csf.thecommodore-第35节

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should　e；　but　Hornblower　could　see　the　ports　opening　slightly　with　the　roll　of　the　ship；　moreover；　judging　by　the　little　of　the　action　of　the　guns'　crews　that　he　could　see　she　had　not　uncoupled　and　stowed　her　train…tackles；　giving　her　a　clear　five　seconds'　start　over　the　other　ships。　It　was　foolish　of　Cole　to　try　an　old　trick　like　that；　and　one　so　easily　detected；　it　was　right　that　Raven's　shame　should　be　proclaimed　to　the　rest　of　the　squadron。　Half　the　object　of　manoeuvres　was　to　sharpen　the　captains'　wits；　if　they　could　manage　to　outguess　the　modore；　well　and　good；　for　there　would　be　more　likelihood　of　their　outguessing　a　Frenchman　should　they　meet　one。
　Raven　hastily　secured　gun…ports　and　train…tackles；　to　rub　the　lesson　in　Hornblower　waited　until　he　was　sure　the　order　had　just　been　passed　on　her　decks　and　then　sent　up　the　signal　for　running　out　the　guns。　The　counter…order　following　so　quickly　upon　the　order　caught　Raven　unready　…　Hornblower　could　imagine　the　cursing　officers　on　her　main…deck　…　and　she　was　seven　full　seconds　behind　any　other　ship　in　hoisting　the　'evolution　pleted'　signal。　There　was　no　need　to　ment　on　the　fact；　however　…　everybody　in　the　Raven　would　be　aware　of　what　had　happened　and　a　further　reprimand　might　weaken　Cole's　authority　over　his　ship's　pany。
　It　was　an　active　busy　morning　for　all　hands　in　the　squadron；　and　Hornblower；　looking　back　to　the　time　when　he　was　a　midshipman；　could　well　imagine　the　sigh　of　relief　that　must　have　gone　round　when　at　noon　he　signalled　for　the　order　of　sailing　and　gave　the　men　a　chance　to　get　their　dinners。　He　watched　the　Nonsuch's　crew　form　up　to　receive　their　ration　of　spirits；　the　eager；　skylarking　hands　each　carrying　his　wooden　piggin；　the　guard　over　the　grog　tub　…　the　latter　with　its　painted　inscription　'The　King；　God　bless　him'；　Montgomery　and　two　master's　mates　watching　the　issue。　Hornblower　saw　one　hand　e　up　to　the　tub　and　be　indignantly　hustled　away；　evidently　he　was　a　defaulter　who　had　been　sentenced　to　lose　his　ration　and　who　had　nevertheless　tried　to　obtain　it。　Such　an　attempt　would　earn　a　man　at　least　two　dozen　lashes　in　some　ships　but；　judging　by　Montgomery's　actions；　it　would　mean　no　more　than　a　further　deprivation　or　a　spell　at　the　pumps　or　perhaps　a　turn　at　cleaning　out　the　heads。
　The　liveliness　and　high　spirits　of　everyone　were　reassuring。　He　could　rely　on　these　men　to　fight　as　desperately　as　any　occasion　could　demand；　equally　important；　he　could　rely　on　them　to　endure　the　long　tedious　days　of　beating　about　at　sea；　the　wearisome　monotony　of　life　in　a　ship　of　the　line；　without　more　plaint　than　one　need　expect。　But　he　must　drop　a　hint　to　Bush　to　see　that　this　happy　condition　endured。　A　hornpipe　petition　…　theatricals　…　something　of　that　sort　would　be　necessary　soon；　unless　there　should　happen　to　be　enough　action　to　keep　the　men's　minds　busy。　And　with　that　decision　he　turned　and　went　below；　having　managed；　as　a　result　of　this　morning's　activity；　to　drive　out　of　his　own　mind　any　worry　about　what　to　do　with　Braun　when　the　latter　should　recover　from　his　wound。　After　all；　he　might　yet　die。
