csf.thecommodore-第15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！

hear　us。〃
　〃We　heard　you；〃　said　Bush。
　〃How　were　things　at　Memel　when　you　left？〃　demanded　Hornblower。
　The　captain's　face　wrinkled；　if　he　had　been　French　he　would　have　shrugged　his　shoulders。
　〃The　same　as　ever。　Russian　ports　are　still　closed　to　us；　but　they'll　give　anyone　a　licence　to　trade　who　asks　for　it。　It's　the　same　with　the　Swedes　on　the　other　side。〃
　〃What　about　war　between　Bonaparte　and　Russia？〃
　This　time　the　tangle　of　doubt　really　made　the　captain　shrug。
　〃Everyone's　talking　about　it；　but　nothing　definite　yet。　Soldiers　everywhere。　If　Boney　really　fights　'em　he'll　find　'em　as　ready　as　Russians　ever　are。〃
　〃Do　you　think　he　will？〃
　〃I　wish　you'd　tell　me；　sir。　I　don't　know。　But　it　was　true　what　Clarke　told　you；　sir。　The　Tsar　and　Bernadotte　are　meeting　soon。　Perhaps　you　can　guess　what　that　means。　It　means　nothing　to　a　plain　man　like　me；　sir。　There　have　been　so　many　of　these　meetings　and　conferences　and　congresses。〃
　So　there　it　was；　Sweden　and　Russia　were　still　in　the　equivocal　position　of　being　nominal　enemies　of　England　and　nominal　allies　of　Bonaparte；　pretending　to　make　war；　pretending　to　be　at　peace；　half　belligerent；　half　neutral；　in　the　strange　manner　which　seemed　to　have　bee　fashionable　nowadays。　It　was　still　doubtful　whether　Bonaparte　would　take　the　tremendous　step　of　waging　war　on　Russia。　No　one　could　analyse　Bonaparte's　motives。　One　might　think　that　he　would　do　better　for　himself　by　turning　all　his　vast　resources　towards　finishing　off　the　war　in　Spain　and　endeavouring　to　strike　down　England　before　attempting　the　conquest　of　the　East；　but　on　the　other　hand　a　swift　decisive　blow　at　Russia　might　free　him　from　the　menace　of　a　powerful　and　doubtfully　friendly　nation　at　his　back。　Bonaparte　had　conquered　so　often；　he　had　struck　down　every　nation　in　Europe　…　except　England　…　and　it　hardly　seemed　likely　that　Russia　could　withstand　the　impact　of　his　massed　forces。　With　Russia　beaten　he　would　have　no　enemies　left　on　the　mainland　at　all。　There　would　only　be　England　left　to　oppose　him；　single…handed。　It　was　forting　that　England　had　not　taken　active　measures　in　support　of　Finland　when　Russia　attacked　her；　all　the　same。　That　made　a　working　alliance　with　Russia　far　more　practicable　now。
　〃Now　tell　me　more　about　this　Blanchefleur；〃　said　Hornblower　bending　over　the　chart。
　〃She　nabbed　us　off　Rügen；　sir。　Sassnitz　bore　so'west；　eight　miles。　You　see；　sir　…〃
　Hornblower　listened　to　the　explanations　with　attention。　A　twenty…gun　corvette　under　a　good　French　captain　was　a　serious　menace　loose　in　the　Baltic　With　the　trade　beginning　to　move　on　the　melting　of　the　ice　it　would　be　his　first　duty　to　capture　her　or　drive　her　into　port　and　blockade　her。　A　ship　of　that　force　would　be　able　to　put　up　a　good　fight　even　against　one　of　his　sloops。　He　hoped　he　could　entrap　her；　for　she　would　be　far　too　fast　for　Nonsuch　to　overhaul　her　in　a　stern　chase。　She　was　sending　her　prizes　into　Kiel；　for　there　they　could　dispose　of　the　prisoners；　pick　up　a　French　crew；　and　start　the　hazardous　voyage　round　Denmark　to　the　west　…　Bonaparte　needed　naval　stores；　with　ships　of　war　building　in　every　port　from　Hamburg　to　Trieste。
