csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第9节

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　loneliness　of　the　man　in　mand　at　sea。　He　went　on　deck　again；　and　at　sight　of　him　Matthews　hurried　aft　and　knuckled　his　forehead。
　'Beg　pardon；　sir；　but　we'll　have　to　use　the　jeers　to　sling　that　yard　again。'
　'Very　good。'
　'We'll　need　more　hands　than　we　have；　sir。　Can　I　put　some　o'　they　Frenchies　to　work？'
　'If　you　think　you　can。　If　any　of　them　are　sober　enough。'
　'I　think　I　can；　sir。　Drunk　or　sober。'
　'Very　good。'
　It　was　at　this　moment　that　Hornblower　remembered　with　bitter　self…reproach　that　the　priming　of　his　pistol　was　probably　wet；　and　he　had　not　scorn　enough　for　himself　at　having　put　his　trust　in　a　pistol　without　re…priming　after　evolutions　in　a　small　boat。　While　Matthews　went　forward　he　dashed　below　again。　There　was　a　case　of　pistols　which　he　remembered　having　seen　in　the　captain's　cabin；　with　a　powder　flask　and　bullet　bag　hanging　beside　it。　He　loaded　both　weapons　and　reprimed　his　own；　and　came　on　deck　again　with　three　pistols　in　his　belt　just　as　his　men　appeared　from　the　forecastle　herding　half　a　dozen　Frenchmen。　He　posed　himself　in　the　poop；　straddling　with　his　hands　behind　his　back；　trying　to　adopt　an　air　of　magnificent　indifference　and　understanding。　With　the　jeers　taking　the　weight　of　yard　and　sail；　an　hour's　hard　work　resulted　in　the　yard　being　slung　again　and　the　sail　reset。
　When　the　work　was　advancing　towards　pletion；　Hornblower　came　to　himself　again　to　remember　that　in　a　few　minutes　he　would　have　to　set　a　course；　and　he　dashed　below　again　to　set　out　the　chart　and　the　dividers　and　parallel　rulers。　From　his　pocket　he　extracted　the　crumpled　scrap　of　paper　with　his　position　on　it…he　had　thrust　it　in　there　so　carelessly　a　little　while　back；　at　a　time　when　the　immediate　problem　before　him　was　to　transfer　himself　from　the　Indefatigable　to　the　cutter。　It　made　him　unhappy　to　think　how　cavalierly　he　had　treated　that　scrap　of　paper　then；　he　began　to　feel　that　life　in　the　Navy；　although　it　seemed　to　move　from　one　crisis　to　another；　was　really　one　continuous　crisis；　that　even　while　dealing　with　one　emergency　it　was　necessary　to　be　making　plans　to　deal　with　the　next。　He　bent　over　the　chart；　plowed　his　position；　and　laid　off　his　course。　It　was　a　queer　unfortable　feeling　to　think　that　what　had　up　to　this　moment　been　an　academic　exercise　conducted　under　the　reassuring　supervision　of　Mr　Soames　was　now　something　on　which　hinged　his　life　and　his　reputation。　He　checked　his　working；　decided　on　his　course；　and　wrote　it　down　on　a　scrap　of　paper　for　fear　he　should　forget　it。
　So　when　the　foretopsail　yard　was　re…slung；　and　the　prisoners　herded　back　into　the　forecastle；　and　Matthews　looked　to　him　for　further　orders　he　was　ready。
　'We'll　square　away；'　he　said。　'Matthews；　send　a　man　to　the　wheel。'
　He　himself　gave　a　hand　at　the　braces；　the　wind　had　moderated　and　he　felt　his　men　could　handle　the　brig　under　her　present　sail。
　'What　course；　sir？'　asked　the　man　at　the　wheel；　and　Hornblower　dived　into　his　pocket　for　his　scrap　of　paper。
　'Nor'…east　by　north；'　he　said；　reading　it　out。
