recount all, or even a few,
of the daring adventures, or the piratical ups and downs of one pirate.
Roberts sailed to the West Indies devastating the commerce of Jamaica and
Barbadoes. When things grew too hot there, he went north to Newfoundland,
and played the very devil with the English and French fishing fleets and
settlements.

His first ship he called the _Fortune_, his next, a bigger ship, the
_Royal Fortune_, another the _Good Fortune_.

On two occasions Roberts had been very roughly handled, once by a ship
from Barbadoes and once by the inhabitants of Martinica, so when he
designed his new flag, he portrayed on it a huge figure of himself
standing sword in hand upon two skulls, and under these were the letters
A.B.H. and A.M.H., signifying a Barbadian's and a Martinican's head.

In April, 1721, Roberts was back again on the Guinea Coast, burning and
plundering. Amongst the prisoners he took out of one of his prizes was a
clergyman. The captain dearly wished to have a chaplain on board his ship
to administer to the spiritual welfare of his crew, and tried all he could
to persuade the parson to sign on, promising him that his only duties
should be to say prayers and make punch. But the prelate begged to be
excused, and was at length allowed to go with all his belongings, except
three prayer-books and a corkscrew--articles which were sorely needed
aboard the _Royal Fortune_.

The end of Roberts's career was now in sight. A King's ship, the _Swallow_
(Captain Chaloner Ogle), discovered Roberts's ships at Parrot Island, and,
pretending to fly from them, was followed out to sea by one of the
pirates. A fight took place, and after two hours the pirates struck,
flinging overboard their black flag "that it might not rise in Judgement
over them." The _Swallow_ returned in a few days to Parrot Island to look
for Roberts in the _Royal Fortune_. Roberts being at breakfast, enjoying a
savoury dish of solomongundy, was informed of the approach of the ship,
but refused to take any notice of it. At last, thoroughly alarmed, he cut
his cables and sailed out, but most of his crew being drunk, even at this
early hour, the pirates did not make as good a resistance as if they had
been sober. Early in the engagement Roberts was hit in the throat by a
grape-shot and killed; this being on February 10th, 1722. His body, fully
dressed, with his arms and ornaments, was thrown overboard according to
his repeated request made during his