csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第17部分

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　So　that　was　it。　A　cutting…out　expedition。
　'Mr　Eccles　will　be　in　general　mand。　I　will　ask　him　to　tell　you　his　plan。'
　The　gray…haired　first　lieutenant　with　the　surprisingly　young　blue　eyes　looked　round　at　the　others。
　'I　shall　have　the　launch；'　he　said；　'and　Mr　Soames　the　cutter。　Mr　Chadd　and　Mr　Mallory　will　mand　the　first　and　second　gigs。　And　Mr　Hornblower　will　mand　the　jolly　boat。　Each　of　the　boats　except　Mr　Hornblower's　will　have　a　junior　officer　second　in　mand。'
　That　would　not　be　necessary　for　the　jolly　boat　with　its　crew　of　seven。　The　launch　and　cutter　would　carry　from　thirty　to　forty　men　each；　and　the　gigs　twenty　each；　it　was　a　large　force　that　was　being　despatched…nearly　half　the　ship's　pany。
　'She's　a　ship　of　war；'　explained　Eccles；　reading　their　thoughts。　'No　merchantman。　Ten　guns　a　side；　and　full　of　men。'
　Nearer　two　hundred　men　than　a　hundred；　certainly…plentiful　opposition　for　a　hundred　and　twenty　British　seamen。
　'But　we　will　be　attacking　her　by　night　and　taking　her　by　surprise；'　said　Eccles；　reading　their　thoughts　again。
　'Surprise；'　put　in　Pellew；　'is　more　than　half　the　battle；　as　you　know；　gentlemen…please　pardon　The　interruption；　Mr　Eccles。'
　'At　the　moment；'　went　on　Eccles；　'we　are　out　of　sight　of　land。　We　are　about　to　stand　in　again。　We　have　never　hung　about　this　part　of　the　coast；　and　the　Frogs'll　think　we've　gone　for　good。　We'll　make　the　land　after　nightfall；　stand　in　as　far　as　possible；　and　then　the　boats　will　go　in。　High　water　to…morrow　morning　is　at　four…fifty；　dawn　is　at　five…thirty。　The　attack　will　be　delivered　at　four…thirty　so　that　the　watch　below　will　have　had　time　to　get　to　sleep。　The　launch　will　attack　on　the　starboard　quarter；　and　the　cutter　on　the　larboard　quarter。　Mr　Mallory's　gig　will　attack　on　the　larboard　bow；　and　Mr　Chadd's　on　the　starboard　bow。　Mr　Chadd　will　be　responsible　for　cutting　the　corvette's　cable　as　soon　as　he　has　mastered　the　forecastle；　and　the　other　boats'　crews　have　at　least　reached　the　quarterdeck。'
　Eccles　looked　round　at　the　other　three　manders　of　the　large　boats；　and　they　nodded　understanding。　Then　he　went　on。
　'Mr　Hornblower　with　the　jolly　boat　will　wait　until　the　attack　has　gained　a　foothold　on　the　deck。　He　will　then　board　at　the　main　chains；　either　to　starboard　or　larboard　as　he　sees　fit；　and　he　will　at　once　ascend　the　main　rigging；　paying　no　attention　to　whatever　fighting　is　going　on　on　deck。　He　will　see　to　it　that　the　maintopsail　is　loosed　and　he　will　sheet　it　home　on　receipt　of　further　orders。　I　myself；　or　Mr　Soames　in　the　event　of　my　being　killed　or　wounded；　will　send　two　hands　to　the　wheel　and　will　attend　to　steering　the　corvette　as　soon　as　she　is　under　way。　The　tide　will　take　us　out　and　the　Indefatigable　will　be　awaiting　us　just　out　of　gunshot　from　the　shore　batteries。'
　'Any　ments；　gentlemen？'　asked　Pellew。
