csf.thecommodore-第37部分

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checked　himself；　standing　in　his　shirt　with　his　left　leg　bare　and　his　right　leg　covered　only　from　ankle　to　knee。
　〃Mr　Vickery；〃　he　said；　〃let's　have　those　charts　out　again。〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir；〃　said　Vickery。
　There　was　eagerness　and　excitement　in　his　voice　at　once；　echoing　the　emotion　which　must　have　been　obvious　in　Hornblower's　tone　…　Hornblower　took　notice　of　it；　and　as　he　buckled　his　waistband　he　reaffirmed　his　resolution　to　be　more　careful　how　he　spoke；　for　he　must　regain　his　reputation　as　a　silent　hero。　He　stared　down　at　the　charts　which　Vickery　spread　for　him　…　he　knew　that　Vickery　was　studying　his　face；　and　he　took　great　care　to　show　no　sign　whatever　of　reaching　a　decision　one　way　or　the　other。　When　his　mind　was　made　up　he　said：　〃Thank　you；〃　in　the　flattest　tone　he　could　contrive；　and　then；　suddenly　remembering　his　most　non…mittal　exclamation；　he　cleared　his　throat。
　〃Ha…h'm；〃　he　said；　without　any　expression　at　all；　and；　pleased　with　the　result；　he　repeated　it　and　drew　it　out　longer　still；　〃Ha…a…a…a…h'm。〃
　The　bewildered　look　in　Vickery's　face　was　a　great　delight　to　him。
　Next　morning；　back　in　his　own　cabin　in　Nonsuch；　he　took　a　mild　revenge　in　watching　the　faces　of　his　assembled　captains　as　he　laid　the　scheme　before　them。　One　and　all；　they　thirsted　for　the　mand；　hotly　eager　to　risk　life　and　liberty　on　a　mission　which　might　at　first　sight　seem　utterly　harebrained。　The　two　manders　yearned　for　the　chance　of　promotion　to　post　rank；　the　lieutenants　hoped　they　might　bee　manders。
　〃Mr　Vickery　will　be　in　mand；〃　said　Hornblower；　and　had　further　opportunity　of　watching　the　play　of　emotion　over　the　faces　of　his　audience。　But　as　in　this　case　everyone　present　had　a　right　to　know　why　he　had　been　passed　over；　he　gave　a　few　words　of　explanation。
　〃The　two　captains　of　the　bomb…vessels　are　irreplaceable；　there　are　no　other　lieutenants　with　us　who　can　use　their　infernal　machines　as　well　as　they　can。　I　don't　have　to　explain　to　you　why　Captain　Bush　is　irreplaceable。　It　was　Mr　Vickery　who　happened　to　go　with　me　to　investigate　the　boom；　and　so　he　happens　to　know　more　about　the　situation　than　Mr　Cole；　who's　the　other　obvious　candidate　for　the　mand。〃
　There　was　no　harm　in　soothing　Cole's　feelings　with　an　excuse　like　that；　for　no　good　end　would　be　served　by　letting　people　guess　that　he　would　not　trust　Cole　with　any　mand　out　of　his　sight　…　poor　old　Cole；　grey…haired　and　bowed；　almost　too　old　for　his　work；　hoping　against　hope　for　promotion　to　captain。　Hornblower　had　an　uneasy　feeling　that　Cole　saw　through　the　excuse；　and　had　to　fort　himself　with　the　trite　thought　that　no　war　can　be　fought　without　someone's　feelings　being　hurt。　He　passed　on　hurriedly　to　the　next　point。
　〃Having　settled　that　question；　gentlemen；　I　would　wele　your　views　on　who　else　should　go　as　Mr　Vickery's　subordinates。　Mr　Vickery　first；　as　he　is　most　concerned。〃
