csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第48部分

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nd　furthermore　forced　him　into　little　tottering　steps　down　the　slope　towards　Ferrol；　whither　he　had　no　wish　to　return　at　present。　For　two　hours　he　was　alone　and　free；　and　those　two　hours　were　precious。　He　could　breathe　the　Atlantic　air；　he　could　walk；　he　could　do　as　he　liked　during　that　time。　He　could　stare　out　to　sea；　it　was　not　unusual　to　catch　sight；　from　the　headland；　of　some　British　ship　of　war　which　might　be　working　slowly　along　the　coast　in　the　hope　of　snapping　up　a　coasting　vessel　while　keeping　a　watchful　eye　upon　the　Spanish　naval　activity。　When　such　a　ship　went　by　during　Hornblower's　two　hours　of　freedom；　he　would　stand　and　gaze　at　it；　as　a　man　dying　of　thirst　might　gaze　at　a　bucket　of　water　held　beyond　his　reach；　he　would　note　all　the　little　details；　the　cut　of　the　topsails　and　the　style　of　the　paint；　while　misery　wrung　his　bowels。　For　this　was　the　end　of　his　second　year　as　a　prisoner　of　war。　For　twenty…two　months；　for　twenty…two　hours　every　day；　he　had　been　under　lock　and　key；　herded　with　five　other　junior　lieutenants　in　a　single　room　in　the　fortress　of　Ferrol。　And　today　the　wind　roared　by　him；　shouting　in　its　outrageous　freedom。　He　was　facing　into　the　wind；　before　him　lay　Corunna；　its　white　houses　resembling　pieces　of　sugar　scattered　over　the　slopes。　Between　him　and　Corunna　was　all　the　open　space　of　Corunna　Bay；　flogged　white　by　the　wind；　and　on　his　left　hand　was　the　narrow　entrance　to　Ferrol　Bay。　On　his　right　was　the　open　Atlantic；　from　the　foot　of　the　low　cliffs　there　the　long　wicked　reef　of　the　Dientes　del　Diablo…the　Devil's　Teeth…ran　out　to　the　northward；　square　across　the　path　of　the　racing　rollers　driven　by　the　wind。　At　half…minute　intervals　the　rollers　would　crash　against　the　reef　with　an　impact　that　shook　even　the　solid　headland　on　which　Hornblower　stood；　and　each　roller　dissolved　into　spray　which　was　instantly　whirled　away　by　the　wind　to　reveal　again　the　long　black　tusks　of　the　rocks。
　Hornblower　was　not　alone　on　the　headland；　a　few　yards　away　from　him　a　Spanish　militia　artilleryman　on　lookout　duty　gazed　with　watery　eyes　through　a　telescope　with　which　he　continually　swept　the　seaward　horizon。　When　at　war　with　England　it　was　necessary　to　be　vigilant；　a　fleet　might　suddenly　appear　over　the　horizon；　to　land　a　little　army　to　capture　Ferrol；　and　burn　the　dockyard　installations　and　the　ships。　No　hope　of　that　to…day；　thought　Hornblower…there　could　be　no　landing　of　troops　on　that　raging　lee　shore。
　But　all　the　same　the　sentry　was　undoubtedly　staring　very　fixedly　through　his　telescope　right　to　windward；　the　sentry　wiped　his　streaming　eyes　with　his　coat　sleeve　and　stared　again。　Hornblower　peered　in　the　same　direction；　unable　to　see　what　it　was　that　had　attracted　the　sentry's　attention。　The　sentry　muttered　something　to　himself；　and　then　turned　and　ran　clumsily　down　to　the　little　stone　guardhouse　where　sheltered　the　rest　of　the　militia　detachment　stationed　there　to　man　the　guns　of　the　battery　on　the　headland。　