csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第14节

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　He　took　the　pistols　neatly　from　Hornblower's　belt　as　he　spoke；　looked　Hornblower　keenly　over；　and　then　went　on。
　'That　dirk　that　you　wear　at　your　side；　sir。　Would　you　oblige　me　by　the　loan　of　it？　I　assure　you　that　I　will　return　it　to　you　when　we　part　pany。　But　while　you　are　on　board　here　I　fear　that　your　impetuous　youth　might　lead　you　into　some　rash　act　while　you　are　wearing　a　weapon　which　a　credulous　mind　might　believe　to　be　lethal。　A　thousand　thanks。　And　now　might　I　show　you　the　berth　that　is　being　prepared　for　you？'
　With　a　courteous　bow　he　led　the　way　below。　Two　decks　down；　presumably　at　the　level　of　a　foot　or　two　below　the　water　line；　was　a　wide　bare　'tweendecks；　dimly　lighted　and　scantily　ventilated　by　the　hatchways。
　'Our　slave　deck；'　explained　Neuville　carelessly。
　'Slave　deck？'　asked　Hornblower。
　'Yes。　It　is　here　that　the　slaves　were　confined　during　the　middle　passage。'
　Much　was　clear　to　Hornblower　at　once。　A　slave　ship　could　be　readily　converted　into　a　privateer。　She　would　already　be　armed　with　plenty　of　guns　to　defend　herself　against　treacherous　attacks　while　making　her　purchases　in　the　African　rivers；　she　was　faster　than　the　average　merchant　ship　both　because　of　the　lack　of　need　of　hold　space　and　because　with　a　highly　perishable　cargo　such　as　slaves　speed　was　a　desirable　quality；　and　she　was　constructed　to　carry　large　numbers　of　men　and　the　great　quantities　of　food　and　water　necessary　to　keep　them　supplied　while　at　sea　in　search　of　prizes。
　'Our　market　in　San　Domingo　has　been　closed　to　us　by　recent　events；　of　which　you　must　have　heard；　sir；'　went　on　Neuville；　'and　so　that　the　Pique　could　continue　to　return　dividends　to　me　I　have　converted　her　into　a　privateer。　Moreover；　seeing　that　the　activities　of　the　mittee　of　Public　Safety　at　present　make　Paris　a　more　unhealthy　spot　even　than　the　West　Coast　of　Africa；　I　decided　to　take　mand　of　my　vessel　myself。　To　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that　a　certain　resolution　and　hardihood　are　necessary　to　make　a　privateer　a　profitable　investment。'
　Neuville's　face　hardened　for　a　moment　into　an　expression　of　the　grimmest　determination；　and　then　softened　at　once　into　its　previous　meaningless　politeness。
　'This　door　in　this　bulkhead；'　he　continued；　'leads　to　the　quarters　I　have　set　aside　for　captured　officers。　Here；　as　you　see；　is　your　cot。　Please　make　yourself　at　home　here。　Should　this　ship　go　into　action…as　I　trust　she　will　frequently　do…the　hatches　above　will　be　battened　down。　But　except　on　those　occasions　you　will　of　course　be　at　liberty　to　move　about　the　ship　at　your　will。　Yet　I　suppose　I　had　better　add　that　any　harebrained　attempt　on　the　part　of　prisoners　to　interfere　with　the　working　or　wellbeing　of　this　ship　would　be　deeply　resented　by　the　crew。　They　serve　on　shares；　you　understand；　and　are　risking　their　lives　and　their　liberty。　I　would　not　be　surprised　if　any　rash　person　who　endangered　their　dividends　and　freedom　were　dropped　over　the　side　into　the　sea。'
　Hornblower　forced　himself　to　reply；　he　would　not　reveal　that　he　was　almost　struck　dumb　by　the　calculating　callousness　of　this　last　speech。
　'I　understand；'　he　said。
　'Excellent！　Now　is　there　anything　further　you　may　need；　sir？
　Hornblower　looked　round　the　bare　quarters　in　which　he　was　to　suffer　lonely　confinement；　lit　by　a　dim　glimmer　of　light　from　a　swaying　slush　lamp。
　'Could　I　have　something　to　read？'　he　asked。
　Neuville　thought　for　a　moment。
　'I　fear　there　are　only　professional　books；'　he　said。　'But　I　can　let　you　have　Grandjean's　Principles　of　Navigation；　and　Lebrun's　Handbook　on　Seamanship　and　some　similar　volumes；　if　you　think　you　can　understand　the　French　in　which　they　are　written。'
　'I'll　try；'　said　Hornblower。
　Probably　it　was　as　well　that　Hornblower　was　provided　with　the　materials　for　such　strenuous　mental　exercise。　The　effort　of　reading　French　and　of　studying　his　profession　at　one　and　the　same　time　kept　his　mind　busy　during　the　dreary　days　while　the　Pique　cruised　in　search　of　prizes。　Most　of　the　time　the　Frenchmen　ignored　him…he　had　to　force　himself　upon　Neuville　once　to　protest　against　the　employment　of　his　four　British　seamen　on　the　menial　work　of　pumping　out　the　ship；　but　he　had　to　retire　worsted　from　the　argument；　if　argument　it　could　be　called；　when　Neuville　icily　refused　to　discuss　the　question。　Hornblower　went　back　to　his　quarters　with　burning　cheeks　and　red　ears；　and；　as　ever；　when　he　was　mentally　disturbed；　the　thought　of　his　guilt　returned　to　him　with　new　force。