　When　those　details　were　settled　the　next　step　was　to　prepare　the　four　boats　for　the　expedition　…　Nonsuch's　launch　and　cutter；　and　the　cutters　from　Lotus　and　Raven。　A　four…pounder　in　the　eyes　of　the　launch；　a　three…pounder　in　the　eyes　of　each　of　the　cutters；　food；　water；　ammunition；　bustibles　for　setting　captures　on　fire。　The　crews　that　had　been　told　off　for　the　expedition　were　paraded　and　inspected；　the　seamen　with　pistols　and　cutlasses；　the　marines　with　muskets　and　bayonets。　At　the　end　of　the　day　Vickery　came　back　on　board　Nonsuch　for　a　final　confirmation　of　the　future　rendezvous。
　〃Good　luck；〃　said　Hornblower。
　〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　Vickery。
　He　looked　frankly　into　Hornblower's　eyes。
　〃I　have　so　much　to　thank　you　for；　sir；〃　he　added。
　〃Don't　thank　me；　thank　yourself；〃　said　Hornblower　testily。
　He　found　it　particularly　irksome　to　be　thanked　for　risking　young　Vickery's　life。　He　calculated　to　himself　that　if　he　had　married　as　a　midshipman　he　might　by　now　be　the　father　of　a　son　just　Vickery's　age。
　At　nightfall　the　squadron　stood　in　towards　the　land。　The　wind　was　backing　northerly　a　little；　but　it　was　still　blowing　a　strong　breeze；　and　although　the　night　was　not　quite　as　overcast　as　the　preceding　one；　there　was　every　chance　that　the　boats　would　slip　through　unobserved。　Hornblower　watched　them　go；　just　as　two　bells　struck　in　the　middle　watch；　and　as　they　vanished　into　the　greyness　he　turned　away。　Now　he　would　have　to　wait。　It　interested　him　to　discover　once　more　that　he　would　genuinely　and　sincerely　have　preferred　to　be　in　action　himself；　that　he　would　rather　be　risking　life　and　limb　and　liberty　there　in　the　Frisches　Haff　than　be　here　safe　at　sea　with　nothing　to　do　but　await　results。　He　looked　on　himself　as　a　coward；　he　dreaded　mutilation　and　he　disliked　the　thought　of　death　only　less　than　that；　so　that　it　was　a　matter　of　peculiar　interest　to　find　that　there　were　some　things　he　disliked　even　more　than　danger。　When　a　long　enough　time　had　elapsed　for　the　boats　to　have　passed　the　boom　…　or　for　them　to　have　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy　…　Hornblower　went　below　to　rest　for　the　brief　interval　before　dawn；　but　he　could　only　pretend　to　sleep；　he　could　only　hold　himself　down　in　his　cot　and　prevent　himself　by　sheer　mental　effort　from　tossing　and　turning。　It　was　a　positive　relief　to　go　out　on　the　half…deck　again　when　the　sky　began　to　grow　lighter；　to　souse　himself　under　the　head…pump；　and　then　to　go　up　on　the　quarter…deck　and　drink　coffee　there；　glancing　the　while　over　the　starboard　quarter　where　（with　the　ship　hove…to　on　the　port　tack）　lay　Pillau　and　the　entrance　to　the　Haff。
　The　growing　daylight　revealed　it　all　through　Hornblower's　glass。　At　random　cannon…shot　lay　the　yellow　and　green　headland　on　which　Pillau　was　set；　the　twin　church　steeples　were　clearly　visible。　The　line　of　the　boom　showed　up；　lying　across　the　entrance；　marked　by　breaking　waves　and　occasionally　a　glimpse　of　dark　timber。　Those　dark　mounds　above　the　water's　edge　must　be　the　batteries　thrown　up　there　to　defend　the　entrance。　On　the　other　side　lay　the　long　line　of　the　Nehrung；　a　yellowish　green　line　of　sandhills；　rising　and　falling　with　minute　variations　of　altitude　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　and　beyond。　But　through　the　entrance　there　was　nothing　to　see　at　all；　nothing　except　grey　water；　flecked　here　and　there　with　white　where　the　shoals　dotted　the　lagoon。　The　opposite　shore　of　the　Haff　was　too　distant　to　be　visible　from　the　deck。