He　returned　with　the　sergeant　of　the　guard；　who　took　the　telescope　and　peered　out　to　windward　in　the　direction　pointed　out　by　the　sentry。　The　two　of　them　jabbered　in　their　barbarous　Gallego　dialect；　in　two　years　of　steady　application　Hornblower　had　mastered　Galician　as　well　as　Castilian；　but　in　that　howling　gale　he　could　not　intercept　a　word。　Then　finally；　just　as　the　sergeant　nodded　in　agreement；　Hornblower　saw　with　his　naked　eyes　what　they　were　discussing。　A　pale　grey　square　on　the　horizon　above　the　grey　sea…a　ship's　topsail。　She　must　be　running　before　the　gale　making　for　the　shelter　of　Corunna　or　Ferrol。
　It　was　a　rash　thing　for　a　ship　to　do；　because　it　would　be　no　easy　matter　for　her　to　round…to　into　Corunna　Bay　and　anchor；　and　it　would　be　even　harder　for　her　to　hit　off　the　narrow　entrance　to　the　Ferrol　inlet。　A　cautious　captain　would　claw　out　to　sea　and　heave…to　with　a　generous　amount　of　sea　room　until　the　wind　moderated。　These　Spanish　captains；　said　Hornblower　to　himself；　with　a　shrug　of　his　shoulders；　but　naturally　they　would　always　wish　to　make　harbour　as　quickly　as　possible　when　the　Royal　Navy　was　sweeping　the　seas。　But　the　sergeant　and　the　sentry　were　more　excited　than　the　appearance　of　a　single　ship　would　seem　to　justify。　Hornblower　could　contain　himself　no　longer；　and　edged　up　to　the　chattering　pair；　mentally　framing　his　sentences　in　the　unfamiliar　tongue。
　'Please；　gentleman；'　he　said；　and　then　started　again；　shouting　against　the　wind。　'Please；　gentlemen；　what　is　it　that　you　see？'
　The　sergeant　gave　him　a　glance；　and　then；　reaching　some　undiscoverable　decision；　handed　over　the　telescope…Hornblower　could　hardly　restrain　himself　from　snatching　it　from　his　hands。　With　the　telescope　to　his　eye　he　could　see　far　better；　he　could　see　a　ship…rigged　vessel；　under　close…reefed　topsails　（and　that　was　much　more　sail　than　it　was　wise　to　carry）　hurtling　wildly　towards　them。　And　then　a　moment　later　he　saw　the　other　square　of　grey。　Another　topsail。　Another　ship。　The　foretopmast　was　noticeably　shorter　than　the　maintopmast；　and　not　only　that；　but　the　whole　effect　was　familiar…she　was　a　British　ship　of　war；　a　British　frigate；　plunging　along　in　hot　pursuit　of　the　other；　which　seemed　most　likely　to　be　a　Spanish　privateer。　It　was　a　close　chase；　it　would　be　a　very　near　thing；　whether　the　Spaniard　would　reach　the　protection　of　the　shore　batteries　before　the　frigate　overhauled　her。　He　lowered　the　telescope　to　rest　his　eye；　and　instantly　the　sergeant　snatched　it　from　him。　He　had　been　watching　the　Englishman's　face；　and　Hornblower's　expression　had　told　him　what　he　wanted　to　know。　Those　two　ships　out　there　were　behaving　in　such　a　way　as　to　justify　his　rousing　his　officer　and　giving　the　alarm。　Sergeant　and　sentry　went　running　back　to　the　guardhouse；　and　in　a　few　moments　the　artillerymen　were　pouring　out　to　man　the　batteries　on　the　verge　of　the　cliff。　Soon　enough　came　a　mounted　officer　urging　his　horse　up　the　path；　a　single　glance　through　the　telescope　sufficed　for　him。　He　went　clattering　down　to　the　battery　and　the　next　moment　the　boom　of　a　gun　from　there　alerted　the　rest　of　the　defences。　The　flag　of　Spain　rose　up　the　flagstaff　beside　the　battery；　and　Hornblower　saw　an　answering　flag　rise　up　the　flagstaff　on　San　Anton　where　another　battery　guarded　Corunna　Bay。　All　the　guns　of　the　harbour　defences　were　now　manned；　and　there　would　be　no　mercy　shown　to　any　English　ship　that　came　in　range。
