csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第45节

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　seaman　shaking　his　shoulder　violently。
　'Please；　sir。　Please；　sir。　Mr　Hunter　sent　me。　Please；　sir；　won't　you　e　on　deck；　he　says；　sir。'
　'I'll　e；'　said　Hornblower；　blinking　himself　awake　and　rolling　out　of　his　cot。
　The　faintest　beginnings　of　dawn　were　imparting　some　slight　luminosity　to　the　mist　which　was　close　about　them。　Le　Rêve　was　lurching　over　an　ugly　sea　with　barely　enough　wind　behind　her　to　give　her　steerage　way。　Hunter　was　standing　with　his　back　to　the　wheel　in　an　attitude　of　tense　anxiety。
　'Listen！'　he　said；　as　Hornblower　appeared。
　He　half…whispered　the　word；　and　in　his　excitement　he　omitted　the　'sir'　which　was　due　to　his　captain…and　in　his　excitement　Hornblower　did　not　notice　the　omission。　Horn　blower　listened。　He　heard　the　shipboard　noises　he　could　expect…the　clattering　of　the　blocks　as　Le　Rêve　lurched；　the　sound　of　the　sea　at　her　bows。　Then　he　heard　other　shipboard　noises。　There　were　other　blocks　clattering；　the　sea　was　breaking　beneath　other　bows。
　'There's　a　ship　close　alongside；'　said　Hornblower。
　'Yes；　sir；'　said　Hunter。　'And　after　I　sent　below　for　you　I　heard　an　order　given。　And　it　was　in　Spanish…some　foreign　tongue；　anyway。'
　The　tenseness　of　fear　was　all　about　the　little　ship　like　the　fog。
　'Call　all　hands。　Quietly；'　said　Hornblower。
　But　as　he　gave　the　order　he　wondered　if　it　would　be　any　use。　He　could　send　his　men　to　their　stations；　he　could　man　and　load　his　four…pounders；　but　if　that　ship　out　there　in　the　fog　was　of　any　force　greater　than　a　merchant　ship　he　was　in　deadly　peril。　Then　he　tried　to　fort　himself…perhaps　the　ship　was　some　fat　Spanish　galleon　bulging　with　treasure；　and　were　he　to　board　her　boldly　she　would　bee　his　prize　and　make　him　rich　for　life。
　'A　'appy　Valentine's　day　to　you；'　said　a　voice　beside　him；　and　he　nearly　jumped　out　of　his　skin　with　surprise。　He　had　actually　forgotten　the　presence　of　the　duchess　on　board。
　'Stop　that　row！'　he　whispered　furiously　at　her；　and　she　pulled　up　abruptly　in　astonishment。　She　was　bundled　up　in　a　cloak　and　hood　against　the　damp　air；　and　no　further　detail　could　be　seen　of　her　in　the　darkness　and　fog。
　'May　I　hask…'　she　began。
　'Shut　up！'　whispered　Hornblower。
　A　harsh　voice　could　be　heard　through　the　fog；　other　voices　repeating　the　order；　whistles　being　blown；　much　noise　and　bustle。
　'That's　Spanish；　sir；　isn't　it？'　whispered　Hunter。
　'Spanish　for　certain。　Calling　the　watch。　Listen！'
　The　two　double…strokes　of　a　ship's　bell　came　to　them　across　the　water。　Four　bells　in　the　morning　watch。　And　instantly　from　all　round　them　a　dozen　other　bells　could　be　heard；　as　if　echoing　the　first。
　'We're　in　the　middle　of　a　fleet；　by　God！'　whispered　Hunter。
　'Big　ships；　too；　sir；'　supplemented　Winyatt　who　had　joined　them　with　the　calling　of　all　hands。　'I　could　hear　half　a　dozen　different　pipes　when　they　called　the　watch。'
　'The　Dons　are　out；　then；'　said　Hunter。
