Set in 1687, Mark Lawson, aged 15, waits at Port Royal in Jamaica for the return of Captain John Champion, the Captain of the Rose of England who has been looking for another ship named the Silver Spray. Champion returns with news that the Silver Spray has been taken by the notorious pirate, Gabriel Rochelle, known as “the Butcher”.
Mark’s father, Colonel Lawson, the owner of both ships, was aboard the Silver Spray, and Mark grieves for his father’s certain death. Champion complains to Mark about the corruption in Port Royal and says that the Lieutenant Governor, the Admiralty Judge, and Provost-Marshall are all in Rochelle’s pay.
Mark and Champion publicly confront the three officials and in the resulting melee, a sailor is pushed onto Captain Champion’s sword. Sentenced to hang, both Champion and Mark are locked up with another condemned sailor by the name of Will Greenaway.
Can they escape death, find the Silver Spray, and rescue Mark's father?