　If　only　he　had　plugged　that　shot…hole　sooner！　A　clearer…headed　officer；　he　told　himself；　would　have　done　so。　He　had　lost　his　ship；　the　Indefatigable's　precious　prize；　and　there　was　no　health　in　him。　Sometimes　he　made　himself　review　the　situation　calmly。　Professionally；　he　might　not…probably　would　not…suffer　for　his　negligence。　A　midshipman　with　only　four　for　a　prize…crew；　put　on　board　a　two…hundred…ton　brig　that　had　been　subjected　to　considerable　taring　from　a　frigate's　guns；　would　not　be　seriously　blamed　when　she　sank　under　him。　But　Hornblower　knew　at　the　same　time　that　he　was　at　least　partly　at　fault。　If　it　was　ignorance…there　was　no　excuse　for　ignorance。　If　he　had　allowed　his　multiple　cares　to　distract　him　from　the　business　of　plugging　the　shot…hole　immediately；　that　was　inpetence；　and　there　was　no　excuse　for　inpetence。　When　he　thought　along　those　lines　he　was　overwhelmed　by　waves　of　despair　and　of　self…contempt；　and　there　was　no　one　to　fort　him。　The　day　of　his　birthday；　when　he　looked　at　himself　at　the　vast　age　of　eighteen；　was　the　worst　of　all。　Eighteen　and　a　discredited　prisoner　in　the　hands　of　a　French　privateersman！　His　self…respect　was　at　its　lowest　ebb。
　The　Pique　was　seeking　her　prey　in　the　most　frequented　waters　in　the　world；　the　approaches　to　the　Channel；　and　there　could　be　no　more　vivid　demonstration　of　the　vastness　of　the　ocean　than　the　fact　that　she　cruised　day　after　day　without　glimpsing　a　sail。　She　maintained　a　triangular　course；　reaching　to　the　north…west；　tacking　to　the　south；　running　under　easy　sail　north…easterly　again；　with　lookouts　at　every　masthead；　with　nothing　to　see　but　the　tossing　waste　of　water。　Until　the　morning　when　a　high…pitched　yell　from　the　foretopgallant　masthead　attracted　the　attention　of　everybody　on　deck；　including　Hornblower；　standing　lonely　in　the　waist。　Neuville；　by　the　wheel；　bellowed　a　question　to　the　lookout；　and　Hornblower；　thanks　to　his　recent　studies；　could　translate　the　answer。　There　was　a　sail　visible　to　windward；　and　next　moment　the　lookout　reported　that　it　had　altered　course　and　was　running　down　towards　them。
　That　meant　a　great　deal。　In　wartime　any　merchant　ship　would　be　suspicious　of　strangers　and　would　give　them　as　wide　a　berth　as　possible；　and　especially　when　she　was　to　windward　and　therefore　far　safer。　Only　someone　prepared　to　fight　or　possessed　of　a　perfectly　morbid　curiosity　would　abandon　a　windward　position。　A　wild　and　unreasonable　hope　filled　Hornblower's　breast；　a　ship　of　war　at　sea…thanks　to　England's　maritime　mastery…would　be　far　more　probably　English　than　French。　And　this　was　the　cruising　ground　of　the　Indefatigable；　his　own　ship；　stationed　there　specially　to　fulfil　the　double　function　of　looking　out　for　French　merce…destroyers　and　intercepting　French　blockade…runners。　A　hundred　miles　from　here　she　had　put　him　and　his　prize　crew　on　board　the　Marie　Galante。　It　was　a　thousand　to　one；　he　exaggerated　despairingly　to　himself；　against　any　ship　sighted　being　the　Indefatigable。　But…hope　reasserted　itself…the　fact　that　she　was　ing　down　to　investigate　reduced　the　odds　to　ten　to　one　at　most。　Less　than　ten　to　one。
　He　looked　over　at　Neuville；　trying　to　think　his　thoughts。　The　Pique　was　fast　and　handy；　and　there　was　a　clear　avenue　of　escape　to　leeward。　The　fact　that　the　stranger　had　altered　course　towards　them　was　a　suspicious　circumstance；　but　it　was　known　that　Indiamen；　the　richest　prizes　of　all；　had　sometimes　traded　on　the　similarity　of　their　appearance　to　that　of　ships　of　the　line；　and　by　showing　a　bold　front　had　scared　dangerous　enemies　away。　That　would　be　a　temptation　to　a　man　eager　to　make　a　prize。　At　Neuville's　orders　all　sail　was　set；　ready　for　instant　flight　or　pursuit；　and；　close…hauled；　the　Pique　stood　towards　the　stranger。　It　was　not　long　before　Hornblower；　on　the　deck；　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　gleam　of　white；　like　a　tiny　grain　of　rice；　far　away　on　the　horizon　as　the　Pique　lifted　on　a　swell。　Here　came　Matthews；　red…faced　and　excited；　running　aft　to　Hornblower's　side。
　'That's　the　old　Indefatigable；　sir；'　he　said。　'I　swear　it！'　He　sprang　onto　the　rail；　holding　on　by　the　shrouds；　and　stared　under　his　hand。
　'Yes！　There　she　is；　sir！　She's　loosing　her　royals　now；　sir。　We'll　be　back　on　board　of　her　in　time　for　grog！'
　A　French　petty　officer　reached　up　and　dragged　Matthews　by　the　seat　of　his　trousers　from　his　perch；　and　with　a　blow　and　a　kick　drove　him　forward　again；　while　a　moment　later　Neuville　was　shouting　the　orders　that　wore　the　ship　round　to　head　away　directly　from　the　Indefatigable。　Neuville　beckoned　Hornblower　over　to　his　side。
　'Your　late　ship；　I　understand；　Mr　Hornblower？'
　'Yes。'
　'What　is　her　best　point　of　sailing？'
　Hornblower's　eyes　met　Neuville's。
　'Do　not　look　so　noble；'　said　Neuville；　smiling　with　thin　lips。　'I　could　undoubtedly　i