csf.thecommodore-第56部分

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　〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　they　answered　in　unison。　Excitement　and　anticipation　masked　their　weariness。
　So　Hornblower　had　himself　rowed　over　to　the　village；　where　a　tiny　jetty　saved　him　and　the　signallers　from　splashing　through　the　shallows：　the　roar　of　the　bombardment　and　the　counter…bombardment　grew　steadily　louder　as　they　approached。　Diebitch　and　Clausewitz　came　to　meet　them　as　they　mounted　the　jetty；　and　led　the　way　towards　the　church。　As　they　skirted　the　foot　of　the　earthworks　which　ringed　the　village　on　its　landward　side　Hornblower　looked　up　and　saw　the　Russian　artillerymen　working　their　guns；　bearded　soldiers；　naked　to　the　waist　in　the　hot　sun。　An　officer　walked　from　gun　to　gun　in　the　battery；　pointing　each　piece　in　succession。
　〃There　are　few　men　in　our　artillery　who　can　be　trusted　to　lay　a　gun；〃　explained　Clausewitz。
　The　village　was　already　badly　knocked　about；　great　holes　showing　in　the　walls　and　roofs　of　the　flimsy　cottages　of　which　it　was　posed。　As　they　neared　the　church　a　ricocheting　ball　struck　the　church　wall；　sending　a　cloud　of　chips　flying；　and　remaining　embedded　in　the　brickwork　like　a　plum　in　a　cake。　A　moment　later　Hornblower　swung　round　to　a　sudden　unusual　noise　to　see　his　two　midshipmen　standing　staring　at　the　headless　corpse　of　a　seaman　who　a　moment　before　had　been　walking　at　their　heels。　A　ball　flying　over　the　earthworks　had　shattered　his　head　to　atoms　and　flung　his　body　against　them。　Somers　was　eyeing　with　disgust　the　blood　and　brains　which　had　spattered　his　white　trousers。
　〃e　along；〃　said　Hornblower。
　In　the　gallery　under　the　dome　they　could　look　down　upon　the　siege。　The　zigzag　approach　trench　was　almost　half…way　towards　the　defences；　the　head　of　it　almost　obscured　by　flying　earth　as　the　Russians　fired　furiously　upon　it。　But　the　central　redoubt　which　covered　the　entrance　to　the　village　was　in　bad　shape；　its　parapets　battered　into　nothing　more　than　mounds；　a　gun　lying　half　buried　beside　its　shattered　carriage；　although　the　other　one　was　still　being　worked　by　a　devoted　little　group。　The　whole　of　the　French　works　were　obscured　by　the　thin　pall　of　smoke　which　spread　from　the　breaching　battery；　but　the　smoke　was　not　so　thick　as　to　hide　a　column　of　infantry　marching　down　towards　the　first　parallel　from　the　rear。
　〃They　relieve　the　guard　of　the　trenches　at　noon；〃　explained　Clausewitz。　〃Where　are　these　boats　of　yours；　sir？〃
　〃Here　they　e；〃　said　Hornblower。
　They　were　creeping　over　the　silvery　water；　fantastic　in　appearance；　the　ketches　with　their　sails　furled　and　the　ugly　bulks　of　the　lighters　beside　them。　The　long　clumsy　sweeps；　a　dozen　on　each　side；　looked　like　the　legs　of　a　water…boatman　on　a　pond；　but　far　slower　in　movement　as　the　toiling　seamen　who　manned　them　tugged　them　through　each　successive　endless　stroke。
　〃Somers！　Gerard！〃　said　Hornblower；　sharply。　〃How　are　your　signalling　arrangements　working　out？　Lash　those　blocks　to　the　cornice　up　there。　e　along；　you　haven't　all　day　to　get　ready　in。〃
　The　midshipmen　and　seamen　addressed　themselves　to　the　business　of　making　a　signalling　station　up　on　the　gallery。　The　blocks　were　lashed　to　the　cornice　and　the　halliards　rove　through　them；　the　Russian　staff　watching　the　operation　with　interest。　Meanwhile　the　bomb…ketches　came　crawling　up　the　bay；　painfully　slowly　under　their　sweeps；　heading　crabwise　on　account　of　the　gentle　breeze　on　their　bow；　before　which　they　sagged　away　to　leeward　quite　perceptibly　to　Hornblower's　eye　above　them。　No　one　among　the　enemy　seemed　to　be　paying　them　the　least　attention；　Bonaparte's　armies；　lords　of　Europe　from　Madrid　to　Smolensk；　had　had　few　opportunities　of　being　acquainted　with　bomb…ketches。　The　firing　from　the　big　battery　went　on　steadily；　pounding　at　the　crumbling　Russian　earthworks　below；　with　the　Russians　returning　the　fire　with　desperate　energy。
