csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ading　had　told　him　of　many　small　raids；　in　many　wars；　launched　against　the　shores　of　France；　and　although　he　knew　that　they　had　once　been　described　by　an　opposition　statesman　as　'breaking　windows　with　guineas'　he　had　been　inclined　to　approve　of　them　in　principle；　as　bringing　about　a　dissipation　of　the　French　strength…until　now；　when　he　found　himself　part　of　such　an　expedition。
　So　it　was　with　relief　that　he　heard　from　Pouzauges　that　the　troops　he　had　seen　did　not　constitute　the　whole　of　the　force　to　be　employed…were　indeed　only　a　minor　fraction　of　it。　A　little　pale　with　seasickness；　but　manfully　bating　it；　Pouzauges　laid　out　a　map　on　the　cabin　table　and　explained　the　plan。
　'The　Christian　Army；'　explained　Ponzauges；　'will　land　here；　at　Quiberon。　They　sailed　from　Portsmouth…these　English　names　are　hard　to　pronounce…the　day　before　we　left　Plymouth。　There　are　five　thousand　men　under　the　Baron　de　Charette。　They　will　march　on　Vannes　and　Rennes。'
　'And　what　is　your　regiment　to　do？'　asked　Hornblower。
　Pouzauges　pointed　to　the　map　again。
　'Here　is　the　town　of　Muzillac；'　he　said。　Twenty　leagues　from　Quiberon。　Here　the　main　road　from　the　south　crosses　the　river　Marais；　where　the　tide　ceases　to　flow。　It　is　only　a　little　river；　as　you　see；　but　its　banks　are　marshy；　and　the　road　passes　it　not　only　by　a　bridge　but　by　a　long　causeway。　The　rebel　armies　are　to　the　south；　and　on　their　northward　march　must　e　by　Muzillac。　We　shall　be　there。　We　shall　destroy　the　bridge　and　defend　the　crossing；　delaying　the　rebels　long　enough　to　enable　M。　de　Charette　to　raise　all　Brittany。　He　will　soon　have　twenty　thousand　men　in　arms；　the　rebels　will　e　back　to　their　allegiance；　and　we　shall　march　on　Paris　to　restore　His　Most　Christian　Majesty　to　the　throne。'
　So　that　was　the　plan。　Hornblower　was　infected　with　the　Frenchmen's　enthusiasm。　Certainly　the　road　passed　within　ten　miles　of　the　coast；　and　there；　in　the　broad　estuary　of　the　Vilaine；　it　should　be　possible　to　land　a　small　force　and　seize　Muzillac。　There　should　be　no　difficulty　about　defending　a　causeway　such　as　Pouzauges　described　for　a　day　or　two　against　even　a　large　force。　That　would　afford　Charette　every　chance。
　'My　friend　M。　de　Moncoutant　here；'　went　on　Pouzauges；　'is　Lord　of　Muzillac。　The　people　there　will　wele　him。'
　'Most　of　them　will；'　said　Moncoutant；　his　grey　eyes　narrowing。　'Some　will　be　sorry　to　see　me。　But　I　shall　be　glad　of　the　encounter。'
　Western　France；　the　Vendée　and　Brittany；　had　long　been　in　a　turmoil；　and　the　population　there；　under　the　leadership　of　the　nobility；　had　risen　in　arms　more　than　once　against　the　Paris　government。　But　every　rebellion　had　ended　in　defeat；　the　Royalist　force　now　being　convoyed　to　France　was　posed　of　the　fragments　of　the　defeated　armies…a　final　cast　of　the　dice；　and　a　desperate　one。　Regarded　in　that　light；　the　plan　did　not　seem　so　sound。
