But if this means of escape should turn out impracticable, Roberts intended to get his ship alongside the Swallow and blow the two craft up together. The reason why he intended such desperate measures was that old folly which has been the cause of so much disaster both to nations, fleets and individual ships. In a word, he was unprepared, so were his crew. He himself had not been expecting the Swallow, and his own men were either drunk or only passively courageous; in any case not the keen, alert crew who are likely to win an engagement.
But there was a curious old-time vanity about the man, which shows how seriously these pirate-skippers took themselves. Dressed in a rich crimson damask waistcoat and breeches, a red feather in his hat, a gold chain round his neck with a diamond cross depending, he stood on his deck, sword in hand, and two pairs of pistols hanging at the end of a silk sling flung over his shoulders, as was the custom of the pirates and such as one sees in the old prints of these men. He played the part of commander grandly, giving his order with boldness and spirit. When his ship closed with the Swallow, he received her fire and hoisted his black flag, returning the man-of-war's fire. He set all the sail he could, and, as the ship tore through the water, blazed away at the Swallow. It was a pity for his own sake that he did not follow Armstrong's advice and run his ship off before the wind. Had he done so he might have escaped. But either through the wind shifting or else through bad steerage in the excitement of the contest, his sails, with the tacks down, were taken aback, and for a second time the Swallow came quite close to him. From now onwards there would have been a very desperate fight, but a grape shot struck him in the throat, and presently he died. He laid himself on the tackles of one of the ship's guns. The man at the
