csf.thecommodore-第19部分

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　Here　came　Dumoulin；　and　Basse　after　him　…　no　one　would　trust　any　one　of　his　colleagues　to　be　alone　with　the　British　captain　for　a　moment。　Hornblower's　tactical　instinct　came　to　his　rescue；　the　best　defensive　is　a　vigorous　local　offensive。　He　turned　on　Hauptmann。
　〃May　I　ask；　sir；　how　His　Majesty　maintains　a　consular　agent　in　a　port　whose　neutrality　is　in　doubt？〃
　〃It　is　necessary　because　of　the　need　for　licences　to　trade。〃
　〃Are　you　accredited　to　the　Swedish　Government　by　His　Majesty？〃
　〃No；　sir。　I　am　accredited　by　His　Bavarian　Majesty。〃
　〃His　Bavarian　Majesty？〃
　〃I　am　a　subject　of　His　Bavarian　Majesty。〃
　〃Who　happens　to　be　at　war　with　His　Britannic　Majesty；〃　said　Hornblower　dryly。　The　whole　tangle　of　Baltic　politics；　of　hole…and…corner　hostilities　and　neutralities；　was　utterly　beyond　unravelling。　Hornblower　listened　to　everyone's　pleas　and　expostulations　until　he　could　bear　it　no　longer；　his　impatience　grew　at　length　apparent　to　his　anxious　interviewers。
　〃I　can　form　no　conclusion　at　present；　gentlemen；〃　said　Hornblower。　〃I　must　have　time　to　think　over　the　information　you　have　given　me。　Baron　Basse；　as　representative　of　a　governor…general；　I　fancy　you　are　entitled　to　a　seventeen…gun　salute　on　leaving　this　ship？〃
　The　salutes　echoed　over　the　yellow…green　water　as　the　officials　went　over　the　side。　Seventeen　guns　for　Baron　Basse。　Eleven　for　Dumoulin；　the　Consul…General。　Hauptmann；　as　a　mere　consular　agent；　rated　only　five；　the　smallest　salute　noticed　in　naval　ceremonial。　Hornblower　stood　at　the　salute　as　Hauptmann　went　down　into　his　boat；　and　then　sprang　into　activity　again。
　〃Signal　for　the　captains　of　Moth；　Harvey；　and　Clam　to　e　on　board；〃　he　ordered；　abruptly。
　The　bomb…vessels　and　the　cutter　were　within　easy　signalling　distance　now；　there　were　three　hours　of　daylight　left；　and　over　there　the　spars　of　the　French　privateer　still　showed　over　the　sand…dunes　of　Hiddensoe　as　though　to　taunt　him。
　
　CHAPTER　NINE
　
　Hornblower　swung　himself　up　over　the　side　of　the　Harvey；　where　Lieutenant　Mound　stood　at　attention　to　wele　him　with　his　two　boatswain's　mates　twittering　their　pipes。　The　bang　of　a　gun；　ing　unexpectedly　and　not　a　yard　from　him；　made　him　jump。　As　the　modore　was　shifting　his　broad　pendant　from　one　ship　to　another　（there　it　was　breaking　out　at　the　lofty　mast…head　of　the　Harvey）　it　was　the　correct　moment　for　another　salute；　which　they　were　firing　off　with　one　of　the　four　six…pounders　which　Harvey　carried　aft。
　〃Belay　that　nonsense；〃　said　Hornblower。
　Then　he　felt　suddenly　guilty。　He　had　publicly　described　the　Navy's　beloved　ceremonial　as　nonsense　…　just　as　extraordinary　he　had　applied　the　term　to　a　pliment　which　ought　to　have　delighted　him　as　it　was　only　the　second　time　he　had　received　it。　But　discipline　had　not　apparently　suffered；　although　young　Mound　was　grinning　broadly　as　he　gave　the　order　to　cease　firing。
　〃Square　away　and　let's　get　going；　Mr　Mound；〃　said　Hornblower。
