csf.thecommodore-第50节

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　of　chips　flying；　and　remaining　embedded　in　the　brickwork　like　a　plum　in　a　cake。　A　moment　later　Hornblower　swung　round　to　a　sudden　unusual　noise　to　see　his　two　midshipmen　standing　staring　at　the　headless　corpse　of　a　seaman　who　a　moment　before　had　been　walking　at　their　heels。　A　ball　flying　over　the　earthworks　had　shattered　his　head　to　atoms　and　flung　his　body　against　them。　Somers　was　eyeing　with　disgust　the　blood　and　brains　which　had　spattered　his　white　trousers。
　〃e　along；〃　said　Hornblower。
　In　the　gallery　under　the　dome　they　could　look　down　upon　the　siege。　The　zigzag　approach　trench　was　almost　half…way　towards　the　defences；　the　head　of　it　almost　obscured　by　flying　earth　as　the　Russians　fired　furiously　upon　it。　But　the　central　redoubt　which　covered　the　entrance　to　the　village　was　in　bad　shape；　its　parapets　battered　into　nothing　more　than　mounds；　a　gun　lying　half　buried　beside　its　shattered　carriage；　although　the　other　one　was　still　being　worked　by　a　devoted　little　group。　The　whole　of　the　French　works　were　obscured　by　the　thin　pall　of　smoke　which　spread　from　the　breaching　battery；　but　the　smoke　was　not　so　thick　as　to　hide　a　column　of　infantry　marching　down　towards　the　first　parallel　from　the　rear。
　〃They　relieve　the　guard　of　the　trenches　at　noon；〃　explained　Clausewitz。　〃Where　are　these　boats　of　yours；　sir？〃
　〃Here　they　e；〃　said　Hornblower。
　They　were　creeping　over　the　silvery　water；　fantastic　in　appearance；　the　ketches　with　their　sails　furled　and　the　ugly　bulks　of　the　lighters　beside　them。　The　long　clumsy　sweeps；　a　dozen　on　each　side；　looked　like　the　legs　of　a　water…boatman　on　a　pond；　but　far　slower　in　movement　as　the　toiling　seamen　who　manned　them　tugged　them　through　each　successive　endless　stroke。
　〃Somers！　Gerard！〃　said　Hornblower；　sharply。　〃How　are　your　signalling　arrangements　working　out？　Lash　those　blocks　to　the　cornice　up　there。　e　along；　you　haven't　all　day　to　get　ready　in。〃
　The　midshipmen　and　seamen　addressed　themselves　to　the　business　of　making　a　signalling　station　up　on　the　gallery。　The　blocks　were　lashed　to　the　cornice　and　the　halliards　rove　through　them；　the　Russian　staff　watching　the　operation　with　interest。　Meanwhile　the　bomb…ketches　came　crawling　up　the　bay；　painfully　slowly　under　their　sweeps；　heading　crabwise　on　account　of　the　gentle　breeze　on　their　bow；　before　which　they　sagged　away　to　leeward　quite　perceptibly　to　Hornblower's　eye　above　them。　No　one　among　the　enemy　seemed　to　be　paying　them　the　least　attention；　Bonaparte's　armies；　lords　of　Europe　from　Madrid　to　Smolensk；　had　had　few　opportunities　of　being　acquainted　with　bomb…ketches。　The　firing　from　the　big　battery　went　on　steadily；　pounding　at　the　crumbling　Russian　earthworks　below；　with　the　Russians　returning　the　fire　with　desperate　energy。
　The　Harvey　and　the　Moth　came　creeping　in　until　they　were　quite　close　to　shore；　Hornblower　through　his　glass　could　see　minute　figures　moving　in　their　bows；　and　knew　they　were　dropping　their　anchors。　The　sweeps　worked　spasmodically；　first　on　one　side　and　then　on　the　other　…　Hornblower　up　in　the　gallery；　his　heart　beating　fast；　could　well　picture　Mound　and　Duncan　on　their　quarter…decks　shouting　their　orders　to　the　rowers　as　they　manoeuvred　themselves　about　like　beetles　pinned　to　a　card。　They　were　placing　themselves　in　position　to　drop　other　anchors　at　the　stern；　so　that　by　veering　and　hauling　in　on　their　cables　they　could　swing　themselves　so　as　to　be　able　to　point　their　mortars　anywhere　along　a　wide　arc。　Clausewitz　and　the　staff　looked　on　unprehending；　having　no　notion　of　the　meaning　of　these　manoeuvres。　Hornblower　saw　the　stern　anchors　let　go；　and　could　see　little　groups　of　men　bending　to　work　at　the　capstans；　the　bomb…ketches　turned　almost　imperceptibly　first　this　way　and　then　that　as　their　captains　trained　them　round　by　the　aid　of　the　leading　marks　on　the　shore。
　〃There's　the　'ready'　flag　going　up　in　Harvey；〃　said　Hornblower；　the　glass　at　his　eye。
　The　sheave　in　the　block　above　his　head　shrilled　noisily　as　the　halliard　ran　over　it；　bearing　the　acknowledgement。　A　big　puff　of　smoke　suddenly　spurted　upwards　from　the　Harvey's　bows；　Hornblower　at　that　distance　could　see　nothing　of　the　shell　in　its　flight；　and　he　waited　nervously；　pelling　himself　to　search　the　whole　area　round　about　the　battery　to　make　sure　of　seeing　the　burst。　And　he　saw　nothing；　nothing　at　all。　Reluctantly　he　ordered　hoisted　the　black　cone　for　'unobserved'　and　Harvey　fired　again。　This　time　he　could　see　the　burst；　a　little　volcano　of　smoke　and　fragments　just　beyond　the　battery。
　〃That　was　over；　sir；〃　said　Somers。
　〃Yes。　Make　that　to　Harvey。〃
