csf.thecommodore-第11节

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wrecks。　Now　it　was　time。
　〃Hoist；〃　said　Hornblower。　〃Captain　Bush；　I'll　trouble　you　to　square　away　and　follow　the　squadron。〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir；〃　said　Bush。
　Bush's　voice　hinted　at　suppressed　excitement；　and　it　came　to　Hornblower；　with　a　blinding　flash　of　revelation；　that　his　pose　was　ineffective　with　Bush。　The　latter　had　learned；　during　years　of　experience；　that　when　Hornblower　stood　still　instead　of　walking　about；　and　when　he　drawled　out　his　words　as　he　was　doing　at　present；　then　in　Hornblower's　opinion　there　was　danger　ahead。　It　was　an　intensely　interesting　discovery；　but　there　was　no　time　to　think　about　it；　not　with　the　squadron　going　up　the　Sound。
　Lotus　was　leading。　Vickery；　her　mander；　was　the　man　Hornblower　had　picked　out　as　the　captain　with　the　steadiest　nerves　who　could　be　trusted　to　lead　without　flinching。　Hornblower　would　have　liked　to　have　led　himself；　but　in　this　operation　the　rear　would　be　the　post　of　danger　…　the　leading　ships　might　well　get　through　before　the　gunners　on　shore　could　get　to　their　guns　and　find　the　range　…　and　the　Nonsuch　as　the　most　solidly　built　and　best　able　to　endure　fire　must　e　last　so　as　to　be　able　to　succour　and　tow　out　of　action　any　disabled　ship。　Hornblower　watched　Lotus　set　topsails　and　courses　and　square　away。　The　cutter　Clam　followed　…　she　was　the　feeblest　of　all；　a　single　shot　might　sink　her；　and　she　must　be　given　the　best　chance　of　getting　through。　Then　the　two　ugly　bomb…ketches；　and　then　the　other　sloop；　Raven；　just　ahead　of　Nonsuch；　Hornblower　was　not　sorry　to　have　the　opportunity　to　watch　how　her　mander；　Cole；　would　behave　in　action。　Nonsuch　followed；　driving　hard　with　the　strong　breeze　on　her　starboard　quarter。　Hornblower　watched　Bush　shaking　the　wind　out　of　the　mizzen…topsail　so　as　to　keep　exact　station　astern　of　the　Raven。　The　big　two…decker　seemed　a　lumbering　clumsy　thing　pared　with　the　grace　and　elegance　of　the　sloops。
　That　was　Sweden　in　sight　now；　Cape　Kullen；　now　on　the　port　bow。
　〃A　cast　of　the　log；　if　you　please；　Mr　Hurst。〃
　〃Aye　aye；　sir。〃
　Hornblower　thought　Hurst　looked　a　little　sidelong　at　him；　unable　to　conceive　why　any　sane　man　should　want　a　cast　of　the　log　at　a　moment　when　the　ship　was　about　to　risk　everything；　but　Hornblower　wanted　to　know　how　long　the　strain　was　likely　to　endure；　and　what　was　the　use　of　being　a　modore　if　one　could　not　then　indulge　one's　whims？　A　midshipman　and　a　couple　of　quartermasters　came　running　aft　with　log　and　glass；　the　speed　of　the　ship　was　sufficient　to　make　the　quartermaster's　arms　vibrate　as　he　held　the　reel　above　his　head。
　〃Nigh　on　nine　knots；　sir；〃　reported　the　midshipman　to　Hurst。
　〃Nigh　on　nine　knots；　sir；〃　reported　Hurst　to　Hornblower。
　〃Very　good。〃