　It　was　a　grey　morning…a　morning　of　grey　sky　and　grey　rocks…when　the　convoy　rounded　Belle　Ile　and　stood　in　towards　the　estuary　of　the　Vilaine　river。　Far　to　the　northward　were　to　be　seen　white　topsails　in　Quiberon　Bay…Hornblower；　from　the　deck　of　the　Sophia；　saw　signals　pass　back　and　forth　from　the　Indefatigable　as　she　reported　her　arrival　to　the　senior　officer　of　the　main　expedition　there。　It　was　a　proof　of　the　mobility　and　ubiquity　of　naval　power　that　it　could　take　advantage　of　the　configuration　of　the　land　so　that　two　blows　could　be　struck　almost　in　sight　of　each　other　from　the　sea　yet　separated　by　forty　miles　of　roads　on　land。　Hornblower　raked　the　forbidding　shore　with　his　glass；　reread　the　orders　for　the　captain　of　the　Sophia；　and　stared　again　at　the　shore。　He　could　distinguish　the　narrow　mouth　of　the　Marais　river　and　the　strip　of　mud　where　the　troops　were　to　land。　The　lead　was　going　in　the　chains　as　the　Sophia　crept　towards　her　allotted　anchorage；　and　the　ship　was　rolling　uneasily；　these　waters；　sheltered　though　they　were；　were　a　Bedlam　of　conflicting　currents　that　could　make　a　choppy　sea　even　in　a　calm。　Then　the　anchor　cable　rumbled　out　through　the　hawsehole　and　the　Sophia　swung　to　the　current；　while　the　crew　set　to　work　hoisting　out　the　boats。
　'France；　dear　beautiful　France；'　said　Pouzauges　at　Hornblower's　side。
　A　hail　came　over　the　water　from　the　Indefatigable。
　'Mr　Hornblower！'
　'Sir！'　yelled　Hornblower　back　through　the　captain's　megaphone。
　'You　will　go　on　shore　with　the　French　troops　and　stay　with　them　until　you　receive　further　orders。'
　'Aye　aye；　sir。'
　So　that　was　the　way　in　which　he　was　to　set　foot　on　foreign　soil　for　the　first　time　in　his　life。
　Pouzauges'　men　were　now　pouring　up　from　below；　it　was　a　slow　and　exasperating　business　getting　them　down　the　ship's　side　into　the　waiting　boats。　Hornblower　wondered　idly　regarding　what　was　happening　on　shore　at　this　moment…without　doubt　mounted　messengers　were　galloping　north　and　south　with　the　news　of　the　arrival　of　the　expedition；　and　soon　the　French　Revolutionary　generals　would　be　parading　their　men　and　marching　them　hurriedly　towards　this　place；　it　was　well　that　the　important　strategic　point　that　had　to　be　seized　was　less　than　ten　miles　inland。　He　turned　back　to　his　duties；　as　soon　as　the　men　were　ashore　he　would　have　to　see　that　the　baggage　and　reserve　ammunition　were　landed；　as　well　as　the　horses；　now　standing　miserably　in　improvised　stalls　forward　of　the　mainmast。
　The　first　boats　had　left　the　ship's　side；　Hornblower　watched　the　men　stagger　up　the　shore　through　mud　and　water；　the　French　on　the　left　and　the　red…coated　British　infantry　on　the　right。　There　were　some　fishermen's　cottages　in　sight　up　the　beach；　and　Hornblower　saw　advance　parties　go　forward　to　seize　them；　at　least　the　landing　had　been　effected　without　a　single　shot　being　fired。　He　came　on　shore　with　the　ammunition；　to　find　Bolton　in　charge　of　the　beach。
　'Get　those　ammunition　boxes　well　above　high…water　mark；'　said　Bolton。　'We　can't　send　'em　forward　until　the　Lobsters　have　found　us　some　carts　for　'em。　And　we'll　need　horses　for　those　guns　too。'
