csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第22部分

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il。
　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　reading　had　told　him　of　many　small　raids；　in　many　wars；　launched　against　the　shores　of　France；　and　although　he　knew　that　they　had　once　been　described　by　an　opposition　statesman　as　'breaking　windows　with　guineas'　he　had　been　inclined　to　approve　of　them　in　principle；　as　bringing　about　a　dissipation　of　the　French　strength…until　now；　when　he　found　himself　part　of　such　an　expedition。
　So　it　was　with　relief　that　he　heard　from　Pouzauges　that　the　troops　he　had　seen　did　not　constitute　the　whole　of　the　force　to　be　employed…were　indeed　only　a　minor　fraction　of　it。　A　little　pale　with　seasickness；　but　manfully　bating　it；　Pouzauges　laid　out　a　map　on　the　cabin　table　and　explained　the　plan。
　'The　Christian　Army；'　explained　Ponzauges；　'will　land　here；　at　Quiberon。　They　sailed　from　Portsmouth…these　English　names　are　hard　to　pronounce…the　day　before　we　left　Plymouth。　There　are　five　thousand　men　under　the　Baron　de　Charette。　They　will　march　on　Vannes　and　Rennes。'
　'And　what　is　your　regiment　to　do？'　asked　Hornblower。
　Pouzauges　pointed　to　the　map　again。
　'Here　is　the　town　of　Muzillac；'　he　said。　Twenty　leagues　from　Quiberon。　Here　the　main　road　from　the　south　crosses　the　river　Marais；　where　the　tide　ceases　to　flow。　It　is　only　a　little　river；　as　you　see；　but　its　banks　are　marshy；　and　the　road　passes　it　not　only　by　a　bridge　but　by　a　long　causeway。　The　rebel　armies　are　to　the　south；　and　on　their　northward　march　must　e　by　Muzillac。　We　shall　be　there。　We　shall　destroy　the　bridge　and　defend　the　crossing；　delaying　the　rebels　long　enough　to　enable　M。　de　Charette　to　raise　all　Brittany。　He　will　soon　have　twenty　thousand　men　in　arms；　the　rebels　will　e　back　to　their　allegiance；　and　we　shall　march　on　Paris　to　restore　His　Most　Christian　Majesty　to　the　throne。'
　So　that　was　the　plan。　Hornblower　was　infected　with　the　Frenchmen's　enthusiasm。　Certainly　the　road　passed　within　ten　miles　of　the　coast；　and　there；　in　the　broad　estuary　of　the　Vilaine；　it　should　be　possible　to　land　a　small　force　and　seize　Muzillac。　There　should　be　no　difficulty　about　defending　a　causeway　such　as　Pouzauges　described　for　a　day　or　two　against　even　a　large　force。　That　would　afford　Charette　every　chance。
　'My　friend　M。　de　Moncoutant　here；'　went　on　Pouzauges；　'is　Lord　of　Muzillac。　The　people　there　will　wele　him。'
　'Most　of　them　will；'　said　Moncoutant；　his　grey　eyes　narrowing。　'Some　will　be　sorry　to　see　me。　But　I　shall　be　glad　of　the　encounter。'
　Western　France；　the　Vendée　and　Brittany；　had　long　been　in　a　turmoil；　and　the　population　there；　under　the　leadership　of　the　nobility；　had　risen　in　arms　more　than　once　against　the　Paris　government。　But　every　rebellion　had　ended　in　defeat；　the　Royalist　force　now　being　convoyed　to　France　was　posed　of　the　fragments　of　the　defeated　armies…a　final　cast　of　the　dice；　and　a　desperate　one。　Regarded　in　that　light；　the　plan　did　not　seem　so　sound。
　It　was　a　grey　morning…a　morning　of　grey　sky　and　grey　rocks…when　the　convoy　rounded　Belle　Ile　and　stood　in　towards　the　estuary　of　the　Vilaine　river。　Far　to　the　northward　were　to　be　seen　white　topsails　in　Quiberon　Bay…Hornblower；　from　the　deck　of　the　Sophia；　saw　signals　pass　back　and　forth　from　the　Indefatigable　as　she　reported　her　arrival　to　the　senior　officer　of　the　main　expedition　there。　It　was　a　proof　of　the　mobility　and　ubiquity　of　naval　power　that　it　could　take　advantage　of　the　configuration　of　the　land　so　that　two　blows　could　be　struck　almost　in　sight　of　each　other　from　the　sea　yet　separated　by　forty　miles　of　roads　on　land。　Hornblower　raked　the　forbidding　shore　with　his　glass；　reread　the　orders　for　the　captain　of　the　Sophia；　and　stared　again　at　the　shore。　He　could　distinguish　the　narrow　mouth　of　the　Marais　river　and　the　strip　of　mud　where　the　troops　were　to　land。　The　lead　was　going　in　the　chains　as　the　Sophia　crept　towards　her　allotted　anchorage；　and　the　ship　was　rolling　uneasily；　these　waters；　sheltered　though　they　were；　were　a　Bedlam　of　conflicting　currents　that　could　make　a　choppy　sea　even　in　a　calm。　Then　the　anchor　cable　rumbled　out　through　the　hawsehole　and　the　Sophia　swung　to　the　current；　while　the　crew　set　to　work　hoisting　out　the　boats。
　'France；　dear　beautiful　France；'　said　Pouzauges