One ball hit the mate in the leg, but the other struck no one.
When asked what he meant by this strange action, he replied that if he did not shoot one of his men now and then they would forget what sort of a person he was.
At another time he invented a game; he gathered his officers and crew together and told them that they were going to play that they were living in the lower regions.

Thereupon the whole party followed him down into the hold.

The hatches and all the other openings were closed, and then Blackbeard began to illuminate the scene with fire and brimstone.
The sulphur burned, the fumes rose, a ghastly light spread over the countenances of the desperadoes, and very soon some of them began to gasp and cough and implore the captain to let in some fresh air, but Blackbeard was bound to have a good game, and he proceeded to burn more brimstone.

He laughed at the gasping fellows about him and declared that he would be just as willing to breathe the fumes of sulphur as common air.

When at last he threw open the hatches, some of the men were almost dead, but their stalwart captain had not even sneezed.
In the early part of the eighteenth century Blackbeard made his headquarters in one of the inlets on the North Carolina coast, and there he ruled as absolute king, for the settlers in the vicinity seemed to be as anxious to oblige him as the captains of the merchantmen sailing along the coast were anxious to keep out of his way.