csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第24节

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　He　watched　the　labours　of　the　men　for　some　moments　before　he　turned　back　to　Hornblower。
　'No　more　trouble　with　the　men　for　a　couple　of　months；'　he　said。　'We'll　work　'em　'til　they　drop；　refitting。　Prize　crew　will　leave　us　shorthanded；　to　say　nothing　of　our　butcher's　bill。　It'll　be　a　long　time　before　they　want　something　new。　It'll　be　a　long　time　for　you；　too；　I　fancy；　Hornblower。'
　'Yes；　sir；'　said　Hornblower。
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　SIX　…　THE　FROGS　AND　THE　LOBSTERS
　'They're　ing；'　said　Midshipman　Kennedy。
　Midshipman　Hornblower's　unmusical　ear　caught　the　raucous　sounds　of　a　military　band；　and　soon；　with　a　gleam　of　scarlet　and　white　and　gold；　the　head　of　the　column　came　round　the　corner。　The　hot　sunshine　was　reflected　from　the　brass　instruments；　behind　them　the　regimental　colour　flapped　from　its　staff；　borne　proudly　by　an　ensign　with　the　colour　guard　round　him。　Two　mounted　officers　rode　behind　the　colour；　and　after　them　came　the　long　red　serpent　of　the　half…battalion；　the　fixed　bayonets　flashing　in　the　sun；　while　all　the　children　of　Plymouth；　still　not　sated　with　military　pomp；　ran　along　with　them。
　The　sailors　standing　ready　on　the　quay　looked　at　the　soldiers　marching　up　curiously；　with　something　of　pity　and　something　of　contempt　mingled　with　their　curiosity。　The　rigid　drill；　the　heavy　clothing；　the　iron　discipline；　the　dull　routine　of　the　soldier　were　in　sharp　contrast　with　the　far　more　flexible　conditions　in　which　the　sailor　lived。　The　sailors　watched　as　the　band　ended　with　a　flourish；　and　one　of　the　mounted　officers　wheeled　his　horse　to　face　the　column。　A　shouted　order　turned　every　man　to　face　the　quayside；　the　movements　being　made　so　exactly　together　that　five　hundred　boot…heels　made　a　single　sound。　A　huge　sergeant…major；　his　sash　gleaming　on　his　chest；　and　the　silver　mounting　of　his　cane　winking　in　the　sun；　dressed　the　already　perfect　line。　A　third　order　brought　down　every　musket…butt　to　earth。
　'Unfix…bayonets'　roared　the　mounted　officer；　uttering　the　first　words　Hornblower　had　understood。
　Hornblower　positively　goggled　at　the　ensuing　formalities；　as　the　fuglemen　strode　their　three　paces　forward；　all　exactly　to　time　like　marionettes　worked　by　the　same　strings；　turned　their　heads　to　look　down　the　line；　and　gave　the　time　for　detaching　the　bayonets；　for　sheathing　them；　and　for　returning　the　muskets　to　the　men's　sides。　The　fuglemen　fell　back　into　their　places；　exactly　to　time　again　as　far　as　Hornblower　could　see；　but　not　exactly　enough　apparently；　as　the　sergeant…major　bellowed　his　discontent　and　brought　the　fuglemen　out　and　sent　them　back　again。
　'I'd　like　to　see　him　laying　aloft　on　a　stormy　night；'　muttered　Kennedy。　'D'ye　think　he　could　take　the　maintops'1　earring？'
　'These　lobsters！'　said　Midshipman　Bracegirdle。
　The　scarlet　lines　stood　rigid；　all　five　panies；　the　sergeants　with　their　halberds　indicating　the　intervals…from　halberd　to　halberd　the　line　of　faces　dipped　down　and　then　up　again；　with　the　men　exactly　sized　off；　the　tallest　men　at　the　flanks　and　the　shortest　men　in　the　centre　of　each　pany。　Not　a　finger　moved；　not　an　eyebrow　twitched。　Down　every　back　hung　rigidly　a　powdered　pigtail。