　〃Thank　you；　gentlemen；〃　he　said。　〃I'll　not　detain　you　longer。　Captain　Bush；　we'll　talk　to　the　prisoners　next。〃
　But　there　was　little　to　learn　from　the　seamen　of　the　captured　prize　crew；　even　though　they　were　brought　in　separately　for　questioning。　Four　of　them　were　Frenchmen；　Hornblower　conducted　his　own　examination　of　them；　with　Bush　looking　on　admiringly。　Bush　had　already　succeeded　in　forgetting　all　the　little　French　he　had　so　painfully　learned　during　his　enforced　sojourn　in　France。　Two　were　Danes；　and　two　were　Germans；　Mr　Braun　was　called　in　to　interpret　while　they　were　questioned。　They　were　all　experienced　seamen；　and　as　far　as　Hornblower　could　gather　they　had　all　been　driven　to　take　service　in　the　Blanchefleur　sooner　than　be　conscripted　into　Bonaparte's　navy　or　army。　Even　though　they　were　faced　with　what　might　well　be　a　lifetime　in　an　English　prison　the　Frenchmen　refused　any　offer　to　serve　in　the　British　Navy；　but　the　others　accepted　immediately　Braun　put　the　suggestion　to　them。　Bush　rubbed　his　hands　at　acquiring　four　prime　seamen　in　this　fashion　to　help　fill　his　chronically　undermanned　ships。　They　had　picked　up　a　little　French　in　the　Blanchefleur；　and　they　would　soon　pick　up　enough　English　in　the　Nonsuch　or　the　Lotus；　certainly　they　would　under　the　stimulus　of　a　rope's　end　handled　by　an　experienced　petty　officer。
　〃Take　'em　away　and　read　'em　in；　Mr　Hurst；〃　said　Bush；　rubbing　his　hands　again。　〃Now；　sir；　shall　we　take　a　look　at　that　damned　renegade　Englishman？〃
　Clarke　was　lying　on　the　main…deck　of　the　Nonsuch；　to　which　he　had　been　hoisted　from　the　boat　by　a　tackle　at　the　yardarm；　and　the　surgeon　was　still　bending　over　him。　He　had　tried　to　blow　out　his　brains；　but　he　had　only　succeeded　in　shattering　his　lower　jaw。　There　was　blood　on　his　blue　coat　and　on　his　white　trousers；　and　his　whole　head　was　swathed　in　bandages；　and　he　lay　tossing　in　agony　on　the　canvas　sheet　in　which　he　had　been　hoisted。　Hornblower　peered　down　at　him。　The　features　he　could　see；　chalk　white　so　that　the　tan　looked　like　a　coat　of　dirt；　were　pinched　and　refined　and　weak；　a　thin　nose　and　hollow　cheeks；　brown　eyes　like　a　woman's；　with　scant　sandy　eyebrows　above　them。　What　little　hair　Hornblower　could　see　was　scanty　and　sandy　too。　Hornblower　wondered　what　bination　of　circumstances　could　have　led　him　into　betraying　his　country　and　taking　service　with　Bonaparte。　Hatred　of　imprisonment；　perhaps　…　Hornblower　had　known　what　it　was　to　be　a　prisoner；　in　Ferrol　and　Rosas　and　in　France。　Yet　that　over…refined　face　did　not　seem　to　indicate　the　sort　of　personality　that　would　fret　itself　to　pieces　in　confinement。　It　might　have　been　a　woman；　perhaps；　who　had　driven　him　or　led　him　to　this；　or　he　might　be　a　deserter　from　the　Navy　who　had　fled　to　escape　punishment　…　it　would　be　interesting　to　see　if　his　back　was　scarred　with　the　cat…o'…nine…tails。　He　might　perhaps　be　an　Irishman；　one　of　those　fanatic　who　in　their　desire　to　hurt　England　refused　to　see　that　the　worst　England　had　ever　done　to　Ireland　would　be　nothing　pared　with　what　Bonaparte　would　do　to　her　if　she　were　once　in　his　power。
