csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第57部分

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vel。　It　was　easy　to　direct　the　steersman　towards　that　particular　point；　and　then；　as　the　boat　moved　in；　to　wave　his　arms　and　demand　the　attention　of　the　little　group　under　the　break　of　the　poop；　and　to　point　to　the　spot　to　which　they　were　approaching。　A　wave　burst　upon　the　reef；　broken　over　the　stern　of　the　wreck；　and　filled　the　boat　almost　full。　She　swung　back　and　forth　in　the　eddies；　but　the　kegs　kept　her　afloat　and　quick　handling　of　the　steering　oar　and　lusty　rowing　kept　her　from　being　dashed　against　either　the　wreck　or　the　rocks。
　'Now！'　shouted　Hornblower…it　did　not　matter　that　he　spoke　English　at　this　decisive　moment。　The　boat　surged　forward；　while　the　survivors；　releasing　themselves　from　the　lashings　which　had　held　them　in　their　shelter；　came　slithering　down　the　deck　towards　them。　It　was　a　little　of　a　shock　to　see　there　were　but　four　of　them…twenty　or　thirty　men　must　have　been　swept　overboard　when　the　ship　hit　the　reef。　The　bows　of　the　boat　moved　towards　the　wreck。　At　a　shouted　order　from　the　steersman　the　oars　fell　still。　One　survivor　braced　himself　and　flung　himself　into　the　bows。　A　stroke　of　the　oars；　a　tug　at　the　steering　oar；　and　the　boat　nosed　forward　again；　and　another　survivor　plunged　into　the　boat。　Then　Hornblower；　who　had　been　watching　the　sea；　saw　the　next　breaker　rear　up　over　the　reef。　At　his　warning　shout　the　boat　backed　away　to　safety…parative　safety…while　the　remaining　survivors　went　scrambling　back　up　the　deck　to　the　shelter　of　the　poop。　The　wave　burst　and　roared；　the　foam　hissed　and　the　spray　rattled；　and　then　they　crept　up　to　the　wreck　again。　The　third　survivor　poised　himself　for　his　leap；　mistimed　it；　and　fell　into　the　sea；　and　no　one　ever　saw　him　again。　He　was　gone；　sunk　like　a　stone；　crippled　as　he　was　with　cold　and　exhaustion；　but　there　was　no　time　to　spare　for　lamentation。　The　fourth　survivor　was　waiting　his　chance　and　jumped　at　once；　landing　safely　in　the　bows。
　'Any　more？'　shouted　Hornblower；　and　receiving　a　shake　of　the　head　in　reply；　they　had　saved　three　lives　at　the　risk　of　eight。
　'Let　us　go；'　said　Hornblower；　but　the　steersman　needed　no　telling。
　Already　he　had　allowed　the　wind　to　drift　the　boat　away　from　the　wreck；　away　from　the　rocks…away　from　the　shore。　An　occasional　strong　pull　at　the　oars　sufficed　to　keep　her　bows　to　wind　and　wave。　Hornblower　looked　down　at　the　fainting　survivors　lying　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat　with　the　water　washing　over　them。　He　bent　down　and　shook　them　into　consciousness；　he　picked　up　the　balers　and　forced　them　into　their　numb　hands。　They　must　keep　active　or　die。　It　was　astounding　to　find　darkness　closing　about　them；　and　it　was　urgent　that　they　should　decide　on　their　next　move　immediately。　The　men　at　the　oars　were　in　no　shape　for　any　prolonged　further　rowing；　if　they　tried　to　return　to　the　sandy　cove　whence　they　had　started　they　might　be　overtaken　both　by　night　and　by　exhaustion　while　still　among　the　treacherous　rocks　off　the　shore　there。　Hornblower　sat　down　beside　the　Galician　captain；　who　laconically　gave　his　views　while　vigilantly　observing　the　waves　racing　down　upon　them。
　'It's　growing　dark；'　said　the　captain；　glancing　round　the　sky。　'Rocks。　The　men　are　tired。'
　'We　had　better　not　go　back；'　said　Hornblower。
　'No。'
　'Then　we　must　get　out　to　sea。'
　Years　of　duty　on　blockade；　of　beating　about　off　a　lee　shore；　had　ingrained　into　Hornblower　the　necessity　for　seeking　searoom。
　'Yes；'　said　the　captain；　and　he　added　something　which　Hornblower；　thanks　to　the　wind　and　his　unfamiliarity　with　the　language；　was　unable　to　catch。　The　captain　roared　the　expression　again；　and　acpanied　his　words　with　a　vivid　bit　of　pantomime　with　the　one　hand　he　could　spare　from　the　steering　oar。
　'A　sea　anchor；'　decided　Hornblower　to　himself。　'Quite　right。'
　He　looked　back　at　the　vanishing　shore；　and　gauged　the　direction　of　the　wind。　It　seemed　to　be　backing　a　little　southerly；　the　coast　here　trended　away　from　them。　They　could　ride　to　a　sea　anchor　through　the　hours　of　darkness　and　run　no　risk　of　being　cast　ashore　as　long　as　these　conditions　persisted。
　'Good；'　said　Hornblower　aloud。