　It　would　be　a　full　eight　hours；　then；　before　they　were　beyond　Saltholm　and　paratively　out　of　danger。　There　was　the　Danish　coast　on　the　starboard　bow　now；　just　visible　in　the　half…light；　the　channel　was　narrowing　fast。　Hornblower　could　imagine　sleepy　sentries　and　lookouts　peering　from　their　posts　at　the　hardly　visible　sails；　and　calling　to　their　sergeants；　and　the　sergeants　ing　sleepily　to　see　for　themselves　and　then　hastening　away　to　tell　their　lieutenants　and　then　the　drums　beating　to　arms　and　the　gunners　running　to　their　places。　On　the　Danish　side　they　would　make　ready　to　fire；　for　there　were　the　minions　of　Bonaparte；　and　any　sail　was　likely　to　be　an　enemy。　But　on　the　Swedish　side？　What　had　Bernadotte　decided　during　the　last　few　days？　Was　Bonaparte's　Marshal　still　neutral；　or　had　he　at　last　made　up　his　mind　to　throw　the　weight　of　Sweden　on　the　side　of　his　native　land？
　There　were　the　low　cliffs　of　Elsinore；　and　there　were　the　steeples　of　Helsingborg　in　plain　view　to　port；　and　the　fortress　above　the　town。　Lotus；　nearly　a　mile　head；　must　be　into　the　narrows。　Hornblower　levelled　his　glass　at　her；　her　yards　were　bracing　round　for　the　turn；　and　still　no　shot　had　been　fired。　Clam　was　turning　next　…　please　God　the　clumsy　bomb…ketches　did　not　misbehave。　Ah！　There　it　was。　The　heavy　dull　boom　of　a　gun；　and　then　the　sullen　roar　of　a　salvo。　Hornblower　turned　his　glass　to　the　Swedish　coast。　He　could　see　no　smoke　there。　Then　to　the　Danish　side。　Smoke　was　evident；　although　the　brisk　wind　was　dispersing　it　fast。　Under　Bush's　orders　the　helmsman　was　putting　the　wheel　over　a　spoke　or　two；　in　readiness　for　the　turn；　Elsinore　and　Helsingborg　were　suddenly　surprisingly　near。　Three　miles　wide　was　the　channel；　and　Vickery　in　Lotus　was　carrying　out　his　orders　correctly；　and　keeping　well　to　the　port　side　of　the　fairway；　two　miles　from　Denmark　and　only　a　mile　from　Sweden；　with　every　vessel　following　exactly　in　his　track。　If　the　Swedish　guns　came　into　action　and　were　well　handled；　they　could　deal　the　squadron　some　shrewd　blows。　Three　jets　of　water　from　the　surface　of　the　sea　on　the　starboard　beam；　although　the　eye　could　not　see　the　ball　that　made　them　it　was　easy　to　imagine　one　could；　as　it　skipped　over　the　surface；　but　the　last　jet　was　a　full　cable's　length　from　the　side。　The　Swedish　guns　were　still　not　firing；　Hornblower　wished　he　could　tell　whether　it　was　because　the　Swedish　gunners　were　taken　by　surprise　or　because　they　were　under　orders　not　to　fire。
　Elsinore　was　abaft　the　beam　now；　and　the　channel　was　opening　wide。　Hornblower　shut　his　telescope　with　a　snap；　and　a　decided　feeling　of　anticlimax。　He　could　hardly　imagine　now　what　he　had　been　worrying　about。　Calling　up　in　his　mind's　eye　the　chart　that　he　had　so　anxiously　studied；　he　calculated　that　it　would　be　an　hour　before　they　were　in　range　of　the　shore　again；　where　the　fairway　lay　close　in　to　the　Swedish　island　of　Hven　…　however　that　was　pronounced　in　these　barbarous　northern　tongues。　This　latter　thought　made　him　glance　round。　Braun　was　at　his　station　on　the　quarter…deck；　in　attendance　on　the　modore；　as　he　should　be。　With　his　hands　on　the　rail　he　was　gazing　over　at　the　Swedish　shore；　Hornblower　could　not　see　his　face；　but　every　line　of　the　man's　figure　disclosed　rapt　attention。　The　poor　devil　of　an　exile　was　looking　longingly　on　the　shores　on　which　he　could　never　hope　to　set　foot。　The　world　was　full　of　exiles；　but　Hornblower　felt　sorry　for　this　one。