　'Nor'…east　by　north；　sir；'　said　the　helmsman；　and　the　Marie　Galante；　running　free；　set　her　course　for　England。
　Night　was　closing　in　by　now；　and　all　round　the　circle　of　the　horizon　there　was　not　a　sail　in　sight。　There　must　be　plenty　of　ships　just　over　the　horizon；　he　knew；　but　that　did　not　do　much　to　ease　his　feeling　of　loneliness　as　darkness　came　on。　There　was　so　much　to　do；　so　much　to　bear　in　mind；　and　all　the　responsibility　lay　on　his　unaccustomed　shoulders。　The　prisoners　had　to　be　battened　down　in　the　forecastle；　a　watch　had　to　be　set…there　was　even　the　trivial　matter　of　hunting　up　flint　and　steel　to　light　the　binnacle　lamp。　A　hand　forward　as　a　lookout；　who　could　also　keep　an　eye　on　the　prisoners　below；　a　hand　aft　at　the　wheel。　Two　hands　snatching　some　sleep…knowing　that　to　get　in　any　sail　would　be　an　all…hands　job…a　hasty　meal　of　water　from　the　scuttle…butt　and　of　biscuit　from　the　cabin　stores　in　the　lazarette…a　constant　eye　to　be　kept　on　the　weather。　Hornblower　paced　the　deck　in　the　darkness。
　'Why　don't　you　get　some　sleep；　sir？'　asked　the　man　at　the　wheel。
　'I　will；　later　on；　Hunter；'　said　Hornblower；　trying　not　to　allow　his　tone　to　reveal　the　fact　that　such　a　thing　had　never　occurred　to　him。
　He　knew　it　was　sensible　advice；　and　he　actually　tried　to　follow　it；　retiring　below　to　fling　himself　down　on　the　captain's　cot；　but　of　course　he　could　not　sleep。　When　he　heard　the　lookout　bawling　down　the　panionway　to　rouse　the　other　two　hands　to　relieve　the　watch　（they　were　asleep　in　the　next　cabin　to　him）　he　could　not　prevent　himself　from　getting　up　again　and　ing　on　deck　to　see　that　all　was　well。　With　Matthews　in　charge　he　felt　he　should　not　be　anxious；　and　he　drove　himself　below　again；　but　he　had　hardly　fallen　onto　the　cot　again　when　a　new　thought　brought　him　to　his　feet　again；　his　skin　cold　with　anxiety；　and　a　prodigious　self…contempt　vying　with　anxiety　for　first　glance　in　his　emotions。　He　rushed　on　deck　and　walked　forward　to　where　Matthews　was　squatting　by　the　knightheads。
　'Nothing　has　been　done　to　see　if　the　brig　is　taking　in　any　water；'　he　said…he　had　hurriedly　worked　out　the　wording　of　that　sentence　during　his　walk　forward；　so　as　to　cast　no　aspersion　on　Matthews　and　yet　at　the　same　time；　for　the　sake　of　discipline；　attributing　no　blame　to　himself。
　'That's　so；　sir；'　said　Matthews。
　'One　of　those　shots　fired　by　the　Indefatigable　hulled　her；'　went　on　Hornblower。　'What　damage　did　it　do？'
　'I　don't　rightly　know；　sir；'　said　Matthews。　'I　was　in　the　cutter　at　the　time。'
　'We　must　look　as　soon　as　it's　light；'　said　Hornblower。'　And　we'd　better　sound　the　well　now。'
　Those　were　brave　words；　during　his　rapid　course　in　seamanship　aboard　the　Indefatigable　Hornblower　had　had　a　little　instruction　everywhere；　working　under　the　orders　of　every　head　of　department　in　rotation。　Once　he　had　been　with　the　carpenter　when　he　sounded　the　well…whether　he　could　find　the　well　in　this　ship　and　sound　it　he　did　not　know。
　'Aye　aye；　sir；'　said　Matthews；　without　hesitation；　and　strolled　aft　to　the　pump。　'You'll　need　a　light；　sir。　I'll　get　one。'