　The　mounted　officer　trotted　down　the　line　to　where　the　naval　party　waited；　and　Lieutenant　Bolton；　in　mand；　stepped　forward　with　his　hand　to　his　hat　rim。
　'My　men　are　ready　to　embark；　sir；'　said　the　army　officer。　'The　baggage　will　be　here　immediately。'
　'Aye　aye；　major；'　said　Bolton…the　army　title　and　the　navy　reply　in　strange　contrast。
　'It　would　be　better　to　address　me　as　〃My　lord〃'　said　the　major。
　'Aye　aye；　sir…my　lord；'　replied　Bolton；　caught　quite　off　his　balance。
　His　Lordship；　the　Earl　of　Edrington；　major　manding　this　wing　of　the　43rd　Foot；　was　a　heavily　built　young　man　in　his　early　twenties。　He　was　a　fine　soldierly　figure　in　his　well…fitting　uniform；　and　mounted　on　a　magnificent　charger；　but　he　seemed　a　little　young　for　his　present　responsible　mand。　But　the　practice　of　the　purchase　of　missions　was　liable　to　put　very　young　men　in　high　mand；　and　the　Army　seemed　satisfied　with　the　system。
　'The　French　auxiliaries　have　their　orders　to　report　here；'　went　on　Lord　Edrington。　'I　suppose　arrangements　have　been　made　for　their　transport　as　well？'
　'Yes；　my　lord。'
　'Not　one　of　the　beggars　can　speak　English；　as　far　as　I　can　make　out。　Have　you　got　an　officer　to　interpret？'
　'Yes；　sir。　Mr　Hornblower！'
　'Sir！'
　'You　will　attend　to　the　embarkation　of　the　French　troops。'
　'Aye　aye；　sir。'
　More　military　music…Hornblower's　tone…deaf　ear　distinguished　it　as　making　a　thinner　noise　than　the　British　infantry　band…heralded　the　arrival　of　the　Frenchmen　farther　down　the　quay　by　a　side　road；　and　Hornblower　hastened　there。　This　was　the　Royal；　Christian；　and　Catholic　French　Army；　or　a　detachment　of　it　at　least…a　battalion　of　the　force　raised　by　the　émigré　French　nobles　to　fight　against　the　Revolution。　There　was　the　white　flag　with　the　golden　lilies　at　the　head　of　the　column；　and　a　group　of　mounted　officers　to　whom　Hornblower　touched　his　hat。　One　of　them　acknowledged　his　salute。
　'The　Marquis　of　Pouzauges；　Brigadier　General　in　the　service　of　His　Most　Christian　Majesty　Louis　XVII'　said　this　individual　in　French　by　way　of　introduction。　He　wore　a　glittering　white　uniform　with　a　blue　ribbon　across　it。
　Stumbling　over　the　French　words；　Hornblower　introduced　himself　as　an　aspirant　of　his　Britannic　Majesty's　Marine；　deputed　to　arrange　the　embarkation　of　the　French　troops。
　'Very　good；'　said　Pouzauges。　'We　are　ready。'
　Hornblower　looked　down　the　French　column。　The　men　were　standing　in　all　attitudes；　gazing　about　them。　They　were　all　well　enough　dressed；　in　blue　uniforms　which　Hornblower　guessed　had　been　supplied　by　the　British　government；　but　the　white　crossbelts　were　already　dirty；　the　metalwork　tarnished；　the　arms　dull。　Yet　doubtless　they　could　fight。
　'Those　are　the　transports　allotted　to　your　men；　sir；'　said　Hornblower；　pointing。　'The　Sophia　will　take　three　hundred；　and　the　Dumbarton…that　one　over　there…will　take　two　hundred　and　fifty。　Here　at　the　quay　are　the　lighters　to　ferry　the　men　out。'