　Duncan　had　anchored　Moth　by　now；　and　was　flying　the　signal　of　readiness。　Harvey's　next　shell　fell　square　in　the　centre　of　the　battery；　and　immediately　afterwards　Moth's　first　shell　did　the　same。　At　once　the　two　ketches　began　a　systematic　bombardment　of　the　battery；　dropping　shells　into　it　in　constant　succession；　so　that　there　was　not　a　moment　when　a　fountain　of　smoke　and　earth　was　not　apparent　within　its　earthworks。　It　was　a　plain　rectangular　structure；　without　traverses　or　internal　subdivisions；　and　there　was　no　shelter　for　the　men　within　it　now　that　their　enemy　had　found　means　to　circumvent　their　earthworks。　They　only　maintained　their　fire　for　a　few　seconds；　and　then　Hornblower　could　see　them　running　from　their　guns；　the　interior　of　the　battery　looked　like　a　disturbed　ants'　nest。　One　of　the　big　thirteen…inch　shells　landed　full　on　the　parapet；　and　the　smoke　clearing　away　revealed　the　breastwork　blown　flat；　opening　the　interior　of　the　battery　to　view　from　ground　level　in　the　village；　and　through　the　gap　was　visible　the　muzzle　of　a　dismounted　siege…gun；　pointed　skyward　and　helpless　…　a　cheering　sight　for　the　defence。　That　was　only　the　beginning。　Gap　after　gap　was　blown　in　the　earthworks；　the　whole　interior　was　plastered　with　shells。　At　one　moment　there　was　a　much　bigger　explosion　than　usual；　and　Hornblower　guessed　that　an　'expense　magazine'　…　the　small　store　of　gunpowder　kept　in　the　battery　and　continually　replenished　from　the　rear　…　had　blown　up。　Down　below　him　the　defence　had　taken　new　heart；　and　every　gun　along　the　menaced　front　had　reopened　fire；　it　was　a　shot　from　the　village；　apparently；　which　hit　the　muzzle　of　the　dismounted　gun　and　flung　it　back　upon　the　ground。
　〃Signal　'cease　fire'；〃　said　Hornblower。
　Thirteen…inch　shells　were　not　munitions　of　war　that　could　be　readily　obtained　in　the　Baltic；　and　there　was　no　purpose　in　wasting　them　upon　a　target　which　was　silenced　and　at　least　made　temporarily　useless。　And　then　came　the　countermove　on　the　part　of　the　attack；　as　he　had　expected。　A　battery　of　field　artillery　was　ing　over　the　distant　slope；　six　guns；　minute　at　that　distance；　jolting　and　swaying　after　their　limbers。　The　country　was　still　marshy；　for　the　summer　was　not　yet　old　enough　to　have　dried　up　the　fields；　and　the　artillery；　hock　and　axle…deep　in　the　mire；　made　only　slow　progress。
　'Signal　for　the　target　to　change；'　ordered　Hornblower。
　There　was　no　means　of　observing　the　fall　of　the　shells　on　the　new　target；　for　the　bomb…ketches　were　dropping　them　just　over　the　high　dyke。　It　was　a　matter　of　chance　should　they　do　any　destruction；　but　Hornblower　could　guess　that　the　park　and　depots　of　an　army　of　sixty　thousand　men　conducting　a　first…class　siege　were　likely　to　be　both　extensive　and　crowded；　a　few　shells　dropped　there　might　do　good。　The　first　field　battery　was　approaching　the　water's　edge；　the　horses　wheeling　round　to　leave　the　guns　pointing　at　the　bomb…ketches　at　neat　geometrical　intervals。
　〃Harvey　signals　she's　shifting　target；　sir；〃　reported　Gerard。
　〃Very　good。〃

　Harvey　was　firing　at　the　field　battery；　it　took　her　a　little　while　to　get　the　range；　and　field…guns；　spaced　far　apart　in　a　long　thin　line；　were　not　a　good　target　for　mortars；　even　though　the　fall　of　the　shells　was　now　under　direct　observation。　And　a　second　battery　was　ing　up　on　the　flank　of　the　first　and　…　Hornblower's　telescope　could　easily　make　them　out　across　the　narrow　extremity　of　the　bay　…　there　were　more　guns　ing　into　action　to　put　the　bomb…vessels　under　a　cross…fire。　One　of　Harvey's　shells　burst　close　beside　one　of　the　guns；　presumably　killing　every　man　serving　it；　but　by　chance　leaving　the　gun　itself　still　on　its　wheels。　The　other　guns　had　opened　fire；　the　smoke　creeping　lazily　from　their　muzzles。　Across　the　bay　the　other　field　batteries　were　ing　into　action；　although　at　very　long　range　for　field　artillery。　There　was　no　purpose　in　continuing　to　expose　the　bomb…ketches　to　the　fire　of　the　shore；　Macdonald　had　two　hundred　field…guns；　and　there　were　only　two　bomb…ketches。
　〃Signal　'Discontinue　the　action'；〃　ordered　Hornblower。
　Now　that　he　had　given　the　word　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　waited　over…long。　It　seemed　ages　before　the　bomb…ketches　got　their　anchors　hoisted；　and　Hornblower　could　see；　as　he　waited　anxiously；　the　splashes　thrown　up　all　round　them　by　the　shots　from　the　shore。　He　saw　the　sweeps　thrust　out　from　the　sides　of　the　lighters　take　a　grip　on　the　water；　swinging　the　vessels　round；　and　then　the　white　sails　mounted　the　masts；　and　the　queer　craft　sailed　away　out　of　range；　making　vast　leeway　which　caused　them　to　head　crab　wise　aslant　of　their　course。　Hornblower　turned　away　with　relief　to　meet　the　ey