constantly expanding.The deck was crowded with people, some were standing up, some were struggling to get up, and some could only move slightly. In the distance, cheers, applause, and shouts came from the pirate ship.The pirates rushed to the deck and pushed the cannon back.Although there was moaning all around, the captain could still clearly hear a bang, and he knew that the pirates were about to fire again. For such a broadside attack, the low guard rails could hardly protect the crew, but the captain had no choice but to order everyone to get down. "Lie down!" the captain roared, "Everyone lie down, obey my order." The sailors all bent down and ran into the cabin in a panic.After a while, the deck became empty except for three dead crew members and three or four wounded.The bosun crouched at the helm, and only the captain remained on deck.There was blood all over the deck. "Where's Brooks?" cried the captain. "He's wounded his arm, sir, and is down below," said the bosun. So the captain went to the foredeck hatch, and bade the gunner to get another ladder, so that if the pirates attempted to come aboard, the sailors could immediately run on deck.At this moment, the bosun at the helm shouted that the pirates wanted to fire again.The captain turned to see the pirate ship's gunner poking a branding iron through the fire door.The captain squatted down immediately, and heard another deafening cannon blast, one, two, three, four, and the latter two almost simultaneously, and Baldwin shouted: "It's a sloop! Sir! Look at the sloop! !" The sloop had re-entered the water and was coming to support the schooner, so the pirates aimed a second broadside fire at it.When the captain looked back, the sailboat was pounded by the gunfire, trembling forward, and then drifted to leeward.He saw the wounded men of the ship get up and go down, struggling on the deck. At this moment, the bosun shouted again, saying that the pirates were going to board their ship!I saw the pirate ship passing through the heavy smoke, approaching constantly, and the ship seemed to be getting bigger and bigger.The captain was still crouching below and staring at the pirate ship.The ship suddenly turned its head not far away, sailed sideways, and docked tightly beside the ship.Suddenly, something flew over, one after another, it turned out to be some bottles.One exploded on the deck, and others rolled to the far rail.Inside each bottle is a smoking fuse.Then suddenly there was a flash of light, followed by a terrible explosion, and the air was filled with the tinkling of shards of glass and iron falling on the deck, mixed with coughing.Then there was another explosion, and for a while the air was filled with gunpowder smoke. "They're coming aboard our ship!" cried the bosun, and before he had finished speaking, the captain roared, "Everyone in place, fight them off." A second later, the two ships collided, There was a heavy and huge impact sound. Immediately after Lieutenant Maynard gave the order, he took his pistol from his pocket, drew his machete, and rushed out of the smoke.The sailors climbed up from the cabins below and followed him.Suddenly there was a gunshot, followed by several more.A groan was also heard, and then fell heavily on the deck.At this time, a figure jumped over the guardrail, followed by two or three people.上尉当时正站在硝烟中间，突然“黑胡子”出现在了他的面前。海盗船长裸露着上身，乱蓬蓬地黑发几乎遮住了眼睛，活像个刚从地狱里爬出来的恶魔，表情十分恐怖。梅纳德上尉几乎是出于直觉，举起手枪，朝“黑胡子”开了一枪。海盗跌跌撞撞地退了几步，就倒下了，不过很快，他又站了起来，两只手各握一把手枪。这时，一股热血从他赤裸的肋部汨汨地流了出来。他突然瞄准了上尉的头。上尉立即本能地蹲了下去，接着一声枪响在耳边擦过，震耳欲聋，上尉差点晕了过去。忽然，又闪过一道刀光，视线模糊的上尉本能地举刀自卫，两把刀锋碰到了一起，发出当啷的撞击声。这时，他突然看到有人从海盗背后开了一枪，另外有一个人和海盗搏斗。 “黑胡子”摇摇晃晃地又站了起来，这次他的脖子上多了一道又长又深的伤口。忽然，梅纳德的一个手下向他栽倒过来，上尉和水手一起倒在了地上。不过上尉立即爬了起来，这时他看到海盗船已经漂开了一段距离，很明显，他们的钩锚已经抽走了。上尉的手像被鞭子抽过一样，发出一阵阵巨痛。他四下张望，却没有发现海盗船长——不，他在那儿！靠在护栏上！他正举起胳膊，上尉看到他正盲目地举起手枪想朝自己射击，但他几乎拿不了手枪了。忽然，他的另一只胳膊滑到一边，他哐当一声趴在了地上。 “黑胡子”尽力地挣扎着想站起来，却又倒了下去。此时，又一声枪响，伴随着一阵烟尘，“黑胡子”又摇摇晃晃地站了起来。他的样子十分可怕，头都快耷拉到胸前了。这时，有人又朝他开了一枪，“黑胡子”摇摇欲坠的身子又倒了下去。他在甲板上静静地躺了一会儿，然后翻了个身，就再也不动了。 这时，附近又传来有人跳水的声音和此起彼伏的求饶声。上尉跑到船边，眼前的情景和他预料得一样，海盗船已经把钩锚抽走了，船也漂走了。落在纵帆船上的几个海盗跳进了水里，现在正举着双手。“饶命！”他们大叫着，“不要开枪！饶命！”战斗就这样结束了。 上尉低头看了看自己的手，才发现手背上有一道深深的伤口。他的胳膊和衬衫袖子都被鲜血浸透了。上尉握着伤臂的手腕走到了船尾，水手长仍然掌着舵。“该死！”上尉诅咒着 ，紧张而颤抖地笑了笑，“我不知道这群恶棍会这么能打。” 被大炮轰得有点残破的单桅帆船又升起帆向他们驶了过来，但是海盗们已经投降了，战斗结束了。