"Ready, sir!" Crewe reported.

"Blaze away then, Mister Crewe. Blaze away!"

It was impossible, really; nearly a mile-and-a-half separated Jester from the nearest Spaniard, and had her guns been able to shoot that far, with the elevating quoin blocks all the way out and the gun breeches resting on the truck-carriages, 9-pounder round-shot could do no more than doink! against thick oak sides and bounce off.

But out ripped their puny broadside, a bow-to-stern rippling of sound and fury, higher pitched and lap-dog sharp, compared to the great-guns of Captain or Culloden. But those puny iron balls would sing through the air, whistle and moan, and they would raise splashes where they struck-might even skip a time or two like a well-flung river pebble. They'd get someone's attention, or divert it.

"Short," Mr. Knolles noted, seeing the trout-splashes.

"Well, of course," Lewrie snickered.

"Bloody hell!" several gunners crowed from the waist, standing to peer over the bulwarks and gangway, through the open ports to spot the fall-of-shot. "Cowards, cowards!" someone began to sing-song.

Nothin' t'do with us, Lewrie thought, goggling as he saw the line of Spanish ships begin to peel apart; we couldn't've…!

The head of that line, their van group, was arranging itself in proper line-ahead at last, but hardening up to the wind to spare those astern from collisions-and inclining more to the fFwr-Nor'west! The further column which had their guns masked by the nearest were stretching out into line as well, the ones nearest Jester back and filling, whilst those further North were making more sail, making room for those astern. And bending away! Leaving the smaller pack near Captain, including that massive four-deck flagship, by themselves, a bit to leeward!