csf.thecommodore-第41部分

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！


　〃Haul　up　and　make　an　offing；　Mr　Vickery；〃　said　Hornblower。　〃Make　sure　Raven　follows　us。　We　must　be　out　of　sight　of　land　by　dawn。〃
　Down　in　Vickery's　tiny　cabin；　stripping　off　his　wet　clothes；　with　Brown　hovering　round　him；　Hornblower　tried　to　make　his　dulled　mind　work　on　the　problem　before　him。　Brown　produced　a　towel　and　Hornblower　rubbed　a　little　life　into　his　chilled　limbs。　Vickery　knocked　and　entered；　ing；　as　soon　as　he　had　seen　his　ship　on　her　proper　course；　to　see　that　his　modore　had　all　that　he　needed。　Hornblower　straightened　up　after　towelling　his　legs　and　hit　his　head　with　a　crash　against　the　deck　beams；　in　this　small　sloop　there　was　hardly　more　than　five　feet　clearance。　Hornblower　let　out　an　oath。
　〃There's　another　foot　of　headroom　under　the　skylight；　sir；〃　said　Vickery；　diplomatically。
　The　skylight　was　three　feet　by　two；　and　standing　directly　beneath　it　Hornblower　could　just　stand　upright；　and　even　then　his　hair　brushed　the　skylight。　And　the　lamp　swung　from　a　hook　in　a　deck　beam　beside　the　aperture；　an　incautious　movement　on　Hornblower's　part　brought　his　bare　shoulder　against　it　so　that　warm　stinking　oil　ran　out　of　the　receiver　on　to　his　collarbone。　Hornblower　swore　again。
　〃There's　hot　coffee　being　brought　to　you；　sir；〃　said　Vickery。
　The　coffee　when　it　came　was　of　a　type　which　Hornblower　had　not　tasted　for　years　…　a　decoction　of　burnt　bread　with　the　merest　flavouring　of　coffee　…　but　at　least　it　was　warming。　Hornblower　sipped　it　and　handed　back　the　cup　to　Brown；　and　then　took　his　dry　shirt　from　the　breech　of　the　twelve…pounder　beside　him　and　struggled　into　it。
　〃Any　further　orders；　sir？〃　asked　Vickery。
　〃No；〃　replied　Hornblower　heavily；　his　head　poked　forward　to　make　sure　it　did　not　hit　the　deck　beams　again。　He　tried　to　keep　the　disappointment　and　the　bad　temper　out　of　his　voice；　but　he　feared　he　had　not　succeeded。　It　irked　him　to　have　to　admit　that　there　was　no　chance　of　any　successful　attempt　against　the　Frisches　Haff；　and　yet　prudence；　mon　sense；　his　whole　instinct　dictated　such　a　decision。　There　was　no　breaking　that　boom；　and　there　was　no　going　round　it；　not　in　any　of　the　vessels　under　his　mand。　He　remembered　bitterly　his　unnecessary　words　to　Bush　about　the　desirability　of　raiding　this　area　from　the　sea。　If　ever　he　needed　a　lesson　in　keeping　his　mouth　shut　he　was　receiving　one　now。　The　whole　flotilla　was　expecting　action；　and　he　was　going　to　disappoint　them；　sail　away　without　doing　anything　at　all。　In　future　he　would　double　lock　his　jaws；　treble　curb　his　unruly　tongue；　for　if　he　had　not　talked　so　light…heartedly　to　Bush　there　would　not　be　nearly　so　much　harm　done；　Bush；　in　the　absence　of　orders　to　the　contrary；　would　naturally　have　discussed　the　future　with　his　officers；　and　hope　would　be　running　high　…　everyone　was　expecting　great　things　of　the　bold　Hornblower　（said　he　to　himself　with　a　sneer）　whose　reputation　for　ingenious　daring　was　so　tremendous。
　Unhappy；　he　went　back　again　over　the　data。　At　the　sandspit　end　of　the　boom　there　was　water　enough　for　a　flotilla　of　ship's　boats　to　pass。　He　could　send　in　three　or　four　launches；　with　four…pounders　mounted　in　the　bows　and　with　a　hundred　and　fifty　men　on　board。　There　was　not　much　doubt　that　at　night　they　could　run　past　the　boom；　and；　taking　everyone　in　the　lagoon　by　surprise；　could　work　swift　havoc　on　the　coasting　trade。　Very　likely　they　could　destroy　thousands　of　tons　of　shipping。　But　they　would　never　get　out　again。　The　exit　would　be　watched　far　too　carefully；　the　batteries　would　be　manned　day　and　night；　gunboats　would　swarm　round　the　end　of　the　boom；　and　even　gunboats　manned　by　landsmen；　if　there　were　enough　of　them；　would　destroy　the　flotilla。　His　squadron　could　ill　afford　to　lose　a　hundred　and　fifty　trained　seamen　…　one…tenth　of　the　total　ships'　plements　…　and　yet　a　smaller　force　might　well　be　pletely　wasted。
　No；　no　destruction　of　coasters　would　be　worth　a　hundred　and　fifty　seamen。　He　must　abandon　the　idea；　as　if　symbolical　of　that　decision　he　began　to　pull　on　the　dry　trousers　Vickery　had　provided　for　him。　And　then；　with　one　leg　in　and　one　leg　out；　the　idea　suddenly　came　to　him；　and　he　checked　himself；　standing　in　his　shirt　with　his　left　leg　bare　and　his　right　leg　covered　only　from　ankle　to　knee。