　At　that　moment　Bolton's　working　party　was　engaged　in　manhandling　two　six…pounder　guns　in　field　carriages　up　the　beach；　they　were　to　be　manned　by　seamen　and　drawn　by　horses　mandeered　by　the　landing　party；　for　it　was　in　the　old　tradition　that　a　British　expeditionary　force　should　always　be　thrown　on　shore　dependent　for　military　necessities　on　the　countryside。　Pouzauges　and　his　staff　were　waiting　impatiently　for　their　chargers；　and　mounted　them　the　moment　they　had　been　coaxed　out　of　the　boats　onto　the　beach。
　'Forward　for　France！'　shouted　Pouzauges；　drawing　his　sword　and　raising　the　hilt　to　his　lips。
　Moncoutant　and　the　others　clattered　forward　to　head　the　advancing　infantry；　while　Pouzauges　lingered　to　exchange　a　few　words　with　Lord　Edrington。　The　British　infantry　was　drawn　up　in　a　rigid　scarlet　line；　farther　inland　occasional　red　dots　marked　where　the　light　pany　had　been　thrown　forward　as　pickets。　Hornblower　could　not　hear　the　conversation；　but　he　noticed　that　Bolton　was　drawn　into　it；　and　finally　Bolton　called　him　over。
　'You　must　go　forward　with　the　Frogs；　Hornblower；'　he　said。
　'I'll　give　you　a　horse；'　added　Edrington。　'Take　that　one…the　roan。　I've　got　to　have　someone　I　can　trust　along　with　them。　Keep　your　eye　on　them　and　let　me　know　the　moment　they　get　up　to　any　monkey　tricks…God　knows　what　they'll　do　next。'
　'Here's　the　rest　of　your　stores　ing　ashore；'　said　Bolton。　'I'll　send　'em　up　as　soon　as　you　send　some　carts　back　to　me。　What　the　hell's　that？'
　'That's　a　portable　guillotine；　sir；'　said　Hornblower。　'Part　of　the　French　baggage。'
　All　three　turned　and　looked　at　Pouzauges；　sitting　his　horse　impatiently　during　this　conversation；　which　he　did　not　understand。　He　knew　what　they　were　referring　to；　all　the　same。
　'That's　the　first　thing　to　be　sent　to　Muzillac；'　he　said　to　Hornblower。　'Will　you　have　the　goodness　to　tell　these　gentlemen　so？'
　Hornblower　translated。
　'I'll　send　the　guns　and　a　load　of　ammunition　first；'　said　Bolton。　'But　I'll　see　he　gets　it　soon。　Now　off　you　go。'
　Hornblower　dubiously　approached　the　roan　horse。　All　he　knew　about　riding　he　had　learned　in　farmyards；　but　he　got　his　foot　up　into　the　stirrup　and　climbed　in　the　saddle；　grabbing　nervously　at　the　reins　as　the　animal　started　to　move　off。　I　seemed　as　far　down　to　the　ground　from　there　as　it　did　from　the　maintopgallant　yard。　Pouzauges　wheeled　his　horse　about　and　started　up　the　beach；　and　the　roan　followed　its　example　with　Hornblower　hanging　on　desperately；　spattered　by　the　mud　thrown　up　by　the　French　horse's　heels。
　From　the　fishing　hamlet　a　muddy　lane；　bordered　by　greet　turf　banks；　led　inland；　and　Pouzauges　trotted　smartly　along　it；　Hornblower　jolting　behind　him。　They　covered　three　or　four　miles　before　they　overtook　the　rear　of　the　French　infantry；　marching　rapidly　through　the　mud；　and　Pouzauges　pulled　his　horse　to　a　walk。　When　the　column　climbed　a　slight　undulation　they　could　see　the　white　banner　far　ahead。　Over　the　banks　Hornblower　could　see　rocky　fields；　out　on　the　left　there　was　a　small　farmhouse　of　grey　stone。　A　blue…uniformed　soldier　was　leading　away　a　white　horse　pulling　a　cart；　while　two　or　three　more　soldiers　were　holding　back　the　farmer's　frantic　wife。　So　the　expeditionary　force　had　secured　some　of　its　necessary　transport。　In　another