csf.thecommodore-第42部分

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he　was　plaining　to　himself　about　the　burden　of　responsibility；　when　responsibility　was　the　inevitable　price　one　had　to　pay　for　independence；　irresponsibility　was　something　which；　in　the　very　nature　of　things；　could　not　co…exist　with　independence。　This　was　all　very　well　and　logical；　but　there　was　no　blinking　the　fact　that　he　wished　he　were　home；　he　could　conjure　up　in　imagination　so　vividly　the　touch　of　Barbara's　hand　on　his　own　that　it　was　an　acute　disappointment　to　realize　that　it　was　only　in　imagination。　He　wanted　to　have　Richard　on　his　knee　again；　shrieking　with　laughter　over　the　colossal　joke　of　having　his　nose　pinched。　And　he　did　not　want　to　imperil　his　reputation；　his　liberty；　and　his　life　in　bined　operations　with　these　unpredictable　Russians　in　a　God…forsaken　corner　of　the　world　like　Riga。　Yet　then　and　there　…　his　interest　rousing　itself　spontaneously　…　he　decided　that　he　had　better　go　below　and　re…read　the　Sailing　Directions　for　Riga；　and　a　close　study　of　the　chart　of　Riga　Bay　might　be　desirable；　too。
　
　CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN
　
　The　Northern　Continental　summer　had　e　speedily；　as　ever。　Last　week　at　Pillau　there　had　still　been　a　decided　touch　of　winter　in　the　air。　To…day；　with　Riga　just　over　the　horizon；　it　was　full　summer。　This　blazing　heat　would　have　done　credit　to　the　doldrums　were　it　not　for　an　invigorating　quality　which　the　tropics　never　knew。　A　brassy　sun　shone　down　from　a　cloudless　sky；　although　there　was　just　enough　mist　to　leave　the　distant　horizon　undefined。　There　was　a　gentle　two…knot　breeze　blowing　from　the　south…west；　just　enough　wind　to　give　Nonsuch　bare　steerage…way　with　all　her　canvas　set；　studding…sails　on　both　sides　to　the　royals。　The　squadron　was　making　the　best　speed　it　could；　with　Lotus　hull…down　on　the　starboard　bow；　Raven　close　astern；　and　the　two　bomb…ketches　trailing　far　behind；　even　the　clumsy　Nonsuch　could　outsail　them　in　the　prevailing　conditions。
　Everything　was　very　peaceful。　Forward　a　party　of　seamen　under　the　sailmaker's　supervision　were　overhauling　a　mainsail　for　repair。　In　the　waist　another　party　was　dragging　a　'bear'　up　and　down　the　deck　…　a　huge　coir　mat　weighted　down　with　sand　which　could　scrub　the　planking　more　effectively　than　holystones　could　do。　On　the　quarter…deck　the　sailing…master　was　holding　a　class　in　navigation；　his　mates　and　the　midshipmen　standing　round　him　in　a　semicircle；　their　sextants　in　their　hands。　Hornblower　walked　near　enough　to　hear　one　of　the　midshipmen；　a　mere　child　whose　voice　had　not　broken；　piping　up　a　reply　to　the　question　just　shot　at　him。
　〃The　parallax　of　an　object　is　measured　by　an　arc　of　a　vertical　circle　intercepted　between　a　line　extended　from　the　centre　of　the　earth　and　a　line　…　and　a　line　…　a　line　…〃
　The　midshipman　suddenly　became　conscious　of　the　awful　proximity　of　the　modore。　His　voice　quavered　and　died　away。　So　far　he　had　been　quoting　Node's　Epitome　of　Navigation　with　word…perfect　exactitude。　It　was　young　Gerard；　nephew　of　the　second　lieutenant　of　the　Sutherland；　whom　Bush　had　taken　into　his　ship　for　the　sake　of　his　uncle；　still　languishing　in　a　French　prison。　The　sailing…master's　brows　drew　together　in　a　frown。
