csf.thecommodore-第47节

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　Everything　was　in　a　muddle；　and　the　men　knew　it。　Brown　caught　a　spark　on　the　tinder；　jabbed　the　fuse　of　the　blue　light　upon　it；　and　then　blew　the　fuse　into　a　glow。　A　moment　later　the　firework　burst　into　an　unearthly　glare；　lighting　up　the　boat　and　the　water　round　it；　and　Hornblower　stood　up　so　that　his　features　and　his　uniform　should　be　visible　to　the　sloop。　It　was　poor　revenge　to　think　of　the　consternation　in　the　Raven　when　they　saw　that　they　had　been　firing　on　their　own　modore。　Hornblower　went　up　the　sloop's　side　in　a　state　of　cold　fury。　Cole　was　there　to　receive　him；　of　course。
　〃Well；　Mr　Cole？〃
　〃Sorry　I　fired　on　you；　sir；　but　you　didn't　answer　my　hail。〃
　〃Did　it　occur　to　you　that　with　this　wind　blowing　I　could　not　hear　you？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　But　we　know　the　French　are　out。　The　boats　fired　on　them　an　hour　back；　and　half　my　crew　is　away　in　the　boats。　Supposing　I　were　boarded　by　two　hundred　French　soldiers？　I　couldn't　take　chances；　sir。〃
　It　was　no　use　arguing　with　a　man　as　jumpy　and　as　nervous　as　Cole　evidently　was。
　〃You　sent　up　the　alarm　rocket？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　had　to　inform　you　that　the　bridges　were　at　sea。〃
　〃You　did　that　the　first　moment　you　knew？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Of　course；　sir。〃
　〃Did　it　occur　to　you　that　you　would　alarm　the　French　as　well？〃
　〃I　thought　that　was　what　you　wanted；　sir。〃
　Hornblower　turned　away　in　disgust。　The　man　in　his　excitement　had　clean　forgotten　every　order　given　him。
　〃Boat　approaching　from　to　wind'ard；　sir；〃　reported　someone；　his　white　shirt　just　visible　in　the　gathering　dawn。　Cole　ran　forward　excitedly；　with　Hornblower　striding　after　him；　catching　up　to　him　as　he　stood　at　the　knightheads　staring　at　the　boat。
　〃Boat　ahoy！〃　yelled　Cole　through　his　speaking　trumpet。
　〃Aye　aye〃　came　the　answering　hail　downwind。　That　was　the　correct　reply　for　an　approaching　boat　with　officers　on　board。　She　was　a　ship's　cutter　under　a　dipping　lugsail；　as　Hornblower　watched　she　took　in　the　sail　with　considerable　clumsiness　and　came　dropping　down　to　the　sloop　under　oars。　Level　with　the　bow　she　turned；　clumsily　again；　and　headed　in　to　lie　alongside　the　sloop。　Hornblower　could　see　she　was　crammed　with　men。
　〃Soldiers！〃　suddenly　exclaimed　Cole；　pointing　at　the　boat　with　an　excited　forefinger。　〃Stand　to　your　guns；　men！　Sheer　off；　there！〃
　Hornblower　could　see　shakoes　and　crossbelts；　it　must　be　just　the　kind　of　vision　Cole's　imagination　had　been　toying　with　all　through　the　night。　A　reassuring　English　voice　came　back　to　them　from　overside。
　〃Avast；　there！　This　is　Lotus's　cutter　with　prisoners。〃
　It　was　Purvis's　voice　without　a　doubt。　Hornblower　walked　to　the　waist　and　looked　down。　There　was　Purvis　in　the　stern；　and　British　seamen　in　check　shirts　at　the　oars；　but　every　inch　of　space　was　filled　with　soldiers；　sitting　in　attitudes　of　apprehension　or　dejection。　Right　up　in　the　eyes　of　the　boat；　round　the　boat's　gun；　four　red…coated　marines　held　their　muskets　at　the　ready；　that　was　the　way　Purvis　had　prepared　to　deal　with　any　attempt　by　the　prisoners　to　regain　their　freedom。
