A story of eighteenth century Virginia, “Jack Ballister's Fortunes” mixes real and imagined players. In this cliff-hanger scene, two historical characters face each other. In 1718, the pirate Blackbeard (with the braid) is about to meet his death after he has ambushed his
countryman Lieutenant James Maynard of the Royal Navy (shown from behind) in the Atlantic off the British colony of North Carolina.