Pirates!

In the next few minutes as everyone was getting into position, the pirate ship fired a warning shot across the bow of Captain Henry’s boat and through a bullhorn, ordered them to surrender. The Captain feigned ignorance to what was being said. He ordered half his men to remain hidden until they were boarded. The other half had their weapons hidden close by each of them and were instructed to mill about in a disorderly fashion, looking panicked.

The ruse seemed to work as the pirate ship closed in and the vandals tossed grappling hooks aboard the merchant vessel in preparation for boarding. At that moment, Doc, lying prone behind a low box on the foredeck, fired the first shot as she was signaled to do so by the captain. That shot took down what appeared to be the first mate on the pirate ship. Quickly taking the second loaded rifle from the seaman helping her, she dispatched the sailor at the helm of the attacking ship. As planned, her seaman had reloaded the first rifle and she took it back and began firing at the first of the attackers leaping on board.