　That　was　the　moment　when　Hornblower　should　have　spoken　up…the　only　moment　when　he　could。　Eccles'　orders　had　set　in　motion　sick　feelings　of　apprehension　in　his　stomach。　Hornblower　was　no　maintopman；　and　Hornblower　knew　it。　He　hated　heights；　and　he　hated　going　aloft。　He　knew　he　had　none　of　the　monkey…like　agility　and　self…confidence　of　the　good　seaman。　He　was　unsure　of　himself　aloft　in　the　dark　even　in　the　Indefatigable；　and　he　was　utterly　appalled　at　the　thought　of　going　aloft　in　an　entirely　strange　ship　and　finding　his　way　among　strange　rigging。　He　felt　himself　quite　unfitted　for　the　duty　assigned　to　him；　and　he　should　have　raised　a　protest　at　once　on　account　of　his　unfitness。　But　he　let　the　opportunity　pass；　for　he　was　overe　by　the　matter…of…fact　way　in　which　the　other　officers　accepted　the　plan。　He　looked　round　at　the　unmoved　faces；　nobody　was　paying　any　attention　to　him；　and　he　jibbed　at　making　himself　conspicuous。　He　swallowed；　he　even　got　as　far　as　opening　his　mouth；　but　still　no　one　looked　at　him；　and　his　protest　died　stillborn。
　'Very　well；　then；　gentlemen；'　said　Pellew。　'I　think　you　had　better　go　into　the　details；　Mr　Eccles。'
　Then　it　was　too　late。　Eccles；　with　the　chart　before　him；　was　pointing　out　the　course　to　be　taken　through　the　shoals　and　mudbanks　of　the　Gironde；　and　expatiating　on　the　position　of　the　shore　batteries　and　on　the　influence　of　the　lighthouse　of　Cordouan　upon　the　distance　to　which　the　Indefatigable　could　approach　in　daylight。　Hornblower　listened；　trying　to　concentrate　despite　his　apprehensions。　Eccles　finished　his　remarks　and　Pellew　closed　the　meeting。
　'Since　you　all　know　your　duties；　gentlemen；　I　think　you　should　start　your　preparations。　The　sun　is　about　to　set　and　you　will　find　you　have　plenty　to　do。'
　The　boats　crews　had　to　be　told　off；　it　was　necessary　to　see　that　the　men　were　armed　and　that　the　boats　were　provisioned　in　case　of　emergency。　Every　man　had　to　be　instructed　in　the　duties　expected　of　him。　And　Hornblower　had　to　rehearse　himself　in　ascending　the　main　shrouds　and　laying　out　along　the　main　topsail　yard。　He　did　it　twice；　forcing　himself　to　make　the　difficult　climb　up　the　futtock　shrouds；　which；　projecting　outwards　from　the　mainmast；　made　it　necessary　to　climb　several　feet　while　hanging　back　downwards；　locking　fingers　and　toes　into　the　ratlines。　He　could　just　manage　it；　moving　slowly　and　carefully；　although　clumsily。　He　stood　on　the　footrope　and　worked　his　way　out　to　the　yardarm…the　footrope　was　attached　along　the　yard　so　as　to　hang　nearly　four　feet　below　it。　The　principle　was　to　set　his　feet　on　the　rope　with　his　arms　over　the　yard；　then；　holding　the　yard　in　his　armpits；　to　shuffle　sideways　along　the　footrope　to　cast　off　the　gaskets　and　loose　the　sail。　Twice　Hornblower　made　the　whole　journey；　battling　with　the　disquiet　of　his　stomach　at　the　thought　of　the　hundred…foot　drop　below　him。　Finally；　gulping　with　nervousness；　he　transferred　his　grip　to　the　brace　and　forced　himself　to　slide　down　it　to　the　deck…that　would　be　his　best　route　when　the　time　came　to　sheet　the　topsail　home。　It　was　a　long　perilous　descent；　Hornblower　told　himself…as　indeed　he　had　said　to　himself　when　he　had　first　seen　men　go　aloft…that　similar　feats　in　a　circus　at　home　would　be　received　with　'ohs'　and　'ahs'　of　appreciation。　