　And　the　course　I　set　has　taken　us　into　the　midst　of　them；　thought　Hornblower　bitterly。　The　coincidence　was　maddening；　heartbreaking。　But　he　forbore　to　waste　breath　over　it。　He　even　suppressed　the　frantic　gibe　that　rose　to　his　lips　at　the　memory　of　Sir　Hew's　toast　about　the　Spaniards　ing　out　from　Cadiz。
　'They're　setting　more　sail；'　was　what　he　said。　'Dagos　snug　down　at　night；　just　like　some　fat　Indiaman。　They　only　set　their　t'gallants　at　daybreak。'
　All　round　them　through　the　fog　could　be　heard　the　whine　of　sheaves　in　blocks；　the　stamp…and…go　of　the　men　at　the　halliards；　the　sound　of　ropes　thrown　on　decks；　the　chatter　of　a　myriad　voices。
　'They　make　enough　noise　about　it；　blast　'em；'　said　Hunter。
　The　tension　under　which　he　laboured　was　apparent　as　he　stood　straining　to　peer　through　the　mist。
　'Please　God　they're　on　a　different　course　to　us；'　said　Winyatt；　more　sensibly。　'Then　we'll　soon　be　through　'em。'
　'Not　likely；'　said　Hornblower。
　Le　Rêve　was　running　almost　directly　before　what　little　wind　there　was；　if　the　Spaniards　were　beating　against　it　or　had　it　on　their　beam　they　would　be　crossing　her　course　at　a　considerable　angle；　so　that　the　volume　of　sound　from　the　nearest　ship　would　have　diminished　or　increased　considerably　in　this　time；　and　there　was　no　indication　of　that　whatever。　It　was　far　more　likely　that　Le　Rêve　had　overhauled　the　Spanish　fleet　under　its　nightly　short　canvas　and　had　sailed　forward　into　the　middle　of　it。　It　was　a　problem　what　to　do　next　in　that　case；　to　shorten　sail；　or　to　heave　to；　and　let　the　Spaniards　get　ahead　of　them　again；　or　to　clap　on　sail　to　pass　through。　But　the　passage　of　the　minutes　brought　clear　proof　that　fleet　and　sloop　were　on　practically　the　same　course；　as　otherwise　they　could　hardly　fail　to　pass　some　ship　close。　As　long　as　the　mist　held　they　were　safest　as　they　were。
　But　that　was　hardly　to　be　expected　with　the　ing　of　day。
　'Can't　we　alter　course；　sir？'　asked　Winyatt。
　'Wait；'　said　Hornblower。
　In　the　faint　growing　light　he　had　seen　shreds　of　denser　mist　blowing　past　them…a　clear　indication　that　they　could　not　hope　for　continuous　fog。　At　that　moment　they　ran　out　of　a　fog　bank　into　a　clear　patch　of　water。
　'There　she　is；　by　God！'　said　Hunter。
　Both　officers　and　seamen　began　to　move　about　in　sudden　panic。
　'Stand　still；　damn　you！'　rasped　Hornblower；　his　nervous　tension　releasing　itself　in　the　fierce　monosyllables。
　Less　than　a　cable's　length　away　a　three…decked　ship　of　the　line　was　standing　along　parallel　to　them　on　their　starboard　side。　Ahead　and　on　the　port　side　could　be　seen　the　outlines；　still　shadowy；　of　other　battleships。　Nothing　could　save　them　if　they　drew　attention　to　themselves；　all　that　could　be　done　was　to　keep　going　as　if　they　had　as　much　right　there　as　the　ships　of　the　line。　It　was　possible　that　in　the　happy…go…lucky　Spanish　navy　the　officer　of　the　watch　over　there　did　not　know　that　no　sloop　like　Le　Rêve　was　attached　to　the　fleet…or　even　possibly　by　a　miracle　there　might　be　one。　Le　Rêve　was　French　built　and　French　rigged；　after　all。　Side　by　side　Le　Rêve　and　the　battleship　sailed　over　the　lumpy　sea。　They　were　within　pointblank　range　of　fifty　big　guns；　when　one　well…aimed　shot　would　sink　them。　Hunter　was　uttering　filthy　curses　under　his　breath；　but　discipline　had　asserted　itself；　a　telescope　over　there　on　the　Spaniard's　deck　would　not　discover　any　suspicious　bustle　on　board　the　sloop。　Another　shred　of　fog　drifted　past　them；　and　then　they　were　deep　in　a　fresh　fog　bank。