　Here　came　the　sun；　peeping　between　two　Swedish　hills　as　they　opened　up　the　valley。　It　was　full　daylight；　with　every　promise　of　a　fine　day。　The　minute　warmth　of　the　sun；　as　the　shadow　of　the　mizzen…rigging　ran　across　the　quarter…deck；　suddenly　awoke　in　Hornblower　the　knowledge　that　he　was　stiff　and　chilled　with　having　made　himself　stand　still　so　long。　He　took　a　turn　or　two　along　the　quarter…deck；　restoring　his　circulation；　and　the　fresh　knowledge　was　borne　in　upon　him　that　he　wanted　his　breakfast。　Glamorous　visions　of　steaming　cups　of　coffee　danced　momentarily　in　his　mind's　eye；　and　it　was　with　a　sense　of　acute　disappointment　that　he　remembered　that；　with　the　ship　cleared　for　action　and　all　fires　out；　there　was　no　chance　of　hot　food　at　all。　So　acute　was　the　disappointment　that　he　realized　guiltily　that　his　six　months　ashore　had　made　him　soft　and　self…indulgent；　it　was　with　positive　distaste　that　he　contemplated　the　prospect　of　breakfasting　off　biscuit　and　cold　meat；　and　washing　them　down　with　ship's　water　which　already　had　obviously　been　kept　a　long　time　in　cask。
　The　thought　reminded　him　of　the　men　standing　patiently　at　their　guns。　He　wished　Bush　would　remember　about　them；　too。　Hornblower　could　not　possibly　interfere　in　the　details　of　the　internal　management　of　the　ship　…　he　would　do　more　harm　than　good　if　he　were　to　try　…　but　he　yearned　to　give　the　orders　which　were　running　through　his　mind。　He　tried　for　a　moment　to　convey　his　wishes　to　Bush　telepathically；　but　Bush　seemed　unreceptive；　just　as　Hornblower　expected。　He　walked　over　to　the　lee　side　as　though　to　get　a　better　view　of　the　Swedish　coast；　stopping　within　two　yards　of　Bush。
　〃Sweden　still　seems　to　be　neutral；〃　he　said；　casually。
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃We　shall　know　better　when　we　reach　Hven　…　God　knows　how　one's　supposed　to　pronounce　that。　We　must　pass　close　under　the　guns　there；　the　fairway's　that　side。〃
　〃Yes；　sir；　I　remember。〃
　〃But　there's　nearly　an　hour　before　we　e　to　it。　I　shall　have　a　bite　of　breakfast　brought　to　me　here。　Will　you　join　me；　Captain？〃
　〃Thank　you；　sir。　I　shall　be　delighted。〃
　An　invitation　of　that　sort　from　a　modore　was　as　good　as　a　mand　to　a　captain。　But　Bush　was　far　too　good　an　officer　to　dream　of　eating　food　when　his　men　could　not　do　so。　Hornblower　could　see　in　his　face　his　struggle　against　his　nervous　but　impractical　desire　to　have　his　crew　at　their　guns　every　moment　of　this　tense　time；　Bush；　after　all；　was　new　to　mand　and　found　his　responsibility　heavy。　But　good　sense　won　him　over　in　the　end。
　〃Mr　Hurst。　Dismiss　the　watch　below。　Half　an　hour　for　them　to　get　their　breakfast。〃
　That　was　exactly　the　order　Hornblower　had　wanted　him　to　give　…　but　the　pleasure　at　having　brought　it　about　did　not　in　Hornblower's　mind　counterbalance　the　annoyance　at　having　had　to　make　a　bit　of　casual　conversation；　and　now　there　would　have　to　be　polite　small　talk　over　the　breakfast。　The　tense　silence　of　the　ship　at　quarters　changed　to　the　bustle　of　dismissing　the　watch；　Bush　bawled　orders　for　chairs　and　a　table　to　be　brought　up　to　the　quarter…deck；　and　fussed　over　having　them　set　up　just　where　the　modore　would　like　them。