　When　he　came　back　with　the　lantern　he　shone　it　on　the　coiled　sounding　line　hanging　beside　the　pump；　so　that　Hornblower　recognized　it　at　once。　He　lifted　it　down；　inserted　the　three…foot　weighted　rod　into　the　aperture　of　the　well；　and　then　remembered　in　time　to　take　it　out　again　and　make　sure　it　was　dry。　Then　he　let　it　drop；　paying　out　the　line　until　he　felt　the　rod　strike　the　ship's　bottom　with　a　satisfactory　thud。　He　hauled　out　the　line　again；　and　Matthews　held　the　lantern　as　Hornblower　with　some　trepidation　brought　out　the　timber　to　examine　it。
　'Not　a　drop；　sir！'　said　Matthews。　'Dry　as　yesterday's　pannikin。'
　Hornblower　was　agreeably　surprised。　Any　ship　he　had　ever　heard　of　leaked　to　a　certain　extent；　even　in　the　well…found　Indefatigable　pumping　had　been　necessary　every　day。　He　did　not　know　whether　this　dryness　was　a　remarkable　phenomenon　or　a　very　remarkable　one。　He　wanted　to　be　both　nonmittal　and　imperturbable。
　'H'm；'　was　the　ment　he　eventually　produced。　'Very　good；　Matthews。　Coil　that　line　again。'
　The　knowledge　that　the　Marie　Galante　was　making　no　water　at　all　might　have　encouraged　him　to　sleep；　if　the　wind　had　not　chosen　to　veer　steadily　and　strengthen　itself　somewhat　soon　after　he　retired　again。　It　was　Matthews　who　came　down　and　pounded　on　his　door　with　the　unwele　news。
　'We　can't　keep　the　course　you　set　much　longer；　sir；'　concluded　Matthews。　'And　the　wind's　ing　gusty…like。'
　'Very　good；　I'll　be　up。　Call　all　hands；'　said　Hornblower；　with　a　testiness　that　might　have　been　the　result　of　a　sudden　awakening　if　it　had　not　really　disguised　his　inner　quaverings。
　With　such　a　small　crew　he　dared　not　run　the　slightest　risk　of　being　taken　by　surprise　by　the　weather。　Nothing　could　be　done　in　a　hurry；　as　he　soon　found。　He　had　to　take　the　wheel　while　his　four　hands　laboured　at　reefing　topsails　and　snugging　the　brig　down；　the　task　took　half　the　night；　and　by　the　time　it　was　finished　it　was　quite　plain　that　with　the　wind　veering　northerly　the　Marie　Galante　could　not　steer　north…east　by　north　any　longer。　Hornblower　gave　up　the　wheel　and　went　below　to　the　chart；　but　what　he　saw　there　only　confirmed　the　pessimistic　decision　he　had　already　reached　by　mental　calculation。　As　close　to　the　wind　as　they　could　lie　on　this　tack　they　could　not　weather　Ushant。　Shorthanded　as　he　was　he　did　not　dare　continue　in　the　hope　that　the　wind　might　back；　all　his　reading　and　all　his　instruction　had　warned　him　of　the　terrors　of　a　lee　shore。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　go　about；　he　returned　to　the　deck　with　a　heavy　heart。
　'All　hands　wear　ship；'　he　said；　trying　to　bellow　the　order　in　the　manner　of　Mr　Bolton；　the　third　lieutenant　of　the　Indefatigable。
　They　brought　the　brig　safely　round；　and　she　took　up　her　new　course；　close　hauled　on　the　starboard　tack。　Now　she　was　heading　away　from　the　dangerous　shores　of　France；　without　a　doubt；　but　she　was　heading　nearly　as　directly　away　from　the　friendly　shores　of　England…gone　was　all　hope　of　an　easy　two　days'　run　to　England；　gone　was　any　hope　of　sleep　that　night　for　Hornblower。
　During　the　year　before　he　joined　the　Navy　Hornblower　had　attended　classes　given　by　a　penniless　French　émi