PAGE TWO
ACTION Off OCfOCOKE I
By WILBORNE HARRELL and HEYWOOD ZIEGLER, JR.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED
(Continued From Last Week
Jonathan Banks, a merchant of
Edenton who died in 1765, left
a diary which has recently been
found. In the diary he describes
how he met Blackbeard, joined
him in outfitting a vessel for pir
ating; how Blackbeard met Anne
IBonney and fell in love with her,
and how, tiring of the hazardous
life of freebooter, Blackbeard ac
cepts King’s Pardon and comes
ashore, settling on his estate on
the Pasquotank River. Anne Bon
ney also accepts King’s Pardon
and settles nearby. It is there that
Blackbeard learns that Lieutenant
(Maynard is proceeding south
against him. Blackbeard immedi
ately prepares to sail for his ren
dezvous at Ocracoke, for greater
safety.
The voyage down the Pasquotank
and to Ocracoke proved uneventful,
and the night of November 21, 1718,
found us anchored inside Ocracoke In
let. The night was very dark and
the lanterns showing on the anchored
ships winked like fireflies. We had
learned that 'Maynard was somewhere
outside the Inlet, but we did not know
his exact location.
Ashore, on Ocracoke Island, lights
showed from the doors and windows
of the small settlement. Faintly, from
across the water, came the sounds of
music and laughter, Evidently some
form of entertainment was in pro
gress, and much grog and rum must
be flowing down hilarious throats.
Blackbeard, Jackson and I stood at
the rail and soberly viewed the dark
ness around us. We gave ear to the
far off sounds of shuffling, dancing
feet and the scraping of fiddles. Jack
son licked his lips; he liked his rum.
And the thought of much flowing
liquor was causing his mouth to wa
ter.
Blackbeard slapped his hand on the
rail, the gesture of a man who has
come to a decision. “Gentlemen,” he
said, “we go ashore. It is imperative
that we get information of Lieut.
Maynard; maybe we’ll find it ashore
where drunken tonques may unguard
edly tell us what we need to know.”
I saw Jackson’s face light up. I
knew a trip ashore would appeal to
him. There was danger ashore, but
Jackson would fly into the face of the
devil himself for a measure of rum.
A boat was lowered and with muf
fled oars Jackson rowed us ashore, j
The boat made scarsely a sound as
it rippled through the quiet waters,
and soon the bow grated on sandy
beach. We pulled the boat farther
up-shore so she wouldn’t float with
the tide; and talking in subdued voices,
we approached the large building
from whence came the sound of much
merry-making and drunken voices,
shouting and singing. Above the*door!
hung a sign that seemed incongruous
and out of place on this forsaken,
beach. The sign read: “The Cat and ,
Whistle Arms.” I
As we stepped across the threshold
the landlord, with a wide white apron
around his fat middle, for all the
world like the landlord in a London
tavern, approached us, obsequiously
rubbing his hands and bowing. He,
had no doubt noticed Blackbeard’s
f NOTICE! 1
1 To Chowan County
TAXPAYERS
1 I
} The Tax Books for the year 1950 are now in ray
hands for the collection of taxes. We urge you j
to pay your taxes now and thus avoid the penalty
which wH begin on February 1.
A PENALTY OF 1% WILL BE ADDED ON 1950
< 1 TAXES NOT PAID BEFORE FE3BRUARY 2. AN- '
; ' OTHER 1% WILL BE ADDED MARCH 2 AND AN , ,
ADDITIONAL y 2 OF 1% WILL BE ADDED FOR
‘' EACH ADDITIONAL MONTH TAXES ARE UNPAID. < I
J. A. BUNCH
'' SHERIFF OF CHOWAN COUNTY f
"A
rich clothes and envisioned the gold
in his pocket, which he hoped to trans
fer to his own as quickly as possible.
The scene within the tavern that
spread out .before us was one of bed
lam and barbaric Splendor. All around
us was as choice an array of cut
throats and rogues as ever collected
in one plae. The motley, swarthy
faced pirates and rascals, dancing and
cavorting about us were decked in
gayly colored head scarves and silken
and velvet sashes. Baggy knee breech
es completed most of the costumes.
Golden earrings dangled from scarred
ears that had heard nothing but the
voice of evil and the whisper of the
devil. Cutlasses jangled and knives
peeped from sashes and silver-stud
ded belts. Broken and pock-marked
faces that were more used to bearing
ferocious scowls and frowns, wore
beatific and out-of-place smiles. The
high-pithed voices and shrill laughter
: of women mingled with the deeper and
, harsher voices of the men. Everybody
i was gay; everybody was drunk .... (
I must pause a moment and rest j
1 my fast failing hand, husband my
strength; for they must not fail me ,
until I have completed this diary to ]
the last bitter word. As I lay on
my pillow, here in Edenon, shouts and
sounds of carousing come from the
water-front taverns. A ship has dock
ed, and these noises bring back vivid s
ly my seagoing days and the scene s
in the tavern on Ocracoke. But, back t
to my story before my ebbing life <
brings this tale to-a premature close. (
Blackbeard set his mug down on <
the table. “We’re in luck, mates,” i
he said. “Here comes Benjamin Wiggs.
He’s very, very drunk, and when he’s ‘
drunk, his tongue wags betimes. I 1
think we’ll learn something of value I
from Mister Benjamin.” He signalled >
the landlord, who hovered nearby, and 1
pointed at Benjamin. The landlord i
caught the hint, and unobtrusively (
but forcibly seated the drunken Mr. i
Wiggs at our table. He set a full i
glass of rum before him, and beam
. ing patronizingly at us, backed away, i
Ben Wiggs drained his mug and i
Blackbeard refilled it. The mug was T
filled and refilled several times before !