　The　Harvey　and　the　Moth　came　creeping　in　until　they　were　quite　close　to　shore；　Hornblower　through　his　glass　could　see　minute　figures　moving　in　their　bows；　and　knew　they　were　dropping　their　anchors。　The　sweeps　worked　spasmodically；　first　on　one　side　and　then　on　the　other　…　Hornblower　up　in　the　gallery；　his　heart　beating　fast；　could　well　picture　Mound　and　Duncan　on　their　quarter…decks　shouting　their　orders　to　the　rowers　as　they　manoeuvred　themselves　about　like　beetles　pinned　to　a　card。　They　were　placing　themselves　in　position　to　drop　other　anchors　at　the　stern；　so　that　by　veering　and　hauling　in　on　their　cables　they　could　swing　themselves　so　as　to　be　able　to　point　their　mortars　anywhere　along　a　wide　arc。　Clausewitz　and　the　staff　looked　on　unprehending；　having　no　notion　of　the　meaning　of　these　manoeuvres。　Hornblower　saw　the　stern　anchors　let　go；　and　could　see　little　groups　of　men　bending　to　work　at　the　capstans；　the　bomb…ketches　turned　almost　imperceptibly　first　this　way　and　then　that　as　their　captains　trained　them　round　by　the　aid　of　the　leading　marks　on　the　shore。
　〃There's　the　'ready'　flag　going　up　in　Harvey；〃　said　Hornblower；　the　glass　at　his　eye。
　The　sheave　in　the　block　above　his　head　shrilled　noisily　as　the　halliard　ran　over　it；　bearing　the　acknowledgement。　A　big　puff　of　smoke　suddenly　spurted　upwards　from　the　Harvey's　bows；　Hornblower　at　that　distance　could　see　nothing　of　the　shell　in　its　flight；　and　he　waited　nervously；　pelling　himself　to　search　the　whole　area　round　about　the　battery　to　make　sure　of　seeing　the　burst。　And　he　saw　nothing；　nothing　at　all。　Reluctantly　he　ordered　hoisted　the　black　cone　for　'unobserved'　and　Harvey　fired　again。　This　time　he　could　see　the　burst；　a　little　volcano　of　smoke　and　fragments　just　beyond　the　battery。
　〃That　was　over；　sir；〃　said　Somers。
　〃Yes。　Make　that　to　Harvey。〃
　Duncan　had　anchored　Moth　by　now；　and　was　flying　the　signal　of　readiness。　Harvey's　next　shell　fell　square　in　the　centre　of　the　battery；　and　immediately　afterwards　Moth's　first　shell　did　the　same。　At　once　the　two　ketches　began　a　systematic　bombardment　of　the　battery；　dropping　shells　into　it　in　constant　succession；　so　that　there　was　not　a　moment　when　a　fountain　of　smoke　and　earth　was　not　apparent　within　its　earthworks。　It　was　a　plain　rectangular　structure；　without　traverses　or　internal　subdivisions；　and　there　was　no　shelter　for　the　men　within　it　now　that　their　enemy　had　found　means　to　circumvent　their　earthworks。　They　only　maintained　their　fire　for　a　few　seconds；　and　then　Hornblower　could　see　them　running　from　their　guns；　the　interior　of　the　battery　looked　like　a　disturbed　ants'　nest。　One　of　the　big　thirteen…inch　shells　landed　full　on　the　parapet；　and　the　smoke　clearing　away　revealed　the　breastwork　blown　flat；　opening　the　interior　of　the　battery　to　view　from　ground　level　in　the　village；　and　through　the　gap　was　visible　the　muzzle　of　a　dismounted　siege…gun；　pointed　skyward　and　helpless　…　a　cheering　sight　for　the　defence。　That　was　only　the　beginning。　Gap　after　gap　was　blown　in　the　earthworks；　the　whole　interior　was　plastered　with　shells。　At　one　moment　there　was　a　much　bigger　explosion　than　usual；　and　Hornblower　guessed　that　an　'expense　magazine'　…　the　small　store　of　gunpowder　kept　in　the　battery　and　continually　replenished　from　the　rear　…　had　blown　up。　Down　below　him　the　defence　had　taken　new　heart；　and　every　gun　along　the　menaced　front　had　reopened　fire；　it　was　a　shot　from　the　village；　apparently；　which　hit　the　muzzle　of　the　dismounted　gun　and　flung　it　back　upon　the　ground。
　〃Signal　'cease　fire'；〃　said　Hornblower。
　Thirteen…inch　shells　were　not　munitions　of　war　that　could　be　readily　obtained　in　the　Baltic；　and　there　was　no　purpose　in　wasting　them　upon　a　target　which　was　silenced　and　at　least　made　temporarily　useless。　And　then　came　the　countermove　on　the　part　of　the　attack；　as　he　had　expected。　A　battery　of　field　artillery　was　ing　over　the　distant　slope；　six　guns；　minute　at　that　distance；　jolting　and　swaying　after　their　limbers。　The　country　was　still　marshy；　for　the　summer　was　not　yet　old　enough　to　have　dried　up　the　fields；　and　the　artillery；　hock　and　axle…deep　in　the　mire；　made　only　slow　progress。
　'Signal　for　the　target　to　change；'　ordered　Hornblower。
　There　was　no　means　of　observing　the　fall　of　the　shells　on　the　new　target；　for　the　bomb…ketches　were　dropping　them　just　over　the　high　dyke。　It　was　a　matter　of　chance　should　they　do　any　destruction；　but　Hornblower　co