　Besides；　there　were　the　charts　of　the　Frisches　Haff　and　the　approaches　to　K？nigsberg　to　study；　and　plans　to　be　made　for　assailing　Bonaparte's　munications　in　the　neighbourhood；　should　that　be　possible。　If　this　fair　wind　should　persist　he　had　no　more　than　three　days　in　which　to　think　out　some　method　of　attack　there。　He　had　the　charts　got　out　for　him　and　he　pored　over　them；　irritably　calling　for　lamps　to　light　his　dim　cabin　so　as　to　make　it　possible　to　read　the　little　figures　scattered　over　them。　The　soundings　were　fantastically　plex；　and　the　problem　of　studying　them　was　not　made　easier　by　the　fact　that　he　had　three　different　charts　to　study　…　a　Swedish　one　with　the　soundings　marked　in　Swedish　feet；　a　new　French　one　with　the　soundings　in　metres；　and　only　a　sketchy　English　one　in　fathoms。　It　was　a　toilsome　business　paring　them；　and　perfectly　unsatisfactory　in　the　end；　seeing　that　they　did　not　agree。
　Yet　the　desirability　of　striking　a　blow　there　was　perfectly　obvious。　In　roadless　Poland　and　East　Prussia　the　only　way　of　distributing　provisions　and　munitions　to　Bonaparte's　swelling　armies　was　by　water。　His　main　advanced　base　was　Danzig；　whence　the　troops　in　Central　Poland　could　be　supplied　by　the　Vistula。　But　the　large　forces　in　East　Prussia　and　in　eastern　Poland　were　dependent　on　the　other　river　systems；　radiating　from　K？nigsberg　and　Elbing　on　the　Frisches　Haff。　This　Frisches　Haff；　a　long　narrow　lagoon　almost　cut　off　from　the　Baltic　by　a　long　sand　spit；　would　quite　obviously　be　the　scene　of　extensive　barge　traffic　from　Elbing　to　K？nigsberg。　Fifty　miles　long；　a　dozen　miles　wide；　shallow　…　three　or　four　fathoms　at　most　…　with　the　narrow　entrance　guarded　by　the　guns　of　the　fortress　of　Pillau；　from　the　French　point　of　view　it　would　be　a　perfectly　safe　route　for　water…borne　supplies；　sheltered　both　from　storms　and　from　the　English。　Danzig　was　the　best　objective；　of　course；　for　a　stroke　anywhere　along　this　Baltic　coast；　but　Danzig　was　safe；　several　miles　from　the　sea　up　the　Vistula；　and　heavily　fortified　to　boot。　If　it　took　Bonaparte　and　a　hundred　thousand　men　three　months　to　capture　Danzig　Hornblower　was　not　likely　to　effect　anything　against　the　place　with　a　couple　of　hundred　marines。　Danzig　was　impregnable　to　him。　For　that　matter；　so　were　K？nigsberg　and　Elbing。　But　it　was　the　munications　between　them　that　he　wanted　to　break；　no　more　than　that　need　be　done。　The　wind　was　fair；　too　…　a　Roman　would　look　on　that　as　a　good　omen。
　
　CHAPTER　FIFTEEN
　
　This　was　an　ideal　night　in　which　to　reconnoitre　the　entrance　to　the　Frisches　Haff。　Overcast；　so　that　not　much　light　came　from　the　summer　sky　with　the　sun　only　just　below　the　horizon；　and　a　strong　breeze　blowing　…　the　sloop　Hornblower　had　just　quitted　had　single…reefed　her　topsails　earlier　in　the　evening。　A　strong　breeze　and　a　choppy　sea　meant　that　there　would　be　far　less　chance　of　guard…boats　…　guard…boats　manned　by　landsmen　…　rowing　a　close　watch　over　this　boom　that　Hornblower　was　setting　out　to　investigate。
