You order your crew to raise anchor and sail closer to the island. By splitting your ships you figure you can surround any inhabitants if they really are pirates.
As your ships approach the island you can see that the flames are coming from a huge bonfire. But you don't see anyone nearby. Peering toward the cove where your crew said they saw a ship you can now see the flag lit by the giant blaze. It's the flagship of the pirate Jim Tilghman also known as the dreaded Beheader because of what he was rumoured to have done to his captives. You know instantly that Tilghman never sailed alone.
Barking orders to your crew as rapidly as you can, you order them to turn the ships around. Just then you notice a flash from the far side of the island. Raising your spyglass to your eye, you see a ship rounding the point. "A TRAP," you scream to your crew.
You
hear the hiss of a red hot cannon ball as it soars toward your ship,
sears
through your mainsail and crashes on to your ship's foredeck. In
seconds the sail is alight and the rigging
and deck are burning.
You hear a boom, this time from the island, and see a cannonball rip through the side of one of your other ships. In only seconds her powder magazine explodes splintering the side of the ship and sending wood, men and rigging flying into the sea. She begins to take on water and in only minutes is listing badly.
Your ship is now close enough to board the pirates, but they are readying their guns for a final broadside on your ship. In their panic some of your crew have already jumped over the side of the ship when you give your next command. . .