Charlisse peered through the spyglass. A curtain of rain concealed their advancing enemy. Wiping drops from the lens, she focused the instrument upon a fleeting dark shape. Orange flashes shot through the gloomy vapor.

"All hands down!" she roared.

The thunder of the ensuing booms confirmed her fears. The twelve-pounders struck the Reliance, blasting through her sturdy hull and pummeling sails, masts, bulwarks, and taffrail. The ship shuddered under the violent ...