　〃e；　e；　Mr　Gerard；〃　he　said。
　Hornblower　had　a　sudden　mental　picture　of　young　Gerard　bent　over　the　breech　of　a　gun　while　a　lithe　cane　taught　him　at　least　the　necessity　of　knowing　Norie's　Epitome　by　heart。　He　intervened　in　hurried　pity。
　〃'Between　a　line　extended　from　the　centre　of　the　earth'；〃　he　said；　over　Gerard's　shoulder；　〃'and　a　line　extended　from　the　eye　of　the　observer；　through　the　centre　of　the　object。'　Is　that　correct；　Mr　Tooth？〃
　〃Quite　correct；　sir；〃　said　the　sailing…master。
　〃I　think　Mr　Gerard　knew　it　all　the　time。　Didn't　you；　youngster？〃
　〃Y　…　yes；　sir。〃
　〃I　thought　so。　I　was　just　your　age　when　I　learned　that　same　passage。〃
　Hornblower　resumed　his　walk；　hoping　that　he　had　saved　Gerard's　skinny　posterior　from　punishment。　A　sudden　scurrying　by　the　midshipman　of　the　watch　to　grab　slate　and　pencil　told　him　that　one　of　the　squadron　was　making　a　signal；　and　two　minutes　later　the　midshipman　saluted　him；　message　in　hand。
　〃Lotus　to　modore。　Land　in　sight　bearing　South。〃
　That　would　be　Pitraga　Cape；　the　southern　headland　of　the　entrance　to　the　Gulf　of　Riga。
　〃Reply　'Heave　to　and　await　modore'；〃　said　Hornblower。
　If　the　weather　were　not　so　thick　the　island　of　Oesel　ought　to　be　just　in　sight　to　the　northward　from　the　masthead。　They　were　just　passing　the　threshold　of　a　new　adventure。　Some　seventy　miles　ahead；　at　the　bottom　of　the　gulf；　lay　Riga；　presumably　even　now　being　assailed　by　the　armies　of　Bonaparte。　With　this　mere　pretence　of　a　wind　it　would　be　a　couple　of　days　before　he　reached　there。　The　fact　that　they　were　entering　Russian　waters　again　was　making　not　the　least　ripple　on　the　placid　surface　of　the　ship's　life。　Everything　was　progressing　as　before；　yet　Hornblower　felt　in　his　bones　that　many　of　the　men　now　entering　the　Gulf　of　Riga　would　never　e　out　from　it；　even　if　any　should。　Even　with　this　hot　sun　blazing　down　upon　him；　under　this　radiant　sky；　Hornblower　felt　a　sudden　chill　of　foreboding　which　it　was　hard　to　throw　off。　He　himself　…　it　was　curious　to　think　that　his　dead　body　might　be　buried　in　Russia；　of　all　places。
　Someone　…　the　Russians；　or　the　Swedes；　or　the　Finns　…　had　buoyed　effectively　the　channel　that　wound　its　way　through　the　treacherous　shallows　of　the　Gulf　of　Finland。　Even　though　the　squadron　had　to　anchor　for　the　night　a　slight　freshening　and　veering　of　the　wind　enabled　them　to　ascend　the　whole　gulf　by　the　evening　of　the　next　day。　They　picked　up　a　pilot　at　noon；　a　bearded　individual　who　wore　sea…boots　and　a　heavy　jacket　even　on　this　blazing　day。　He　proved　to　be　an　Englishman；　Carker　by　name；　who　had　not　set　eyes　on　his　native　land　for　twenty…four　years。　He　blinked　at　Hornblower　like　an　owl　when　the　latter　began　to　fire　questions　at　him　regarding　the　progress　of　the　war。　Yes；　some　cavalry　patrols　of　French　and　Prussians　had　shown　themselves　advancing　towards　Riga。　The　last　news　of　the　main　campaign　was　of　desperate　fighting　round　Smolensk；　and　everyone　was　expecting　Bonaparte　to　be　beaten　there。　The　town　was　preparing　itself　for　a　siege；　he　believed　…　at　least；　there　were　plenty　of　soldiers　there；　when　he　had　left　in　his　cutter　yesterday；　and　there　had　been　proclamations　calling　on　the　people　to　fight　to　the　last；　but　no　one　could　imagine　the　French　making　a　serious　attack　on　the　place。