　He　imitated　the　other's　bit　of　pantomime　and　the　captain　gave　him　a　glance　of　approval。　At　a　bellow　from　him　the　two　men　forward　took　in　their　oars　and　set　to　work　at　constructing　a　sea　anchor…merely　a　pair　of　oars　attached　to　a　long　painter　paid　out　over　the　bows。　With　this　gale　blowing　the　pressure　of　the　wind　on　the　boat　set　up　enough　drag　on　the　float　to　keep　their　bows　to　the　sea。　Hornblower　watched　as　the　sea　anchor　began　to　take　hold　of　the　water。
　'Good；'　he　said　again。
　'Good；'　said　the　captain；　taking　in　his　steering　oar。
　Hornblower　realized　only　now　that　he　had　been　long　exposed　to　a　winter　gale　while　wet　to　the　skin。　He　was　numb　with　cold；　and　he　was　shivering　uncontrollably。　At　his　feet　one　of　the　three　survivors　of　the　wreck　was　lying　helpless；　the　other　two　had　succeeded　in　baling　out　most　of　the　water　and　as　a　result　of　their　exertions　were　conscious　and　alert。　The　men　who　had　been　rowing　sat　drooping　with　weariness　on　their　thwarts。　The　Galician　captain　was　already　down　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat　lifting　the　helpless　man　in　his　arms。　It　was　a　mon　impulse　of　them　all　to　huddle　down　into　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　beneath　the　thwarts；　away　from　that　shrieking　wind。
　So　the　night　came　down　on　them。　Hornblower　found　himself　weling　the　contact　of　other　human　bodies；　he　felt　an　arm　round　him　and　he　put　his　arm　round　someone　else。　Around　them　a　little　water　still　surged　about　on　the　floorboards；　above　them　the　wind　still　shrieked　and　howled。　The　boat　stood　first　on　her　head　and　then　on　her　tail　as　the　waves　passed　under　them；　and　at　the　moment　of　climbing　each　crest　she　gave　a　shuddering　jerk　as　she　snubbed　herself　to　the　sea　anchor。　Every　few　seconds　a　new　spat　of　spray　whirled　into　the　boat　upon　their　shrinking　bodies；　it　did　not　seem　long　before　the　accumulation　of　spray　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat　made　it　necessary　for　them　to　disentangle　themselves；　and　set　about；　groping　in　the　darkness；　the　task　of　baling　the　water　out　again。　Then　they　could　huddle　down　again　under　the　thwarts。
　It　was　when　they　pulled　themselves　together　for　the　third　baling　that　in　the　middle　of　his　nightmare　of　cold　and　exhaustion　Hornblower　was　conscious　that　the　body　across　which　his　arm　lay　was　unnaturally　stiff；　the　man　the　captain　had　been　trying　to　revive　had　died　as　he　lay　there　between　the　captain　and　Hornblower。　The　captain　dragged　the　body　away　into　the　sternsheets　in　the　darkness；　and　the　night　went　on；　cold　wind　and　cold　spray；　jerk；　pitch；　and　roll；　sit　up　and　bale　and　cower　down　and　shudder。　It　was　hideous　torment；　Hornblower　could　not　trust　himself　to　believe　his　eyes　when　he　saw　the　first　signs　that　the　darkness　was　lessening。　And　then　the　grey　dawn　came　gradually　over　the　grey　sea；　and　they　were　free　to　wonder　what　to　do　next。　But　as　the　light　increased　the　problem　was　solved　for　them；　for　one　of　the　fishermen；　raising　himself　up　in　the　boat；　gave　a　hoarse　cry；　and　pointed　to　the　northern　horizon；　and　there；　almost　hull…up；　was　a　ship；　hove…to　under　storm　canvas。　The　captain　took　one　glance　at　her…his　eyesight　must　have　been　marvellous…and　identified　her。
　'The　English　frigate；'　he　said。
　She　must　have　made　nearly　the　same　amount　of　leeway　hove…to　as　the　boat　did　riding　to　her　sea　anchor。
　'Signal　to　her；'　said　Hornblower；　and　no　one　raised　any　objections。
　The　only　white　object　available　was　Hornblower's　shirt；　and　he　took　it　off；　shuddering　in　the　cold；　and　they　tied　it　to　an　oar　and　raised　the　oar　in　the　maststep。　The　captain　saw　Hornblower　putting　on　his　dripping　coat　over　his　bare　ribs　and　in　a　single　movement　peeled　off　his　thick　blue　jersey　and　offered　it　to　him。
　'Thank　you；　no；'　protested　Hornblower；　but　the　captain　insisted；　with　a　wide　grin　he　pointed　to　the　stiffened　corpse　lying　in　the　sternsheets　and　announced　he　would　replace　the　jersey　with　the　dead　man's　clothing。
　The　argument　was　interrupted　by　a　further　cry　from　one　of　the　fishermen。　The　frigate　was　ing　to　the　wind；　with　treble…reefed　fore　and　maintopsails　she　was　heading　for　them　under　the　impulse　of　the　lessening　gale。　Hornblower　saw　her　running　down　on　them；　a　glance　in　the　other　direction　showed　him　the