　As　the　Harvey　filled　her　sails　and　headed　diagonally　for　the　shore　with　Moth　close　astern；　Hornblower　looked　round　him。　This　was　a　new　experience　for　him；　in　twenty　years　of　service　he　had　never　seen　action　in　a　bomb…vessel。　Above　him　towered　the　enormous　mainmast　（they　had　made　a　good　job　of　replacing　the　spar　shot　away　in　the　Sound）　which　had　to　make　up　in　the　amount　of　canvas　it　carried　for　the　absence　of　a　foremast。　The　mizzenmast；　stepped　far　aft；　was　better　proportioned　to　the　diminutive　vessel。　The　prodigious　forestay　necessary　for　the　security　of　the　mainmast　was　an　iron　chain；　curiously　incongruous　amid　the　hempen　rigging。　The　waist　of　the　ketch　was　forward　…　that　was　the　absurd　but　only　way　of　describing　her　design　…　and　there；　on　either　side　of　her　midline；　were　the　two　huge　mortars　which　accounted　for　her　quaint　build。　Hornblower　knew　that　they　were　bedded　upon　a　solid　mass　of　oak　against　her　kelson；　under　the　direction　of　a　gunner's　mate　four　hands　were　laying　out　the　immense　thirteen…inch　shells　which　the　mortars　fired。　The　bos'un's　mate　with　another　party　had　passed　a　cable　out　from　a　starboard　gun…port；　and；　having　carried　it　forward；　were　securing　it　to　the　anchor　hanging　at　the　cathead。　That　was　the　'spring'；　Hornblower　had　often　attached　a　spring　to　his　cable　as　a　practice　evolution；　but　had　never　used　one　in　action　before。　Close　beside　him　in　the　port…side　main…chains　a　hand　was　heaving　the　lead；　Hornblower　thought　to　himself　that　nine…tenths　of　the　time　he　had　spent　in　the　Baltic　the　lead　had　been　going；　and　presumably　that　would　be　the　case　for　the　rest　of　this　mission。
　〃And　a　half　three！〃　called　the　leadsman。　These　bomb…ketches　drew　less　than　nine　feet。
　Over　there　Raven　was　preparing　to　kedge　off　the　shoal　on　which　she　was　aground。　Hornblower　could　see　the　cable；　black　against　the　water。　She　had　already　cleared　away　the　raffle　of　her　wrecked　foretopmast。　Clam　was　creeping　out　beyond　her；　Hornblower　wondered　if　her　gipsy…looking　captain　had　fully　grasped　the　plex　instructions　given　him。
　Mound　was　standing　beside　him；　conning　his　ship。　He　was　the　only　missioned　officer；　a　midshipman　and　two　master's　mates　kept　watches；　and　the　two　latter　were　standing　wide…legged　aft　measuring　with　sextants　the　vertical　angle　subtended　by　Blanchefleur's　spars。　Hornblower　could　sense　through　the　vessel　an　atmosphere　of　light…heartedness；　only　to　be　expected　when　the　captain　was　only　twenty　years　old。　Discipline　was　bound　to　be　easier　in　these　small　craft　…　Hornblower　had　often　heard　crabbed　captains　of　vast　seniority　bewailing　the　fact。
　〃Quarter　less　three！〃　called　the　leadsman。
　Seventeen　feet　of　water。
　〃We　are　within　range　now；　sir；〃　said　Mound。
　〃Those　mortars　of　yours　are　more　accurate　when　firing　at　less　than　extreme　range；　though；　aren't　they？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　And　I　would　prefer　to　have　a　little　to　spare；　too；　in　case　they　can　shift　anchorage。〃
　〃Leave　yourself　plenty　of　room　to　swing；　though。　We　know　nothing　of　these　shoals。〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir。〃
