Trapped on calm waters as winter closes in, Queen Ann’s Revenge becomes tempting prey when the ominous sound of drums carries across the water—a signal of Barbary corsair galleys rowing toward them. With escape impossible, the captain orders the guns run out and sends Zelda, known as “Stripes,” to unleash the fearsome Horsemen cannons. As three massive galleys close in to ram, the crew finds the range under fire, crippling the lead attacker in a thunderous exchange that ends in brutal deck to deck combat. Though Revenge survives through discipline, firepower, and sheer will. But victory comes at a devastating cost: nearly a third of her crew lies dead or wounded, Zelda herself collapses from a hidden stab wound, and the ship limps away damaged but alive—escaping only as the wind finally returns at sunset.