csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第7章

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ught　out　all　the　passion　of　his　mercurial　temperament；　while　at　the　same　time　the　more　calculating　part　of　his　mind　told　him　that　if　he　were　not　obeyed　now　he　never　would　be。　His　pistol　was　in　his　belt；　and　he　put　his　hand　on　the　butt；　and　it　is　conceivable　that　he　would　have　drawn　it　and　used　it　（if　the　priming　had　not　got　wet；　he　said　to　himself　bitterly　when　he　thought　about　the　incident　later　on）；　but　the　seaman　with　one　more　glance　at　him　put　the　bottle　back　into　the　case。　The　incident　was　closed；　and　it　was　time　for　the　next　step。
　'Take　these　men　forrard；'　he　said；　giving　the　obvious　order。　'Throw　'em　into　the　forecastle。'
　'Aye　aye；　sir。'
　Most　of　the　Frenchmen　could　still　walk；　but　three　were　dragged　by　their　collars；　while　the　British　herded　the　others　before　them。
　'e　alongee；'　said　one　of　the　seamen。　'Thisa　waya。'
　He　evidently　believed　a　Frenchman　would　understand　him　better　if　he　spoke　like　that。　The　Frenchman　who　had　greeted　their　arrival　now　awakened　and　suddenly　realizing　he　was　being　dragged　forward；　broke　away　and　turned　back　to　Hornblower。
　'I　officer；'　he　said；　pointing　to　himself。　'I　not　go　wit'　zem。'
　'Take　him　away！'　said　Hornblower。　In　his　tense　condition　he　could　not　stop　to　debate　trifles。
　He　dragged　the　case　of　bottles　down　to　the　ship's　side　and　pitched　them　overboard　two　at　a　time…obviously　it　was　wine　of　some　special　vintage　which　the　Frenchmen　had　decided　to　drink　before　the　English　could　get　their　hands　on　it；　but　that　weighed　not　at　all　with　Hornblower；　for　a　British　seaman　could　get　drunk　on　vintage　claret　as　easily　as　upon　service　rum。　The　task　was　finished　before　the　last　of　the　Frenchmen　disappeared　into　the　forecastle；　and　Hornblower　had　time　to　look　about　him。　The　strong　breeze　blew　confusingly　round　his　ears；　and　the　ceaseless　thunder　of　the　flapping　jib　made　it　hard　to　think　as　he　looked　at　the　ruin　aloft。　Every　sail　was　flat　aback；　the　brig　was　moving　jerkily；　gathering　sternway　for　a　space　before　her　untended　rudder　threw　her　round　to　spill　the　wind　and　bring　her　up　again　like　a　jibbing　horse。　His　mathematical　mind　had　already　had　plenty　of　experience　with　a　well…handled　ship；　with　the　delicate　adjustment　between　after　sails　and　headsails。　Here　the　balance　had　been　disturbed；　and　Hornblower　was　at　work　on　the　problem　of　forces　acting　on　plane　surfaces　when　his　men　came　trooping　back　to　him。　One　thing　at　least　was　certain；　and　that　was　that　the　precariously　hanging　foretopsail　yard　would　tear　itself　free　to　do　all　sorts　of　unforeseeable　damage　if　it　were　tossed　about　much　more。　This　ship　must　be　properly　hove　to；　and　Hornblower　could　guess　how　to　set　about　it；　and　he　formulated　the　order　in　his　mind　just　in　time　to　avoid　any　appearance　of　hesitation。
　'Brace　the　after　yards　to　larboard；'　he　said。　'Man　the　braces；　men。'
　They　obeyed　him；　while　he　himself　went　gingerly　to　the　wheel；　he　had　served　a　few　tricks　as　helmsman；　learning　his　professional　duties　under　Pellew's　orders；　but　he　did　not　feel　happy　about　it。　The　spokes　felt　foreign　to　his　fingers　as　he　took　hold；　he　spun　the　wheel　experimentally　but　timidly。　But　it　was　easy。　With　the　after　yards　braced　round　the　brig　rode　more　fortably　at　once；　and　the　spokes　told　their　own　story　to　his　sensitive　fingers　as　the　ship　became　a　thing　of　logical　construction　again。　Hornblower's　mind　pleted　the　solution　of　the　problem　of　the　effect　of　the　rudder　at　the　same　time　as　his　senses　solved　it　empirically。　The　wheel　could　be　safely　lashed；　he　knew；　in　these　conditions；　and　he　slipped　the　becket　over　the　spoke　and　stepped　away　from　the　wheel；　with　the　Marie　Galante　riding　fortably　and　taking　the　seas　on　her　starboard　bow。
