按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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 unnecessa