　'Give　the　orders；　M。　de　Moncoutant；'　said　Pouzauges　to　one　of　the　officers　beside　him。
　The　hired　baggage　carts　had　now　e　creaking　up　along　the　column；　piled　high　with　the　men's　kits；　and　the　column　broke　into　chattering　swarms　as　the　men　hunted　up　their　possessions。　It　was　some　time　before　the　men　were　reassembled；　each　with　his　own　kit…bag；　and　then　there　arose　the　question　of　detailing　a　fatigue　party　to　deal　with　the　regimental　baggage；　and　the　men　who　were　given　the　task　yielded　up　their　bags　with　obvious　reluctance　to　their　rades；　clearly　in　despair　of　ever　seeing　any　of　the　contents　again。　Hornblower　was　still　giving　out　information。
　'All　horses　must　go　to　the　Sophia；'　he　said。　'She　has　acmodation　for　six　chargers。　The　regimental　baggage…'
　He　broke　off　short；　for　his　eye　had　been　caught　by　a　singular　jumble　of　apparatus　lying　in　one　of　the　carts。
　'What　is　that；　if　you　please？'　he　asked；　curiosity　overpowering　him。
　'That；　sir；'　said　Pouzauges；　'is　a　guillotine。'
　'A　guillotine？'
　Hornblower　had　read　much　lately　about　this　instrument。　The　Red　Revolutionaries　had　set　one　up　in　Paris　and　kept　it　hard　at　work。　The　King　of　France；　Louis　XVI　himself；　had　died　under　it。　He　did　not　expect　to　find　one　in　the　train　of　a　counter…revolutionary　army。
　'Yes；'　said　Pouzauges；　'we　take　it　with　us　to　France。　It　is　in　my　mind　to　give　those　anarchists　a　taste　of　their　own　medicine。'
　Hornblower　did　not　have　to　make　reply；　fortunately；　as　a　bellow　from　Bolton　interrupted　the　conversation。
　'What　the　hell's　all　this　delay　for；　Mr　Hornblower？　D'you　want　us　to　miss　the　tide？'
　It　was　of　course　typical　of　life　in　any　service　that　Hornblower　should　be　reprimanded　for　the　time　wasted　by　the　inefficiency　of　the　French　arrangements…that　was　the　sort　of　thing　he　had　already　e　to　expect；　and　he　had　already　learned　that　it　was　better　to　submit　silently　to　reprimand　than　to　offer　excuses。　He　addressed　himself　again　to　the　task　of　getting　the　French　aboard　their　transports。　It　was　a　weary　midshipman　who　at　last　reported　himself　to　Bolton　with　his　tally　sheets　and　the　news　that　the　last　Frenchman　and　horse　and　pieces　of　baggage　were　safely　aboard；　and　he　was　greeted　with　the　order　to　get　his　things　together　quickly　and　transfer　them　and　himself　to　the　Sophia；　where　his　services　as　interpreter　were　still　needed。
　The　convoy　dropped　quickly　down　Plymouth　Sound；　rounded　the　Eddystone；　and　headed　down　channel；　with　H。M。S。　Indefatigable　flying　her　distinguishing　pennant；　the　two　gun…brigs　which　had　been　ordered　to　assist　in　convoying　the　expedition；　and　the　four　transports…a　small　enough　force；　it　seemed　to　Hornblower；　with　which　to　attempt　the　overthrow　of　the　French　republic。　There　were　only　eleven　hundred　infantry；　the　half　battalion　of　the　43rd　and　the　weak　battalion　of　Frenchmen　（if　they　could　be　called　that；　seeing　that　many　of　them　were　soldiers　of　fortune　of　all　nations）　and　although　Hornblower　had　enough　sense　not　to　try　to　judge　the　Frenchmen　as　they　lay　in　rows　in　the　dark　and　stinking　'tweendecks　in　the　agonies　of　seasickness　he　was　puzzled　that　anyone　could　expect　results　from　such　a　small　force。　His　historical　readi