　The　seaman　took　his　petence　gratifyingly　for　granted；　but　Hornblower；　looking　at　the　tangle　on　the　foremast；　had　not　the　remotest　idea　of　how　to　deal　with　the　next　problem。　He　was　not　even　sure　about　what　was　wrong。　But　the　hands　under　his　orders　were　seamen　of　vast　experience；　who　must　have　dealt　with　similar　emergencies　a　score　of　times。　The　first…indeed　the　only…thing　to　do　was　to　delegate　his　responsibility。
　'Who's　the　oldest　seaman　among　you？'　he　demanded…his　determination　not　to　quaver　made　him　curt。
　'Matthews；　sir；'　said　someone　at　length；　indicating　with　his　thumb　the　pigtailed　and　tattooed　seaman　upon　whom　he　had　fallen　in　the　cutter。
　'Very　well；　then。　I'll　rate　you　petty　officer；　Matthews。　Get　to　work　at　once　and　clear　that　raffle　away　forrard。　I'll　be　busy　here　aft。'
　It　was　a　nervous　moment　for　Hornblower；　but　Matthews　put　his　knuckles　to　his　forehead。
　'Aye　aye；　sir；'　he　said；　quite　as　a　matter　of　course。
　'Get　that　jib　in　first；　before　it　flogs　itself　to　pieces；'　said　Hornblower；　greatly　emboldened。
　'Aye　aye；　sir。'
　'Carry　on；　then。'
　The　seaman　turned　to　go　forward；　and　Hornblower　walked　aft。　He　took　the　telescope　from　its　becket　on　the　poop；　and　swept　the　horizon。　There　were　a　few　sails　in　sight；　the　nearest　ones　he　could　recognize　as　prizes；　which；　with　all　sail　set　that　they　could　carry；　were　heading　for　England　as　fast　as　they　could　go。　Far　away　to　windward　he　could　see　the　Indefatigable's　topsails　as　she　clawed　after　the　rest　of　the　convoy…she　had　already　overhauled　and　captured　all　the　slower　and　less　weatherly　vessels；　so　that　each　succeeding　chase　would　be　longer。　Soon　he　would　be　alone　on　this　wide　sea；　three　hundred　miles　from　England。　Three　hundred　miles…two　days　with　a　fair　wind；　but　how　long　if　the　wind　turned　foul？
　He　replaced　the　telescope；　the　men　were　already　hard　at　work　forward；　so　he　went　below　and　looked　round　the　neat　cabins　of　the　officers；　two　single　ones　for　the　captain　and　the　mate；　presumably；　and　a　double　one　for　the　bos'un　and　the　cook　or　the　carpenter。　He　found　the　lazarette；　identifying　it　by　the　miscellaneous　stores　within　it；　the　door　was　swinging　to　and　fro　with　a　bunch　of　keys　dangling。　The　French　captain；　faced　with　the　loss　of　all　he　possessed；　had　not　even　troubled　to　lock　the　door　again　after　taking　out　the　case　of　wine。　Hornblower　locked　the　door　and　put　the　keys　in　his　pocket　and　felt　suddenly　lonely…his　first　experience　of　the　loneliness　of　the　man　in　mand　at　sea。　He　went　on　deck　again；　and　at　sight　of　him　Matthews　hurried　aft　and　knuckled　his　forehead。
　'Beg　pardon；　sir；　but　we'll　have　to　use　the　jeers　to　sling　that　yard　again。'
　'Very　good。'
　'We'll　need　more　hands　than　we　have；　sir。　Can　I　put　some　o'　they　Frenchies　to　work？'
　'If　you　think　you　can。　If　any　of　them　are　sober　enough。'
　'I　think　I　can；　sir。　Drunk　or　sober。'
　'Very　good。'
　It　was　at　this　moment　that　Hornblower　remembered　with　bitter　self…reproach　that　the　priming　of　his　pistol　was　probably　wet；　and　he　had　not　scorn　enough　for　himself　at　having　put　his　trust　in　a　pistol　without　re…priming　after　evolutions　in　a　small　boat。　While　Matthews　went　forward　he　dashed　below　again。　There　was　a　case　of　pistols　which　he　remembered　having　seen　in　the　captain's　cabin；　with　a　powder　flask　and　bullet　bag　hanging　beside　it。　He　loaded　both　weapons　and　reprimed　his　own；　and　came　on　deck　again　with　three　pistols　in　his　belt　just　as　his　men　appeared　from　the　forecastle　herding　half　a　dozen　Frenchmen。　He　posed　himself　in　the　poop；　straddling　with　his　hands　behind　his　back；　trying　to　adopt　an　air　of　magnificent　indifference　and　understanding。　With　the　jeers　taking　the　weight　of　yard　and　sail；　an　hour's　hard　work　resulted　in　the　yard　being　slung　again　and　the　sail　reset。
