d Colonel Stuart were
invited. The latest advices made it seem certain that Blackbeard still
lurked off the coast of the Carolinas. Planters had reported seeing his
ship in Pamlico Sound and it was also learned that he had been in
communication with the disloyal Governor Eden at Bath Town. A letter had
been intercepted, in handwriting of the Governor's secretary, and
addressed to Captain Teach, which included these words:

"_I have sent you four of your men. They are all I can meet with about
town. Be upon your guard._"

This was readily construed to mean that Blackbeard was in haste to
recall such of his crew as had strayed ashore. At the council of war in
the frigate's cabin, a proclamation was read. It offered a handsome
reward for the capture of Captain Edward Teach, dead or alive, and
lesser rewards for other pirates.

It was the decision that the two frigates were unhandy for cruising
inshore. Therefore officers and men would be chosen from them to fill
the complements of two sloops, light and active craft which would be
unhampered by batteries of cannon. They would be employed for boarding
Blackbeard's ship while the Charles Town brigantine _King George_ should
convoy them and engage in the attack if the depth of water should
permit. The naval officer selected to command the sloops was Lieutenant
Maynard who went off to the _King George_ to inspect her and make a call
of courtesy.

He was especially cordial to Master Cockrell and Gunner's Mate Joe
Hawkridge, laying aside the stiff dignity of naval rank. To his
persuasive argument that they enter the royal service with promise of
quick promotion, they turned a deaf ear although they were wonderfully
taken with him. He was a gentle, soft-spoken young man with a boyish
smile who blushed when pressed to talk of his own exploits against the
Spanish, the Dutch, and the French in Britannia's wooden walls. His own
questions were mostly about Blackbeard's fighting quality. Would he make
a stand against disciplined tars who were accustomed to close in,
hammer-and-tongs? Joe Hawkridge answered to this:

"I ne'er saw him in action against a king's ship, and all his wild
nonsense is apt to delude ye into thinkin' him a drunken play-actor. But
you will never take him alive, so long as those bandy legs have strength
to prop him up."

"I look forward to meeting him with a deal of pleasure. It may be my
good fortune to measure swords with him," observed Lieutenant Maynard.