　〃Mr　Vickery；〃　he　said；　〃let's　have　those　charts　out　again。〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir；〃　said　Vickery。
　There　was　eagerness　and　excitement　in　his　voice　at　once；　echoing　the　emotion　which　must　have　been　obvious　in　Hornblower's　tone　…　Hornblower　took　notice　of　it；　and　as　he　buckled　his　waistband　he　reaffirmed　his　resolution　to　be　more　careful　how　he　spoke；　for　he　must　regain　his　reputation　as　a　silent　hero。　He　stared　down　at　the　charts　which　Vickery　spread　for　him　…　he　knew　that　Vickery　was　studying　his　face；　and　he　took　great　care　to　show　no　sign　whatever　of　reaching　a　decision　one　way　or　the　other。　When　his　mind　was　made　up　he　said：　〃Thank　you；〃　in　the　flattest　tone　he　could　contrive；　and　then；　suddenly　remembering　his　most　non…mittal　exclamation；　he　cleared　his　throat。
　〃Ha…h'm；〃　he　said；　without　any　expression　at　all；　and；　pleased　with　the　result；　he　repeated　it　and　drew　it　out　longer　still；　〃Ha…a…a…a…h'm。〃
　The　bewildered　look　in　Vickery's　face　was　a　great　delight　to　him。
　Next　morning；　back　in　his　own　cabin　in　Nonsuch；　he　took　a　mild　revenge　in　watching　the　faces　of　his　assembled　captains　as　he　laid　the　scheme　before　them。　One　and　all；　they　thirsted　for　the　mand；　hotly　eager　to　risk　life　and　liberty　on　a　mission　which　might　at　first　sight　seem　utterly　harebrained。　The　two　manders　yearned　for　the　chance　of　promotion　to　post　rank；　the　lieutenants　hoped　they　might　bee　manders。
　〃Mr　Vickery　will　be　in　mand；〃　said　Hornblower；　and　had　further　opportunity　of　watching　the　play　of　emotion　over　the　faces　of　his　audience。　But　as　in　this　case　everyone　present　had　a　right　to　know　why　he　had　been　passed　over；　he　gave　a　few　words　of　explanation。
　〃The　two　captains　of　the　bomb…vessels　are　irreplaceable；　there　are　no　other　lieutenants　with　us　who　can　use　their　infernal　machines　as　well　as　they　can。　I　don't　have　to　explain　to　you　why　Captain　Bush　is　irreplaceable。　It　was　Mr　Vickery　who　happened　to　go　with　me　to　investigate　the　boom；　and　so　he　happens　to　know　more　about　the　situation　than　Mr　Cole；　who's　the　other　obvious　candidate　for　the　mand。〃
　There　was　no　harm　in　soothing　Cole's　feelings　with　an　excuse　like　that；　for　no　good　end　would　be　served　by　letting　people　guess　that　he　would　not　trust　Cole　with　any　mand　out　of　his　sight　…　poor　old　Cole；　grey…haired　and　bowed；　almost　too　old　for　his　work；　hoping　against　hope　for　promotion　to　captain。　Hornblower　had　an　uneasy　feeling　that　Cole　saw　through　the　excuse；　and　had　to　fort　himself　with　the　trite　thought　that　no　war　can　be　fought　without　someone's　feelings　being　hurt。　He　passed　on　hurriedly　to　the　next　point。
　〃Having　settled　that　question；　gentlemen；　I　would　wele　your　views　on　who　else　should　go　as　Mr　Vickery's　subordinates。　Mr　Vickery　first；　as　he　is　most　concerned。〃
　When　those　details　were　settled　the　next　step　was　to　prepare　the　four　boats　for　the　expedition　…　Nonsuch's　launch　and　cutter；　and　the　cutters　from　Lotus　and　Raven。　A　four…pounder　in　the　eyes　of　the　launch；　a　three…pounder　in　the　eyes　of　each　of　the　cutters；　food；　water；　ammunition；　bustibles　for　setting　captures　on　fire。　The　crews　that　had　been　told　off　for　the　expedition　were　paraded　and　inspected；　the　seamen　with　pistols　and　cutlasses；　the　marines　with　muskets　and　bayonets。　At　the　end　of　the　day　Vickery　came　back　on　board　Nonsuch　for　a　final　confirmation　of　the　future　rendezvous。
　〃Good　luck；〃　said　Hornblower。
　〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　Vickery。
　He　looked　frankly　into　Hornblower's　eyes。
　〃I　have　so　much　to　thank　you　for；　sir；〃　he　added。
　〃Don't　thank　me；　thank　yourself；〃　said　Hornblower　testily。
　He　found　it　particularly　irksome　to　be　thanked　for　risking　young　Vickery's　life。　He　calculated　to　himself　that　if　he　had　married　as　a　midshipman　he　might　by　now　be　the　father　of　a　son　just　Vickery's　age。
　At　nightfall　the　squadron　stood　in　towards　the　land。　The　wind　was　backing　northerly　a　little；　but　it　was　still　blowing　a　strong　breeze；　and　although　the　night　was　not　quite　as　overcast　as　the　preceding　one；　there　was　every　chance　that　t