Blackbeard leaned forward, and lower
ing his voice, said, “Tell me, Ben, i
; ha’ you any news of our friend May- ;
nard? He’s lying outside the Inlet,
and tomorrow, if I guess rightly,
we’ll all have a fight on our hands.
Come, Ben, tell your old shipmate,
Blackbeard.” Blackbeard laid his hand
j on Ben’s shoulder in a comradely ges
i ture, and with the other hand refilled :
, the ever-emptying mug. 1
Ben stared at Blackbeard and start- 1
■ ed talking. Maynard, he told us, had :
come ashore that afternoon and had ]
tried to secure natives to pilot him i
through the Inlet and across the 1
treacherous Ocracoke shoals, but had j
been unsuccessful in obtaining them, i
Then Ben began to laugh. He took .
another swig of his rum and peered :
! owlishly at Blackbeard. “Why Mr.
I Teach, sir,” said Ben, “that swab,
j Maynard, would not know ye if he was i
to look ye square in the face. Why, j
he wouldn’t know the famous Black- i
beard from—from —” He glowered ;
solemnly around the table. “Why,
Maynard wouldn’t know ye from Mis- :
ter Jackson, there.” Ben stared at 1
Jackson, who was in the act of raising l ;
THE CHOWAN HERALD EDENTON, N. CL, THURSDAY, DECEW«n* % UHL
I
Above is pictured Mr. and Mrs. Merrill Rayner of Lonaconing,
Md„ former stage and radio entertainers. Mr. Rayner is conducting
revival meetings at the North Edenton Assembly of God Church, of
which the Rev. George W. Burkhart is pastor. Special music is
featured at each service by Evangelist and Mrs. Rayner.
a full mug of rum to his Ups, and
lapsed into drunken lethargy.
Jackson began to sing in a hoarse
voice and swing his mug in rhythmic
motion to the song.
“Heave ho! Heave ho!
Heave ho, my heatbies, heave ho!”
Blackbeard looked up sharply and
stared long and thoughtfully at Jack
son. Yes, truly, Jackson did somewhat
resemble Blackbeard, and Maynard
could easily mistake the one for the
other. Blackbeard’s eyebrows pucker
ed; something, some plan, was germi
nating in his fertile brain.
Abruptly Blackbeard Stood up.
“We’ve learned enough—.back to the
Revenge.” He grasped the now
thoroughly drunken Jackson by the
arms and bodily hauled him from the
tavern. We made our way to the
beach, and shoving off, rowed back
to the ship. All the way, Blackbeard
sat quieltly in the stem sheets, lost
in thought and saying not a word . . .
And now comes the final act in my
drama—the end of my story, my
diary, and the end of my life. Before
the ink is dry on these pages, I will
be no more, my body will be at rest;
and, I hope, with the unburdening of
my conscience, my soul will be at
rest ,
We stood at the rail, Blackbeard,
Anne Bonney and I. Anne Bonney
was dressed in short sailor’s trousers
and silken shirt. In her hand she
flicked nervously, back and forth, the
long bull-whip of rhinoceros hide She
always carried aboard ship. It was a
better disuader of unwelcome mascu- I
line attention than a knife or a pistol.
She looked morosely at Ocracoke In
let where evidence of activity was be-
I coming apparent. Every now and
then her eyes shifted in a furtive,
glance to Blackbeard, standing be
side her. Blackbeard was very drunk,;
and he held in unsteady hands a long
spyglass which he had trained on Oc
racoke Inlet.
All the morning, we aboard our
sloop, watched Maynard’s two vessels
in the Inlet, three miles away. May
nard’s fleet consisted of a schooner
and a sloop; and the best we could
make out at that distance, they
mounted no cannon and did not appear
to be well equipped for fighting, es
pecially against the Revenge, which
carried a long gun and four car
ronades. But we did not reckon on the
stubbomess and fighting qualities of
Lieutenant Maynard. Redheads are
supposed to be fighters and Maynard
was redheaded. Even at this distance
his thatch of red hair could be dis
cerned through the glass as he direct
ed his men.
We continued to watch. All of
Blackbeard’s crew were drunk, and
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I Save
Regularly
Saving is easier and more successful when
it becomes a habit. It requires little effort to
put aside small amounts regularly, and they
soon mount up to a substantial total.
A Savings Accouht at The Bank of Edenton
provides safe, convenient banking facilities
and encourages systematic thrift. Open your
account now and build it up with regular de
posits. ' ‘
* i
] . BUY UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS I
THE BANK OF EDENTON 1
EDENTON. NORTH CAROLINA
II ✓ IS
Safety. for Savings Since 1894 / iM
» . IHIb
MEMBER FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM | II
MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION il l
liliU . H
lined with guns and cutlasses, ready
to repel boarders. IBlackbeard still
trained his glass on the Inlet, lower--
ing it intermittently to issue some or-
f Jjpjfefor the Uomt JSft v 1
L There Is No Better Place Than Quinn’s To Buy I
Presents During Our Anniversary Sale |
I Quinn Furniture Companyj
Edenton, N. C. 1
der. Anne Bonney snaked her whip
in a vicious flick.
(Continued Next Week)
TRY A HERALD CLASSIFIED AD