　'Thank　God！'　said　Hunter；　indifferent　to　the　contrast　between　this　present　piety　and　his　preceding　blasphemy。
　'Hands　wear　ship；'　said　Hornblower。　'Lay　her　on　the　port　tack。'
　There　was　no　need　to　tell　the　hands　to　do　it　quietly；　they　were　as　well　aware　of　their　danger　as　anyone。　Le　Rêve　silently　rounded…to；　the　sheets　were　hauled　in　and　coiled　down　without　a　sound；　and　the　sloop；　as　close　to　the　wind　as　she　would　lie；　heeled　to　the　small　wind；　meeting　the　lumpy　waves　with　her　port　bow。
　'We'll　be　crossing　their　course　now；'　said　Hornblower。
　'Please　God　it'll　be　under　their　sterns　and　not　their　bows；'　said　Winyatt。
　There　was　the　duchess　still　in　her　cloak　and　hood；　standing　right　aft　as　much　out　of　the　way　as　possible。
　'Don't　you　think　Your　Grace　had　better　go　below？'　asked　Hornblower；　making　use　by　a　great　effort　of　the　formal　form　of　address。
　'Oh；　no；　please；'　said　the　duchess。　'I　couldn't　bear　it。'　Hornblower　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　promptly　forgot　the　duchess's　presence　again　as　a　new　anxiety　struck　him。　He　dived　below　and　came　up　again　with　the　two　big　sealed　envelopes　of　despatches。　He　took　a　belaying　pin　from　the　rail　and　began　very　carefully　to　tie　the　envelopes　to　the　pin　with　a　bit　of　line。
　'Please；'　said　the　duchess；　'please；　Mr　Hornblower；　tell　me　what　you　are　doing？'
　'I　want　to　make　sure　these　will　sink　when　I　throw　them　overboard　if　we're　captured；'　said　Hornblower　grimly。
　'Then　they'll　be　lost　for　good？'
　'Better　that　than　that　the　Spaniards　should　read　'em；'　said　Hornblower　with　all　the　patience　he　could　muster。
　'I　could　look　after　them　for　you；'　said　the　duchess。　'Indeed　I　could。'
　Hornblower　looked　keenly　at　her。
　'No；'　he　said；　'they　might　search　your　baggage。　Probably　they　would。'
　'Baggage！'　said　the　duchess。　'As　if　I'd　put　them　in　my　baggage！　I'll　put　them　next　my　skin…they　won't　search　me　in　any　case。　They'll　never　find　'em；　not　if　I　put　'em　up　my　petticoats。'
　There　was　a　brutal　realism　about　those　words　that　staggered　Hornblower　a　little；　but　which　also　brought　him　to　admit　to　himself　that　there　was　something　in　what　the　duchess　was　saying。
　'If　they　capture　us；'　said　the　duchess；　'…I　pray　they　won't；　but　if　they　do…they'll　never　keep　me　prisoner。　You　know　that。　They'll　send　me　to　Lisbon　or　put　me　aboard　a　King's　ship　as　soon　as　they　can。　Then　the　despatches　will　be　delivered　eventually。　Late；　but　better　late　than　never。'
　'That's　so；'　mused　Hornblower。
　'I'll　guard　them　like　my　life；'　said　the　duchess。　'I　swear　I'll　never　part　from　them。　I'll　tell　no　one　I　have　them；　not　until　I　hand　them　to　a　King's　officer。'
　She　met　Hornblower's　eyes　with　transparent　honesty　in　her　expression。
　'Fog's　thinning；　sir；'　said　Winyatt。
　'Quick！'　said　the　duchess。
　There　was　no　time　for　further　debate。　Hornblower　slipped　the　envelopes　from　their　binding　of　rope　and　h