　But　at　the　same　time　Hornblower　was　suffering　considerable　personal　inconvenience　from　the　choppy　sea。　The　cutter　in　whose　sternsheets　he　sat　was　rearing　and　plunging；　standing　first　on　her　bows　and　then　on　her　stern；　with　the　spray　flying　across　her　in　a　continuous　sheet；　so　that　a　couple　of　hands　had　to　bale　all　the　time。　The　spray　was　finding　its　way　remorselessly　through　the　interstices　of　his　boat…cloak；　so　that　he　was　wet　and　cold；　and　the　cold　and　the　violent　motion　inevitably　turned　his　mind　towards　seasickness。　His　stomach　felt　as　uneasy　as　his　body　felt　unfortable。　In　the　darkness　he　could　not　see　Vickery；　beside　him　at　the　tiller；　nor　Brown　tending　the　sheet；　and　he　felt　a　poor　sort　of　relief　at　the　thought　that　his　pallor　and　uneasiness　were　not　apparent　to　them。　Unlike　some　victims　he　had　met　he　could　never　be　seasick　unselfconsciously；　he　told　himself　bitterly；　and　then　with　his　usual　rasping　self…analysis　he　told　himself　that　that　should　not　surprise　him；　seeing　that　he　was　never　unselfconscious　at　all。
　He　shifted　his　position　in　the　stern　of　the　cutter；　and　clutched　his　cloak　more　tightly　round　him。　The　Germans　and　Frenchmen　guarding　Pillau　had　as　yet　no　knowledge　that　an　English　squadron　was　so　close　to　them；　it　was　less　than　an　hour　ago　that　he　had　e　up　in　the　darkness　with　the　two　sloops；　leaving　Nonsuch　and　the　bomb…vessels　over　the　horizon。　A　soft…hearted　senior　officer　in　K？nigsberg　might　easily　hesitate　before　giving　orders　that　a　guard…boat　should　toilsomely　row　guard　up　and　down　the　boom　on　such　a　blustery　night；　and　even　if　the　orders　were　given　there　was　every　chance　that　the　petty　officer　in　charge　of　the　boat　might　shirk　his　duty　…　especially　as　there　could　not　be　much　love　lost　between　French　who　would　occupy　the　higher　ranks　and　the　Germans　who　would　fill　the　lower　ones。
　A　low　warning　cry　came　from　the　lookout　in　the　bows；　and　Vickery　put　down　his　tiller　a　trifle；　bringing　the　cutter　closer　to　the　wind。　She　rose　over　a　crest；　and　then　as　she　came　down　in　the　trough　a　dark　object　appeared　close　overside；　dimly　visible　in　the　darkness　in　a　flurry　of　foam。
　〃A　cable；　sir；〃　reported　Vickery。　〃An'　there's　the　boom；　right　ahead。〃
　On　the　heaving　surface　of　the　sea　just　ahead　could　be　seen　a　faint　hint　of　blackness。
　〃Lay　me　alongside　it；〃　said　Hornblower；　and　Vickery　turned　up　into　the　wind；　and　at　his　shouted　order　the　lugsail　came　down　and　the　cutter　ranged　herself　against　the　boom。　The　wind　was　blowing　not　quite　along　it；　so　that　there　was　a　tiny　lee　on　their　side　of　the　boom；　on　the　far　side　the　steep　waves　broke　against　it　with　a　roar；　but　on　this　side　the　surface　for　a　narrow　space　was　smooth　although　covered　with　foam　that　reflected　what　little　light　made　its　way　from　the　dark　sky。　The　bowmen　had　hooked　on　to　the　cable　just　where　it　was　secured　to　the　boom。
　Hornblower　put　off　his　cloak　and　left　himself　exposed　to　the　spray　which　hurtled　at　him；　poised　himself　for　a　leap；　and　sprang　for　the　boom。　As　he　landed　on　it　a　wave　broke　across　it；　sousing　him　to　the　skin；　and　he　had　to　clutch　desperately　with　fingers　and　toes　to　save　himself　from　being　washed　off。　He　was　riding　an　enormous　tree　t