Suddenly came the order to fire.  The ports were triced up, and brilliant sunshine flooded the gundeck.  With the creaking of the tackles and the rumbling of the gun-carriage wheels, the muzzles of the iron monsters were run through the ports.  There was no need to take aim, for the vessels were almost side by side. The volley that followed shook the _Gannet_ from keel to truck and filled the deck with clouds of smoke.