　〃Captain　Bush；〃　ordered　Hornblower；　〃would　you　please　be　good　enough　to　send　an　officer　with　good　eyes　to　the　masthead　with　a　glass？〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir。〃
　Hornblower　watched　the　young　lieutenant　dashing　up　the　rigging；　moving　as　fast　as　he　could　with　his　modore's　eye　on　him；　hanging　back　downward　as　he　scaled　the　futtock…shrouds；　going　hand　over　hand　up　the　topgallant…shrouds；　Hornblower　knew　that　in　his　present　condition　he　could　not　do　that　without　resting　in　the　maintop　for　a　space；　and　he　also　knew　that　his　eyes　were　not　as　good　as　they　were　…　not　as　good　as　the　lieutenant's。　He　watched　the　lieutenant　settle　himself　at　the　topgallant　mast…head；　adjust　his　glass；　and　sweep　the　horizon；　and　he　waited　impatiently　for　a　report。　Unable　to　wait　longer　he　grabbed　his　speaking…trumpet。
　〃Mast…head；　there！　What　do　you　see　of　the　shore　inside？〃
　〃Nothing；　sir。　It's　too　hazy　to　see　plain。　But　I　can　see　no　sails；　sir。〃
　Maybe　the　garrison　was　laughing　up　their　sleeves　at　him。　Maybe　the　boats　had　fallen　straight　into　their　hands；　and　now　they　were　amusing　themselves　watching　the　squadron　beginning　an　endless　wait　for　any　further　sight　of　the　lost　boats　and　seamen。　Hornblower　refused　to　allow　himself　to　be　pessimistic。　He　set　himself　to　picture　the　state　of　affairs　in　the　batteries　and　in　the　town；　when　the　dawn　revealed　a　British　squadron　lying…to　just　out　of　range。　How　the　drums　would　beat　and　trumpets　peal；　as　the　troops　were　hurriedly　turned　out　to　guard　against　a　possible　landing。　That　was　what　must　be　going　on　at　this　very　moment。　The　garrison；　the　French　governor；　must　be　still　unaware　as　yet　that　wolves　had　slipped　into　their　sheep…fold；　that　British　boat　crews　had　penetrated　into　the　waters　of　the　Haff　where　no　enemy　had　been　seen　since　Danzig　fell　to　the　French　five　years　back。　Hornblower　tried　to　fort　himself　with　thought　of　all　the　additional　bustle　that　would　develop　as　soon　as　the　situation　disclosed　itself　to　the　enemy；　the　messengers　that　would　gallop　with　warnings；　the　gunboats　that　would　be　hastily　warned；　the　coasters　and　barges　which　would　seek　the　shelter　of　the　nearest　batteries　…　if　batteries　there　were；　Hornblower　was　willing　to　bet　that　there　was　none　between　Elbing　and　K？nigsberg；　for　none　had　been　necessary　so　far。
　〃Mast…head！　Can't　you　see　anything　inshore？〃
　〃No；　sir　…　yes；　sir。　There's　gunboats　putting　out　from　the　town。〃
　Hornblower　could　see　those　himself；　a　flotilla　of　small　two…masted　vessels；　rigged　with　the　sprit…mainsails　usual　to　small　Baltic　craft；　putting　out　from　Elbing。　They　were　a　little　like　Norfolk　wherries。　Presumably　they　each　carried　one　heavy　gun；　a　twenty…four…pounder　possibly；　mounted　right　up　in　the　eyes　of　the　boat。　They　anchored　at　intervals　in　the　shoal　water；　obviously　as　a　further　protection　to　the　boom　in　case　of　an　attempt　upon　it。　Four　of　them　moved　right　across　and　anchored　to　guard　the　shallows　between　the　boom　and　the　Nehrung　…　not　exactly　loc