　〃Let　'em　e　up；〃　said　Hornblower。
　They　climbed　the　side；　greeted　by　the　grinning　seamen　as　they　reached　the　deck；　and　stared　round　in　the　growing　light。　Purvis　swung　himself　up　and　touched　his　hat　to　Hornblower。
　〃They're　all　Dutchmen；　I　think；　sir。　Not　Frogs。　We　got　'em　off　the　barge　we　caught。　Had　to　fire　into　'em　a　long　time　…　just　shot　the　barge　to　pieces；　us　an'　the　other　boats。　They're　following　us；　sir；　with　the　other　prisoners。〃
　〃You　only　caught　one　barge？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　The　others　ran　for　home　the　moment　the　rocket　went　up。　But　we　got　two　hundred　prisoners；　I　should　think；　an'　we　had　to　kill　nigh　on　a　hundred　more。〃
　One　single　barge　taken；　with　two　hundred　men；　when　Hornblower　had　hoped　for　a　dozen　barges　at　least　and　three　thousand　men！　But　Purvis　in　his　innocence　was　obviously　delighted　with　his　capture。
　〃Here's　one　of　their　officers；　sir。〃
　Hornblower　turned　on　the　blue…coated　man　who　was　wearily　climbing　over　the　side。
　〃Who　are　you；　sir？〃　he　asked　in　French；　and　after　a　moment's　hesitation　the　officer　replied　haltingly　in　the　same　language。
　〃Lieutenant　von　Bulow；　of　the　Fifty…first　Regiment　of　Infantry。〃
　〃French　infantry？〃
　〃Of　the　King　of　Prussia；〃　said　the　officer；　sternly；　with　a　Teutonic　explosiveness　in　the　word　'Prusse'　which　indicated　his　annoyance　at　the　suggestion　that　he　would　be　a　Frenchman。
　So　Macdonald　had　not　risked　French　lives　in　this　highly　dangerous　venture；　that　was　to　be　expected；　of　course。　Bonaparte　had　made　war　largely　at　the　expense　of　his　allies　for　the　last　ten　years。
　〃I　will　see　that　you　are　given　refreshment；〃　said　Hornblower；　politely。　〃Please　order　your　men　to　sit　down　against　the　rail　there。〃
　The　officer　barked　the　order。　It　was　significant　how　at　the　first　warning　'achtung'　the　dispirited　soldiers　came　instantly　to　attention；　standing　stiff　and　straight。　Most　of　them　were　wet　and　bedraggled；　apparently　having　been　in　the　water　before　surrendering。　Hornblower　gave　orders　for　them　to　be　fed；　at　the　same　time　as　the　other　boats　came　back　downwind；　each　with　its　quota　of　prisoners。　On　the　cramped　decks　of　the　Raven　the　two　hundred　prisoners　made　a　fine　show；　Cole　had　the　two　foremost　chase…guns　run　inboard　and　trained　round　upon　them；　a　round　of　canister　in　each　gun；　the　gun…captains　posted　with　lighted　matches　ready　to　fire　into　them。　Seamen；　still　grinning；　went　along　their　ranks　handing　out　bread　and　beer。
　〃See　how　they　eat；　sir！〃　said　Purvis。　〃Look　at　that　one；　layin'　into　his　biscuit　like　a　wolf　with　a　bone。　God　damme；　it's　gone　a'ready。　It's　true　what　they　say；　sir；　about　Boney　never　feeding　his　men。〃
　An　Imperial　army　was　wont　to　gather　its　food　from　the　countryside　as　it　marched；　Macdonald's　sixty　thousand　had　been　stationary　now　for　over　two　weeks；　and　in　a　thinly　populated　country。　They　must　be　on　short　mons。　Every　day　the　siege　of　Riga　could　be　prolonged　cost　lives　in　plenty　to　Bonaparte；　and　although　he　was　ever　prodigal　with　lives　there　must　e　a　time　at　last　when　he　would　have　no　more　to　spare；　not　even　Prussian　ones；　or　Italian　ones。　