　Hornblower　turned　away　from　him　impatiently　in　the　end；　as　a　typical　example　of　the　uninformed　civilian；　with　no　real　knowledge　of　affairs　or　appreciation　of　the　seriousness　of　the　situation。　Livonia；　having　been　for　centuries　the　cockpit　of　northern　Europe；　had　not　seen　an　enemy　during　the　last　three　generations；　and　had　forgotten　even　the　traditions　of　invasion。　Hornblower　had　no　intention　at　all　of　taking　his　squadron　into　the　Dwina　River　（queer　names　these　Russians　used！）　if　there　was　a　chance　of　his　retreat　being　cut　off；　and　he　stared　out　through　his　glass　at　the　low　green　shore　when　it　came　in　sight　at　last　from　the　deck。　Almost　right　astern　of　the　squadron　the　sun　was　lying　on　the　horizon　in　a　fiery　bed　of　cloud；　but　there　were　two　hours　more　of　daylight　left；　and　Nonsuch　crept　steadily　closer　to　Riga。　Bush　came　up　to　him　and　touched　his　hat。
　〃Pardon；　sir；　but　do　you　hear　anything？　Gunfire；　maybe？〃
　Hornblower　strained　his　attention。
　〃Yes；　gunfire；　by　God；〃　he　said。
　It　was　the　lowest；　faintest　muttering；　ing　upwind　from　the　distant　shore。
　〃The　Frogs　have　got　there　before　us；　sir；〃　said　Bush。
　〃Be　ready　to　anchor；〃　said　Hornblower。　Nonsuch　crept　steadily　on；　gliding　at　three　or　four　knots　towards　the　land；　the　water　around　her　was　greyish　yellow　with　the　mud　borne　down　by　a　great　river。　The　mouth　of　the　Dwina　was　only　a　mile　or　two　ahead；　and　with　the　spring　rains　and　the　melting　of　the　snows　the　river　must　be　in　full　flood。　The　buoys　of　a　middle…ground　shoal　enabled　Hornblower　to　make　sure　of　his　position；　he　was　ing　within　long　cannon…shot　of　those　flat　green　shores。　As　though　standing　in　the　yellow　water　there　was　a　church　visible　on　the　starboard　bow；　with　an　onion…shaped　dome　surmounted　by　a　cross　which　reflected　back　to　him；　even　at　that　distance；　the　red　glare　of　the　sunset。　That　must　be　the　village　of　Daugavgriva；　on　the　left　bank；　if　it　were　in　French　hands　entrance　to　the　river　would　be　dangerous；　perhaps　impossible；　as　soon　as　they　had　big　guns　mounted　there。　Maybe　they　already　had。
　〃Captain　Bush；〃　said　Hornblower；　〃I'd　be　obliged　if　you　would　anchor。〃
　The　cable　roared　out　through　the　hawsehole；　and　Nonsuch　swung　round　to　the　wind　as　the　hands；　pouring　aloft；　took　in　the　sails。　The　rest　of　the　squadron　came　up　and　prepared　to　anchor　just　when　Hornblower　was　beginning　to　feel　he　had　been　too　precipitate；　or　at　least　when　he　was　regretting　bitterly　that　night　had　e　upon　him　before　he　could　open　munication　with　the　shore。
　〃Call　away　my　barge；〃　he　ordered。　〃Captain　Bush；　I　am　shifting　to　Harvey。　You　will　assume　mand　of　the　squadron　during　my　absence。〃
　Mound　was　at　the　side　to　wele　him　as　he　swung　himself　up　over　Harvey's　low　freeboard。
　〃Square　away；　Mr　Mound。　We'll　close　the　shore　in　the　direction　of　that　church。　Set　a　good　hand　at　work　with　the　lead。〃
　The　bomb…