csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第8部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　'Aye　aye；　sir；'　said　Hornblower。
　The　cutter　surged　alongside　the　brig；　white　water　creaming　between　the　two　vessels。　The　tattooed　sailor　hastily　concluded　a　bargain　with　another　man　on　his　thwart　and　pocketed　a　lump　of　tobacco…the　men　were　leaving　their　possessions　behind　just　like　Hornblower…and　sprang　for　the　mainchains。　Another　man　followed　him；　and　they　stood　and　waited　while　Hornblower　with　difficulty　made　his　way　forward　along　the　plunging　boat。　He　stood；　balancing　precariously；　on　the　forward　thwart。　The　main　chains　of　the　brig　were　far　lower　than　the　mizzen…chains　of　the　Indefatigable；　but　this　time　he　had　to　jump　upwards。　One　of　the　seamen　steadied　him　with　an　arm　on　his　shoulder。
　'Wait　for　it；　sir；'　he　said。　'Get　ready。　Now　jump；　sir。'
　Hornblower　hurled　himself；　all　arms　and　legs；　like　a　leaping　frog；　at　the　mainchains。　His　hands　reached　the　shrouds；　but　his　knee　slipped　off；　and　the　brig；　rolling；　lowered　him　thigh　deep　into　the　sea　as　the　shrouds　slipped　through　his　hands。　But　the　waiting　seamen　grabbed　his　wrists　and　hauled　him　on　board；　and　two　more　seamen　followed　him。　He　led　the　way　onto　the　deck。
　The　first　sight　to　meet　his　eyes　was　a　man　seated　on　the　hatch　cover；　his　head　thrown　back；　holding　to　his　mouth　a　bottle；　the　bottom　pointing　straight　up　to　the　sky。　He　was　one　of　a　large　group　all　sitting　round　the　hatch　cover；　there　were　more　bottles　in　evidence；　one　was　passed　by　one　man　to　another　as　he　looked；　and　as　he　approached　a　roll　of　the　ship　brought　an　empty　bottle　rolling　past　his　toes　to　clatter　into　the　scuppers。　Another　of　the　group；　with　white　hair　blowing　in　the　wind；　rose　to　wele　him；　and　stood　for　a　moment　with　waving　arms　and　rolling　eyes；　bracing　himself　as　though　to　say　something　of　immense　importance　and　seeking　earnestly　for　the　right　words　to　use。
　'Goddam　English；'　was　what　he　finally　said；　and；　having　said　it；　he　sat　down　with　a　bump　on　the　hatch　cover　and　from　a　seated　position　proceeded　to　lie　down　and　pose　himself　to　sleep　with　his　head　on　his　arms。
　'They've　made　the　best　of　their　time；　sir；　by　the　Holy；'　said　the　seaman　at　Hornblower's　elbow。
　'Wish　we　were　as　happy；'　said　another。
　A　case　still　a　quarter　full　of　bottles；　each　elaborately　sealed；　stood　on　the　deck　beside　the　hatch　cover；　and　the　seaman　picked　out　a　bottle　to　look　at　it　curiously。　Hornblower　did　not　need　to　remember　the　lieutenant's　warning；　on　his　shore　excursions　with　press　gangs　he　had　already　had　experience　of　the　British　seaman's　tendency　to　drink。　His　boarding　party　would　be　as　drunk　as　the　Frenchmen　in　half　an　hour　if　he　allowed　it。　A　frightful　mental　picture　of　himself　drifting　in　the　Bay　of　Biscay　with　a　disabled　ship　and　a　drunken　crew　rose　in　his　mind　and　filled　him　with　anxiety。
　'Put　that　down；'　he　ordered。
　The　urgency　of　the　situation　made　his　seventeen…year…old　voice　crack　like　a　fourteen…year…old's；　and　the　seaman　hesitated；　holding　the　bottle　in　his　hand。
　'Put　it　down；　d'ye　hear？'　said　Hornblower；　desperate　with　worry。　This　was　his　first　independent　mand；　conditions　were　absolutely　novel；　and　excitement　brought　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