csf.thecommodore-第36节

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rately　with　fingers　and　toes　to　save　himself　from　being　washed　off。　He　was　riding　an　enormous　tree　trunk；　floating　on　the　surface　with　very　little　of　itself　exposed　above　the　surface。　With　the　best　timber　country　in　Europe　to　draw　upon；　and　easy　water　transport　available；　it　was；　of　course；　certain　that　the　French　would　select　the　heaviest　trees　possible　to　guard　the　entrance　to　the　port。　He　clawed　his　way　on　all　fours　along　the　log；　balancing　in　nightmare　fashion　on　his　pitching　and　rolling　mount。　An　active　topman；　or　Vickery　for　that　matter；　would　probably　walk　upright；　but　then　Hornblower　wanted　the　evidence　of　his　own　senses　regarding　the　boom；　not　a　report　at　secondhand。　The　cable；　when　he　reached　it；　was　the　largest　he　had　ever　seen　in　his　life　…　a　thirty…inch　cable　at　least；　the　largest　cable　Nonsuch　carried　was　only　nineteen　inches。　He　felt　about　the　log　with　inquiring　fingers　while　the　icy　water　soused　him　to　the　ears；　and　found　what　he　was　expecting　to　find；　one　of　the　chain　cables　that　attached　this　log　to　the　next。　It　was　a　two…inch　chain　cable　with　a　breaking　strain　of　a　hundred　tons　or　so；　heavily　stapled　down　to　the　log；　and　further　search　immediately　revealed　another　one。　Presumably　there　were　others　below　the　surface；　making　four　or　five　altogether。　Even　a　ship　of　the　line；　charging　down　full　tilt　before　the　wind；　would　be　hardly　likely　to　break　that　boom；　but　would　only　cause　herself　desperate　under…water　damage。　Peering　through　the　spray；　he　could　see　the　end　of　the　next　log　and　its　cable；　the　gap　was　some　ten　feet　only。　The　wind；　blowing　almost　lengthwise　along　the　boom；　had　pushed　it　down　to　leeward　as　far　as　the　cables　would　allow；　boom　and　cables　making　a　herring…bone　with　the　cables　as　taut　as　could　be。
　Hornblower　clawed　his　way　back　down　the　trunk；　poised　himself；　and　leaped　for　the　boat。　In　the　darkness；　with　the　irregular　motion　of　boom　and　boat　in　the　choppy　sea；　it　was　hard　to　time　the　moment　to　jump；　and　he　landed　awkwardly　across　the　gunwale　with　one　leg　in　the　sea；　and　Vickery　hauled　him　into　the　boat　without　much　dignity　left　him。
　〃Let　her　drop　down　to　leeward；〃　ordered　Hornblower。　〃I　want　soundings　taken　at　every　log。〃
　Vickery　handled　the　boat　well。　He　kept　her　bows　to　the　wind　after　shoving　off；　and　with　a　couple　of　oars　pulling　steadily　he　manoeuvred　her　past　each　cable　as　the　boat　drifted　to　leeward。　Brown　stood　amidships；　balancing　himself　against　the　boat's　extravagant　plunges；　while　he　took　soundings　with　the　awkward　thirty…foot　sounding　pole。　It　called　for　a　powerful　man　to　handle　that　thing　in　this　wind；　but　properly　used　it　was　quicker　and　far　less　noisy　than　a　hand　lead。　Four　fathoms　…　three　and　a　half　…　four　…　the　boom　was　laid　right　across　the　fairway；　as　was　only　to　be　expected。　At　the　windward　end　it　was　not　more　than　a　couple　of　hundred　yards　…　a　cable's　length　…　from　the　beach　at　Pillau；　and　Hornblower；　staring　into　the　night；　more　than　suspected　a　supplementary　boom　from　that　shore　which；　overlapping　this　one；　would　pel　any　vessel　entering　to　go　about　so　as　to　make　the　turn。　That　meant　that　any　ship　trying　to　enter　with　hostile　intentions　would　be　sunk　or　set　afire　for　certain　by　the　heavy　guns　in　Pillau。
　They　reached　the　leeward　end　of　the　boom；　a　stretch　of　clear　water　extended　from　here　towards　the　sandspit　…　the　Nehrung；　to　use　the　curious　German　word　for　it　…　which　divided　the　Haff　from　the　Baltic　for　twenty　miles。　The　open　stretch　must　be　a　quarter　of　a　mile　wide；　but　it　was　useless　for　navigation。　Brown's　pole　recorded　a　depth　of　ten　feet　for　a　couple　of　soundings；　and　then　the　water　shallowed　to　no　more　than　six　or　eight。
　Vickery　suddenly　put　his　hand　on　Hornblower's　arm　and　pointed　to　the　land。　There　was　a　nucleus　of　greater　darkness　there　…　a　guard…boat　beating　out　through　the　shallows　to　keep　watch　over　the　boom。
　〃Out　oars；〃　said　Hornblower。　〃Get　out　to　sea。〃
　There　were　thrum　mats　round　the　looms　of　the　oars　to　muffle　the　noise　they　made　against　the　thole…pins；　the　men　put　their　backs　into　their　work；　and　the　cutter　crept　out　to　sea　as　the　guard…boat　continued　its　course。　When　the　two　boats　were　far　enough　apart　for　the　sail　to　be　invisible　Hornblower　gave　orders　for　the　lug　to　be　set　and　they　began　the　beat　back　to　Lotus；　with　Hornblower　shivering　uncontrollably　in　his　wet　clothes；　bitterly　ashamed　though　he　was　that　Vickery　should　be　aware　that　his　modore　should　shiver　on　account　of　a　mere　wet　jacket　which　any　tough　seaman　would　think　nothing　of。　It　was　irritating；　though　it　was　no　more　than　was　to　be　expected；　that　the　first　attempt　to　find　Lotus　in　the　darkness　should　be　unsuccessful；　and　the　cutter　had　to　go　about　and　reach　to　windward　on　the　other　tack　before　at　last　they　picked　up　the　loom　of　her　in　the　night。　When　her　hail　reached　their　ears　Brown　made　a　speaking…trumpet　of　his　hands。
　〃modore！〃　he　shouted；　and　Vickery　turned　the　cutter　into　the　Lotus's　lee；　and　Hornblower　went　up　the　sloop's　low　side　as　the　two　came　together。　On　the　quarter…deck　Vickery　turned　to　him　for　orders。
　〃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　an