The　greater　the　pity；　then；　that　the　whole　division　that　had　tried　to　pass　the　river　had　not　been　wiped　out。　Hornblower　told　himself　that　was　his　fault；　he　should　not　have　entrusted　any　vital　part　of　the　operation　to　a　nervous　old　woman　like　Cole。　He　ought　instead　to　have　stayed　on　board　Raven　himself。　Yet　it　was　hard　to　be　sure　of　that；　the　other　end　of　the　line；　which　he　had　entrusted　to　Vickery　in　Lotus；　was　just　as　important；　and　it　was　desirable　that　he　should　be　in　the　centre　in　Nonsuch　to　coordinate　the　activities　of　his　two　wings。　If　Vickery　and　Cole　had　had　their　positions　interchanged　…　as　would　have　to　be　done　…　although　Vickery　could　have　been　relied　upon　not　to　spring　the　trap　too　soon；　could　Cole　have　been　relied　upon　to　keep　it　closed？　There　might　be　five　thousand　Prussians　on　the　farther　bank　of　the　Dwina　at　this　moment　if　it　had　been　up　to　Cole　to　head　them　off。　Hornblower　found　himself　wishing　that　he　had　known　exactly　which　night　Macdonald　would　make　the　attempt；　he　might　as　well　have　wished　for　the　moon。
　〃Mr　Cole；〃　said　Hornblower；　〃make　a　signal　to　Nonsuch；　'modore　to　Captain。　Am　proceeding　to　Riga　with　prisoners'。　Then　the　guard…boats　can　return　to　their　respective　ships；　and　if　you'll　kindly　up　anchor　we'll　start。〃
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY
　
　Hornblower　was　once　more　up　in　the　gallery　that　encircled　the　dome　of　the　church　of　Daugavgriva。
　〃You　see　what　I　was　telling　you　about；　sir；〃　said　Clausewitz；　pointing。
　Out　beyond　the　Russian　works　stretched　a　long　line；　brown　against　the　green；　the　parapet　of　the　trench　the　French　had　thrown　up　during　the　night。　Macdonald　must　be　a　general　with　energy；　for　he　had　had　this　work　done　at　the　same　time　as　he　had　sent　the　Prussians　on　their　risky　endeavour　to　cross　the　river；　so　that　while　one　attempt　had　failed　he　had　made　a　solid　gain；　profiting　by　the　dark　and　rainy　night　to　throw　up　this　entrenchment　far　forward　unobserved。
　〃That　is　his　first　parallel；　sir；　and　in　the　centre　of　it　is　the　battery　he　is　constructing。　And　see　there；　sir？　That　is　where　he　is　sapping　forward。〃
　Hornblower　stared　through　his　telescope。　At　a　point　towards　the　end　of　the　face　of　the　first　parallel　he　could　see　something　that　looked　like　a　wall　constructed　of　bundles　of　timber。　The　guns　in　the　Russian　works　far　below　him　were　firing　at　it；　he　could　see　earth　flying　as　the　shots　struck　round　it。　At　the　end　of　the　wall　of　timber　was　something　that　looked　strange　…　a　sort　of　shield　on　wheels。　He　was　studying　it　when　he　saw　it　moved　out　suddenly；　leaving　a　narrow　gap　between　it　and　the　end　of　the　timber　wall；　in　which　for　a　fleeting　moment　he　saw　a　couple　of　men　in　blue　uniforms。　It　was　only　a　fleeting　moment；　for　immediately　the　gap　was　filled　with　a　new　bundle　of　timber。　Above　the　new　bundle　he　could　see　the　blades　of　spades　rising　and　then　disappearing；　apparently　the　bundle　of　timber　was　hollow；　barrel…shaped；　and　as　soon　as　it　was　in　position　the　men　sheltering　behind　it　set　to　work　to　fill　it　up　with　earth　dug　from　behind　it。　Homblower　realized　that　he　was　witnessing　the　classic　method　of　sapping　towards　an　enemy's　position　with　'gabion'　and　'fascine'。　That　big　ti