　Pursuer　and　pursued　had　covered　quite　half　the　distance　already　towards　Corunna。　They　were　hull…up　over　the　horizon　now　to　Hornblower　on　the　headland；　who　could　see　them　plunging　madly　over　the　grey　sea…Hornblower　momentarily　expected　to　see　them　carry　away　their　topmasts　or　their　sails　blow　from　the　bolt…ropes。　The　frigate　was　half　a　mile　astern　still；　and　she　would　have　to　be　much　closer　than　that　to　have　any　hope　of　hitting　with　her　guns　in　that　sea。　Here　came　the　mandant　and　his　staff；　clattering　on　horseback　up　the　path　to　see　the　climax　of　the　drama；　the　mandant　caught　sight　of　Hornblower　and　doffed　his　hat　with　Spanish　courtesy；　while　Hornblower；　hatless；　tried　to　bow　with　equal　courtesy。　Hornblower　walked　over　to　him　with　an　urgent　request…he　had　to　lay　his　hand　on　the　Spaniard's　saddlebow　and　shout　up　into　his　face　to　he　understood。
　'My　parole　expires　in　ten　minutes；　sir；'　he　yelled。　'May　I　please　extend　it？　May　I　please　stay？'
　'Yes；　stay；　se？or；'　said　the　mandant　generously。
　Hornblower　watched　the　chase；　and　at　the　same　time　observed　closely　the　preparations　for　defence。　He　had　given　his　parole；　but　no　part　of　the　gentlemanly　code　prevented　him　from　taking　note　of　all　he　could　see。　One　day　he　might　be　free；　and　one　day　it　might　be　useful　to　know　all　about　the　defences　of　Ferrol。　Everyone　else　of　the　large　group　on　the　headland　was　watching；　the　chase；　and　excitement　rose　higher　as　the　ships　came　racing　nearer。　The　English　captain　was　keeping　a　hundred　yards　or　more　to　seaward　of　the　Spaniard；　but　he　was　quite　unable　to　overhaul　her…in　fact　it　seemed　to　Hornblower　as　if　the　Spaniard　was　actually　increasing　his　lead。　But　the　English　frigate　being　to　seaward　meant　that　escape　in　that　direction　was　cut　off。　Any　turn　away　from　the　land　would　reduce　the　Spaniard's　lead　to　a　negligible　distance。　If　he　did　not　get　into　Corunna　Bay　or　Ferrol　Inlet　he　was　doomed。
　Now　he　was　level　with　the　Corunna　headland；　and　it　was　time　to　put　his　helm　hard　over　and　turn　into　the　bay　and　hope　that　his　anchors　would　hold　in　the　lee　of　the　headland。　But　with　a　wind　of　that　violence　hurtling　against　cliffs　and　headlands　strange　things　can　happen。　A　flaw　of　wind　ing　out　of　the　bay　must　have　caught　her　aback　as　she　tried　to　round…to。　Hornblower　saw　her　stagger；　saw　her　heel　as　the　backlash　died　away　and　the　gale　caught　her　again。　She　was　laid　over　almost　on　her　beam…ends　and　as　she　righted　herself　Hornblower　saw　a　momentary　gap　open　up　in　her　maintopsail。　It　was　momentary　because　from　the　time　the　gap　appeared　the　life　of　the　topsail　was　momentary；　the　gap　appeared　and　at　once　the　sail　vanished；　blown　into　ribbons　as　soon　as　its　continuity　was　impaired。　With　the　loss　of　its　balancing　pressure　the　ship　became　unmanageable；　the　gale　pressing　against　the　foretopsail　swung　her　round　again　before　the　wind　like　a　weathervane。　If　there　had　been　time　to　spare　t