He　was　by　no　means　satisfied　with　himself　even　when　he　reached　the　deck；　and　at　the　back　of　his　mind　was　a　vivid　mental　picture　of　his　missing　his　hold　when　the　time　came　for　him　to　repeat　the　performance　in　the　Papillon；　and　falling　headlong　to　the　deck…a　second　or　two　of　frightful　fear　while　rushing　through　the　air；　and　then　a　shattering　crash。　And　the　success　of　the　attack　hinged　on　him；　as　much　as　on　anyone…if　the　topsail　were　not　promptly　set　to　give　the　corvette　steerage　way　she　would　run　aground　on　one　of　the　innumerable　shoals　in　the　river　mouth　to　be　ignominiously　recaptured；　and　half　the　crew　of　the　Indefatigable　would　be　dead　or　prisoners。
　In　the　waist　the　jolly　boat's　crew　was　formed　up　for　his　inspection。　He　saw　to　it　that　the　oars　were　properly　muffled；　that　each　man　had　pistol　and　cutlass；　and　made　sure　that　every　pistol　was　at　half　cock　so　that　there　was　no　fear　of　a　premature　shot　giving　warning　of　the　attack。　He　allocated　duties　to　each　man　in　the　loosening　of　the　top　sail；　laying　stress　on　the　possibility　that　casualties　might　necessitate　unrehearsed　changes　in　the　scheme。
　'I　will　mount　the　rigging　first；'　said　Hornblower。
　That　had　to　be　the　case。　He　had　to　lead…it　was　expected　of　him。　More　than　that；　if　he　had　given　any　other　order　it　would　have　excited　ment…and　contempt。
　'Jackson；'　went　on　Hornblower；　addressing　the　coxswain；　'you　will　quit　the　boat　last　and　take　mand　if　I　fall。'
　'Aye　aye；　sir。'
　It　was　usual　to　use　the　poetic　expression　'fall'　for　'die'；　and　it　was　only　after　Hornblower　had　uttered　the　word　that　he　thought　about　its　horrible　real　meaning　in　the　present　circumstances。
　'Is　that　all　understood？'　asked　Hornblower　harshly；　it　was　his　mental　stress　that　made　his　voice　grate　so。
　Everyone　nodded　except　one　man。
　'Begging　your　pardon；　sir；'　said　Hales；　the　young　man　who　pulled　stroke　oar；　'I'm　feeling　a　bit　queer…like。'
　Hales　was　a　lightly　built　young　fellow　of　swarthy　countenance。　He　put　his　hand　to　his　forehead　with　a　vague　gesture　as　he　spoke。
　'You're　not　the　only　one　to　feel　queer；'　snapped　Hornblower。
　The　other　men　chuckled。　The　thought　of　running　the　gauntlet　of　the　shore　batteries；　of　boarding　an　armed　corvette　in　the　teeth　of　opposition；　might　well　raise　apprehension　in　the　breast　of　a　coward。　Most　of　the　men　detailed　for　the　expedition　must　have　felt　qualms　to　some　extent。
　'I　don't　mean　that；　sir；'　said　Hales　indignantly。　''Course　I　don't。'
　But　Hornblower　and　the　others　paid　him　no　attention
　'You　just　keep　your　mouth　shut；'　growled　Jackson。　There　could　be　nothing　but　contempt　for　a　man　who　announced　himself　sick　after　being　told　off　on　a　dangerous　duty。　Hornblower　felt　sympathy　as　well　as　contempt。　He　himself　had　been　too　much　of　a　coward　even　to　give　voice　to　his　apprehensions…too　much　afraid　of　what　people　would　say　about　him。
　'Dismiss；'　said　Hornblower。　'I'll　pass　the　word　for　all　of　you　when　you　are　wanted。'
　There　were　some　hours　yet　to　wait　while　the　Indefatigable　crept　inshore；　with　the　lead　going　steadily　and　Pellew　himself　attending　to　the　course　of　the　frigate。　Hornblower；　despite　his　nervousness　and　his　miserable