Aldrick lifted his telescope and scanned the shoreline for movement as Elizabeth slowly swung around on her rode, snubbed at one shackle. His Officer of the Watch joined him a minute later to report the anchor well set.

"Thank you, Mister Wilson. Did you see from where the shot came?"

"It was very fine to port, Sir. Near the base of the hill." He pointed as the ship swung. "Be in our quarter when we settle to the anchor."

"That is what I saw. Flashed through the port foremast shrouds." The pair moved aft to the port quarter to keep the area in view, arriving as the oiled canvas was being removed from the fourth swivel gun.

"Two loaded with scattershot and primed, Sir," reported the gunnery mate. "Tother two shouldna be a minute."

"Thank you, Mate. Eyes on the notch at the bottom of the hill. What distance do you think?"

"Less than two hundred. Tween there and one fifty yards, Sir."

Aldrick nodded. "Aye. Looks short of a cable. What think you, Mister Wilson?"

"Three-fourths a cable, maybe a bit more."

"Elevate for one eighty, Gunner."

"Aye, Sir. One eighty."

Less than a minute later, the mate reported, "All four loaded, primed, elevated and aimed, Sir."

"Very good. Appears they have quit."

"Or they have but one —" Wilson was cut off by a bright flash.

As the crack sounded, Aldrick ordered, "All four. At the flash. Fire"

His reply was four loud cracks in near unison. He caught a splash to port out of the corner of his eye; then he watched a broad swath of leaves being torn from low in the trees and bushes ashore. Uncovering his ears, he said, "Reload. Continue with grapeshot."

"Aye, Sir."

Less than half a minute later, the mate reported, "All four loaded and ready, Sir."

Aldrick covered his ears. "Fire."

Again, the small shot ripped through the trees, splintering trunks and branches, and again, Aldrick ordered, "Reload."

After the third volley, he said, "Clean, reload and wait for response."

"Aye, Sir. Swab, reload and wait."

While they stood waiting in the fading light, they scanned the shorelines of the islands for movement, then Aldrick lowered his telescope and pointed. "There, near dead astern. Is that a hulk? I thought it a rock, but it now appears as a ship's bottom."

Wilson lifted his glass and focused. "Aye, a ship. I see her rudder hanging. Looks blown into the shallows and capsized."

"Likely dragged her anchor in a storm."

"The crew defending it explains the cannon shots."

"Why would they shoot rather than welcome rescue?"

"Demented from starvation." Wilson shrugged. "Hunger and thirst and fear do crazy things." 

As they talked, it grew quickly dark in the brief tropical twilight. After a long while with no response from ashore, Aldrick said, "We will be their target, a dark shape in the starry sky, and then illuminated by the moon an hour before midnight. Keep the guns loaded, primed and manned. We will arm the watch and post them stem to stern, both sides. No lamps or smoking above deck. No lamps nor candles in any space with portlights or windows. 

"Aye, Sir."

"And quiet. No idle talking. Ears for sounds from ashore. Sounds of a boat approaching. Squeak of oarlocks. Any sound."

"Aye, Sir."

They stood peering into the darkness and listening for a long while, then Aldrick said, "Muster and post your watch. Send a hand to find Mister Franklin and Mister Charles, plus the Coxswain and the Bosun, and have them come to my cabin."

"Aye, Sir.

As Aldrick turned to leave, he added, "And I will tell Judith what is happening."

"Thank you, Sir."

Aldrick picked his way across the quarterdeck in the dim starlight to the ladder coaming, finding the cover and doors open with Elizabeth and Judith standing on the upper steps. "I thought I had said everyone below."

"All hands, you said. And except those required."

"Indeed. And how do you see yourself required up here?"

"To help analyse the situation."

He nodded and followed them below, and when Elizabeth had led them across the cabin and they had settled in chairs before the stern windows, she said. "That is Robert's ship."

"Why think you that?"

"Who of else would be wrecked here? Who of else would fire rather than welcome rescue? Who of else would have a need to defend?"

"Twas my thoughts, as well," Judith added. "None would have reason but them." 

"And it is recent. Not the old grey hulks we saw along the Thames." Elizabeth pointed through the stern widows to the faint shapes of the islets. "This one has the long green beard similar to that you explained on the ship caroomed for cleaning in Deptford Creek." 

Aldrick stifled a chuckle. "The term is careened. But how would you tell the colour? It was too dark to see more than her shape." 

"When you finally sighted it, yes. I know you were busy with anchoring and shooting, but we had nothing to do, and we saw it while we admired the flowering bushes along the shore as we approached." 

"What of else did you see?"

"First, we thought it was one of your grandfather's ships, but the bottom looked far too fresh for that. When I tried to tell you about it, you waved me off."

"I needed to focus on conning the ship in and keeping her off the shoals."

"And you did that well. I wish there were a way to..." She paused at the knock on the door.

In a loud voice, Aldrick called, "Enter."

As soon as the door opened, the cabin brightened from a lantern, and Aldrick immediately said, "Dowse the light. We do not want to present them an easy target."

"Aye, Sir."

While the officers and mates picked their way across to the chairs, the Bosun said, "Shall I have the storm shutters brought up from below, Sir? They will block the light from in here."

"A fine idea. First, let us discuss what we saw, what the crew saw, and what the talk is below decks." 

The Bosun began, "We saw the wreck as we waited in the bows for your let-go command. Looks freshly aground, and the talk went fast to it been Roberts. Dragged and blown to the shallows by the hurlecane what hit us last week."

"Aye," the Coxswain said, "The men from aloft and in the sheets are talking the same. Wouldn'a wanted to be near land in that blow." 

"Same as the alert ones saw from the quarterdeck. So, here is the plan, then. Mister Wilson has his watch deployed at the rails all round the ship." Speaking all the while, Aldrick stood and crossed to the chart table drawer, retrieved two keys and returned to hand them to the Bosun. "These will open the small arms locker and its powder room. All the muskets and pistols out, loaded, primed and issued to the watch on deck. The extras spread ready to hand from stem to stern." 

"Aye, Sir. I will send a crew from off-watch to fit the storm shutters." 

"Very good. Inform all that there shall be no lights above deck, nor any smoking or talk. Keep ears and eyes tuned to any sound or movement."

"Aye, Sir."

When the Bosun had left, Aldrick asked the Coxswain, "Is there anyone aboard we should not trust with a weapon?" 

"No, Sir. They know well the story of the mutiny and the deaths it caused. The talk is all about honour, justice and right, renewed now with the belief it is Robert's ship we see wrecked. There is one, Sir, Seaman Ferguson, who wishes to speak in private with you."

"Who is he?"

"He spoke with you atop the mainmast this afternoon."

"Great. Bring him here once we are sorted."

"Aye, Sir." 

The small group continued its discussion, examining ways to defend against an attack. After several minutes, Elizabeth interrupted the long intercourse among the men, "Here you are, the stronger. Why not show this to them? Roar like a lion, then the relax in the following calm. How many men have we mustered? How many loaded muskets and pistols? Have each fire a shot in a prolonged sequence to show our strength. Who would dare approach after that?" 

A brief silence followed, as if the men were stunned, then Aldrick slapped his thigh. "Yes! Brilliant!"

He rose and pointed to Franklin, Charles and the Coxswain. "You three go spread the word below decks that they not be concerned. I will tell Mister Wilson to make it so."