　Mound　swung　round　for　a　final　glance　at　the　tactical　situation；　at　the　spars　of　the　Blanchefleur　above　the　dunes　where　she　was　anchored　far　up　the　lagoon；　the　battery　at　the　end　of　the　spit；　Clam　taking　up　a　position　where　she　could　see　up　the　lagoon　from　a　point　just　out　of　range　of　the　battery；　and　lotus　waiting　beyond　the　entrance　to　cut　off　escape　in　case　by　any　miracle　the　Blanchefleur　should　be　able　to　claw　her　way　out　to　windward　and　make　a　fresh　attempt　to　reach　Stralsund。　Mound　kept　on　reaching　for　his　trouser　pockets　and　then　hastily　refraining　from　putting　his　hands　in；　when　he　remembered　the　modore　was　beside　him　…　an　odd　gesture；　and　he　did　it　every　few　seconds。
　〃For　God's　sake；　man；〃　said　Hornblower；　〃put　your　hands　in　your　pockets　and　leave　off　fidgeting。〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir；〃　said　Mound；　a　little　startled。　He　plunged　his　hands　in　gratefully；　and　hunched　his　shoulders　into　a　fortable　slouch；　pleasantly　relaxed。　He　took　one　more　look　round　before　calling　to　the　midshipman　standing　by　the　cathead　forward。
　〃Mr　Jones。　Let　go！〃
　The　anchor　cable　roared　out　briefly　as　the　crew　of　the　ketch　raced　aloft　to　get　in　the　canvas。
　The　Harvey　swung　slowly　round　until　she　rode　bows　upwind；　pointing　nearly　straight　at　the　invisible　Blanchefleur。　The　Moth；　Hornblower　saw；　anchored　nearly　abreast　of　her　sister　ship。
　Mound　moved　with　a　deceptive　appearance　of　leisureliness　about　the　business　of　opening　fire。　He　took　a　series　of　bearings　to　make　sure　that　the　anchor　was　holding。　At　a　word　from　him　a　seaman　tied　a　white　rag　to　the　'spring'　where　it　lay　on　the　deck　as　it　passed　forward　to　the　capstan；　and　Mound　fished　in　his　pocket；　brought　out　a　piece　of　chalk；　and　marked　a　scale　on　the　deck　beside　the　rag。
　〃Mr　Jones；〃　he　said；　〃take　a　turn　on　the　capstan。〃
　Four　men　at　the　capstan　turned　it　easily。　The　white　rag　crept　along　the　deck　as　the　spring　was　wound　in。　The　spring　passed　out　through　an　after　gun…port　and　was　attached　to　the　anchor　far　forward；　pulling　on　it　pulled　the　stern　of　the　vessel　round　so　that　she　lay　at　an　angle　to　the　wind；　and　the　amount　of　the　angle　was　roughly　indicated　by　the　movement　of　the　white　rag　against　the　scale　chalked　on　the　deck。
　〃Carry　on；　Mr　Jones；〃　said　Mound；　taking　a　rough　bearing　of　the　Blanchefleur's　spars。　The　capstan　clanked　as　the　men　at　the　bars　spun　it　round。
　〃Steady！〃　called　Mound；　and　they　stopped。
　〃One　more　pawl！〃　said　Mound；　sighting　very　carefully　now　for　Blanchefleur's　mainmast。
　Clank！　went　the　capstan　as　the　men　momentarily　threw　their　weight　on　the　bars。
　〃One　more！〃
　Clank！
　〃I　think　that's　right；　sir；〃　said　Mound。　The　Harvey's　centre　line　was　pointing　straight　at　Blanchefleur。　〃Of　course　the　cables　stretch　and　the　anchor　may　drag　a　little；　but　it's　easy　enough　to　maintain　a　constant　bearing　by　paying　out　or　taking　in　on　the　spring。〃
　〃So　I　understand；〃　said　Hornblower。
　He　was　familiar　with　the　theory　of　the　bomb…vessel；　actually　he　was　intensely　interested　in　and　excited　at　the　prospect　of　the　approaching　demonstration。　Ever　since；　at　a　desperate　moment；　he　had　tried　to　hit　a　small　boat　at　long　range　with　a　six…pounder…shot　from　the　Witch　of　Endor；　Hornblower　had　been　conscious　that　naval　gunnery　was　an　art　which　should　be　improved　if　it　were　possible。　At　present　it　was　c