　Whatever　might　be　the　case；　he　was　a　man　of　ability　and　quick　wit。　As　soon　as　he　had　seen　that　Lotus　had　cut　him　of　from　escape　to　the　mainland　he　had　resolutely　taken　the　only　course　that　gave　him　any　chance　of　safety。　He　had　steered　the　Maggie　Jones　as　innocently　as　kiss…your…hand　up　to　Nonsuch；　that　suggestion　of　smallpox　had　been　an　ingenious　one；　an　his　conversation　by　speaking…trumpet　had　been　very　nearly　natural。
　〃Is　he　going　to　live？〃　asked　Bush　of　the　surgeon。
　〃No；　sir。　The　mandible　is　extensively　minuted　on　both　sides　…　I　mean　his　jaw　is　shattered；　sir。　There　is　some　splintering　of　the　maxilla　as　well；　and　his　tongue　…　the　whole　glosso…pharyngeal　region；　in　fact　…　is　in　rags。　The　haemorrhage　may　prove　fatal　…　in　other　words　the　man　may　bleed　to　death；　although　I　do　not　think　he　will；　now。　But　I　do　not　think　anything　on　earth　can　stop　mortification　…　gangrene；　in　other　words；　sir　…　which　in　this　area　will　prove　immediately　fatal。　In　any　event　the　man　will　die　of　inanition；　of　hunger　and　thirst　that　is　to　say；　even　if　we　could　keep　him　alive　for　a　while　by　injections　per　rectum。〃
　It　was　ghoulish　to　smile　at　the　surgeon's　pomposity；　to　make　the　inevitable　light　speech。
　〃It　sounds　as　if　nothing　could　save　him；　then。〃
　It　was　a　human　life　they　were　discussing。
　〃We　must　hang　him；　sir；　before　he　dies；〃　said　Bush；　turning　to　Hornblower。　〃We　can　convene　a　court　martial　…〃
　〃He　cannot　defend　himself；〃　replied　Hornblower。
　Bush　spread　his　hands　in　a　gesticulation　which　for　him　was　vastly　eloquent。
　〃What　defence　has　he　to　offer；　sir？　We　have　all　the　evidence　we　need。　The　prisoners　have　supplied　it　apart　from　the　obvious　facts。〃
　〃He　might　be　able　to　rebut　the　evidence　if　he　could　speak；〃　said　Hornblower。　It　was　an　absurd　thing　to　say。　There　could　be　no　possible　doubt　of　Clarke's　guilt　…　his　attempt　at　suicide　proved　it　even　if　nothing　else　did；　but　Hornblower　knew　perfectly　well　that　he　was　quite　incapable　of　hanging　a　man　who　was　physically　unable　to　make　any　defence。
　〃He'll　slip　through　our　fingers　if　we　wait；　sir。〃
　〃Then　let　him。〃
　〃But　the　example　to　the　men；　sir　…〃
　〃No；　no；　no；〃　flared　Hornblower。　〃What　sort　of　example　would　it　be　to　the　men　to　hang　a　dying　man　…　a　man　who　would　not　know　what　was　being　done　to　him；　for　that　matter？〃
　It　was　horrible　to　see　the　faint　play　of　expression　in　Bush's　face。　Bush　was　a　kindly　man；　a　good　brother　to　his　sisters　and　a　good　son　to　his　mother；　and　yet　there　was　that　hint　of　the　lust　of　cruelty；　the　desire　for　a　hanging。　No；　that　was　not　quite　fair。　What　Bush　lusted　for　was　revenge　…　revenge　on　a　traitor　who　had　borne　arms　against　their　mon　country。
　〃It　would　teach　the　men　not　to　desert；　sir；〃　said　Bush；　still　feebly　raising　arguments。　Hornblower　knew　…　he　had　twenty　years　of　experience　…　how　every　British　captain　was　plagued　by　desertion；　and　spent　half　his　waking　hours　wondering　first　how　to　find　men　and　second　how　to　retain　them。
　〃It　might；〃　said　Hornblower；　〃but　I　doubt　it　very　much。〃
　He　could