　When　the　work　was　advancing　towards　pletion；　Hornblower　came　to　himself　again　to　remember　that　in　a　few　minutes　he　would　have　to　set　a　course；　and　he　dashed　below　again　to　set　out　the　chart　and　the　dividers　and　parallel　rulers。　From　his　pocket　he　extracted　the　crumpled　scrap　of　paper　with　his　position　on　it…he　had　thrust　it　in　there　so　carelessly　a　little　while　back；　at　a　time　when　the　immediate　problem　before　him　was　to　transfer　himself　from　the　Indefatigable　to　the　cutter。　It　made　him　unhappy　to　think　how　cavalierly　he　had　treated　that　scrap　of　paper　then；　he　began　to　feel　that　life　in　the　Navy；　although　it　seemed　to　move　from　one　crisis　to　another；　was　really　one　continuous　crisis；　that　even　while　dealing　with　one　emergency　it　was　necessary　to　be　making　plans　to　deal　with　the　next。　He　bent　over　the　chart；　plowed　his　position；　and　laid　off　his　course。　It　was　a　queer　unfortable　feeling　to　think　that　what　had　up　to　this　moment　been　an　academic　exercise　conducted　under　the　reassuring　supervision　of　Mr　Soames　was　now　something　on　which　hinged　his　life　and　his　reputation。　He　checked　his　working；　decided　on　his　course；　and　wrote　it　down　on　a　scrap　of　paper　for　fear　he　should　forget　it。
　So　when　the　foretopsail　yard　was　re…slung；　and　the　prisoners　herded　back　into　the　forecastle；　and　Matthews　looked　to　him　for　further　orders　he　was　ready。
　'We'll　square　away；'　he　said。　'Matthews；　send　a　man　to　the　wheel。'
　He　himself　gave　a　hand　at　the　braces；　the　wind　had　moderated　and　he　felt　his　men　could　handle　the　brig　under　her　present　sail。
　'What　course；　sir？'　asked　the　man　at　the　wheel；　and　Hornblower　dived　into　his　pocket　for　his　scrap　of　paper。
　'Nor'…east　by　north；'　he　said；　reading　it　out。
　'Nor'…east　by　north；　sir；'　said　the　helmsman；　and　the　Marie　Galante；　running　free；　set　her　course　for　England。
　Night　was　closing　in　by　now；　and　all　round　the　circle　of　the　horizon　there　was　not　a　sail　in　sight。　There　must　be　plenty　of　ships　just　over　the　horizon；　he　knew；　but　that　did　not　do　much　to　ease　his　feeling　of　loneliness　as　darkness　came　on。　There　was　so　much　to　do；　so　much　to　bear　in　mind；　and　all　the　responsibility　lay　on　his　unaccustomed　shoulders。　The　prisoners　had　to　be　battened　down　in　the　forecastle；　a　watch　had　to　be　set…there　was　even　the　trivial　matter　of　hunting　up　flint　and　steel　to　light　the　binnacle　lamp。　A　hand　forward　as　a　lookout；　who　could　also　keep　an　eye　on　the　prisoners　below；　a　hand　aft　at　the　wheel。　Two　hands　snatching　some　sleep…knowing　that　to　get　in　any　sail　would　be　an　all…hands　job…a　hasty　meal　of　water　from　the　scuttle…butt　and　of　biscuit　from　the　cabin　stores　in　the　lazarette…a　constant　eye　to　be　kept　on　the　weather。　Hornblower　paced　the　deck　in　the　darkness。
　'Why　don't　you　get　some　sleep；　sir？'　asked　the　man　at　the　wheel。
　'I　will；　later　on；　Hunter；'　said　Hornblower；　trying　not　to　allow　his　tone　to　reveal　the　fact　that　such　a　thing　had　never　occurred　to　him。
　He　knew　it　was　sensible　advice；　and　he　actually　tried　to　follow　it；　retiring　below　to　fling　himself　down　on　the　captain's　cot；　but　of　course　he　could　not　sleep。　When　he　heard　the　lookout　bawling　down　the　panionway　to　rouse　the　other　two　hands　to　relieve　the　watch　（they　were　asleep　in　the　next　cabin　to　him）　he　could　not　prevent　himself　from　getting　up　again　and　ing　on　deck　to　see　that　all　was　well。　With　Matthews　in　charge　he　felt　he　should　not　be　anxious；　and　he　drove　himself　below　again；　but　he　had　hardly　fallen　onto　the　cot　again　when　a　new　thought　brought　him　to　his　feet　again；　his　skin　cold　with　anxiety；　and　a　prodigious　self…contempt　vying　with　anxiety　for　first　glance　in　his　emotions。　He　rushed　on　deck　and　walked　forward　to　where　Matthews　was　squatting　by　the　knightheads。
　'Nothing　has　been　done　to　see　if　the　brig　is　taking　in　any　water；'　he　said…he　had　hurriedly　worked　out　the　wording　of　that　sentence　during　his　walk　fo