csf.mrmidshipmanhornblower-第24部分

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　Hornblower　climbed　up　into　the　cart　with　Bracegirdle；　and　two　seamen　led　the　plodding　horse　along　the　causeway　to　the　bridge。　There　they　halted　and　looked　down　at　the　muddy　water…running　swiftly　with　the　ebb…craning　their　heads　over　the　parapet　to　look　at　the　solid　stone　construction。
　'It　is　the　keystone　of　the　arch　which　we　should　blow　out；'　said　Bracegirdle。
　That　was　the　proverbial　recipe　for　the　destruction　of　a　bridge；　but　as　Hornblower　looked　from　the　bridge　to　Bracegirdle　and　back　again　the　idea　did　not　seem　easy　to　execute。　Gunpowder　exploded　upwards　and　had　to　be　held　in　on　all　sidles…how　was　that　to　be　done　under　the　arch　of　the　bridge？
　'What　about　the　pier？'　he　asked　tentatively。
　'We　can　but　look　and　see；'　said　Bracegirdle；　and　turned　to　the　seaman　by　the　cart。　'Hannay；　bring　a　rope。'
　They　fastened　the　rope　to　the　parapet　and　slid　down　it　to　a　precarious　foothold　on　the　slippery　ledge　round　the　base　of　the　pier；　the　river　gurgling　at　their　feet。
　'That　seems　to　be　the　solution；'　said　Bracegirdle；　crouching　almost　double　under　the　arch。
　Time　slipped　by　fast　as　they　made　their　preparations；　a　working　party　had　to　be　brought　from　the　guard　of　the　bridge；　picks　and　crowbars　had　to　be　found　or　extemporized　and　some　of　the　huge　blocks　with　which　the　pier　was　built　had　to　be　picked　out　at　the　shoulder　of　the　arch。　Two　kegs　of　gunpowder；　lowered　gingerly　from　above；　had　to　be　thrust　into　the　holes　so　formed；　a　length　of　slow　match　put　in　at　each　bunghole　and　led　to　the　exterior；　while　the　kegs　were　tamped　into　their　caves　with　all　the　stones　and　earth　that　could　be　crammed　into　them。　It　was　almost　twilight　under　the　arch　when　the　work　was　finished；　the　working　party　made　laboriously　to　climb　the　rope　up　to　the　bridge　and　Bracegirdle　and　Hornblower　left　to　look　at　each　other　again。
　'I'll　fire　the　fuses；'　said　Bracegirdle。　'You　go　next；　sir。'
　It　was　not　a　matter　for　much　argument。　Bracegirdle　was　under　orders　to　destroy　the　bridge；　and　Hornblower　addressed　himself　to　climbing　up　the　rope　while　Bracegirdle　took　his　tinderbox　from　his　pocket。　Once　on　the　roadway　of　the　bridge　Hornblower　sent　away　the　cart　and　waited。　It　was　only　two　or　three　minutes　before　Bracegirdle　appeared；　frantically　climbing　the　rope　and　hurling　himself　over　the　parapet。
　'Run！'　was　all　that　was　said。
　Together　they　scurried　down　the　bridge　and　halted　breathless　to　crouch　by　the　abutment　of　the　causeway。　Then　came　a　dull　explosion；　a　tremor　of　the　earth　under　their　feet；　and　a　cloud　of　smoke。
　'Let's　e　and　see；'　said　Bracegirdle。
　They　retraced　their　steps　towards　where　the　bridge　was　still　shrouded　in　smoke　and　dust。
　'Only　partly…'　began　Bracegirdle　as　they　neared　the　scene　and　the　dust　cleared　away。
　And　at　that　moment　there　was　a　second　explosion　which　made　them　stagger　as　they　stood。　A　lump　of　the　roadbed　hit　the　parapet　beside　them　and　burst　like　a　shell；　spattering　them　with　fragments。　There　was　a　rumble　and　a　clatter　as　the　arch　subsided　into　the　river。
　'That　must　have　been　the　second　keg　going　off；'　said　Bracegirdle；　wiping　his　face。　'We　should　have　remembered　the　fuses　were　likely　to　be　of　different　lengths。　Two　promising　careers　might　have　ended　suddenly　if　we　had　been　any　nearer。'
　'At　any　rate；　the　bridge　is　gone；'　said　Hornblower。
　'All's　well　that　ends　well；'　said　Bracegirdle。
　Seventy　pounds　of　gunpowder　had　done　their　work。　The　bridge　was　cut　clear　across；　leaving　a　ragged　gap　several　feet　wide；　beyond　which　the　roadway　reached　out　towards　the　gap　from　the　farther　pier　as　a　witness　to　the　toughness　of　the　mortar。　Beneath　their　feet　as　they　peered　over　they　could　see　the　river　bed　almost　choked　with　lumps　of　stone。
　'We'll　need　no　more　than　an　anchor　watch　to…night；'　said　Bracegirdle。
　Hornblower　looked　round　to　where　the　roan　horse　was　tethered；　he　was　tempted　to　return　to　Muzillac　on　foot；　leading　the　animal；　but　shame　forbade。　He　climbed　with　an　effort　into　the　saddle　and　headed　the　animal　back　up　the　road；　ahead　of　him　the　sky　was　beginning　to　turn　red　with　the　approach　of　sunset。
　He　entered　the　main　street　of　the　town　and　rounded　the　slight　bend　to　the　central　square；　to　see　something　that　made　him；　without　his　own　volition；　tug　at　his　reins　and　halt　his　horse。　The　square　was　full　of　people；　townsfolk　and　soldiers；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　square　a　tall　narrow　rectangle　reached　upwards　towards　the　sky　with　a　glittering　blade　at　its　upper　end。　The　blade　fell　with　a　reverberating　thump；　and　the　little　group　of　men　round　the　base　of　the　rectangle　dragged　something　to　one　side　and　added　it　to　the　heap　already　there。　The　portable　guillotine　was　at　work。
　Hornblower　sat　sick　and　horrified…this　was　worse　than　any　flogging　at　the　gratings。　He　was　about　to　urge　his　horse　forward　when　a　strange　sound　caught　his　ear。　A　man　was　singing；　loud　and　clear；　and　out　from　a　building　at　the　side　of　the　square　emerged　a　little　procession。　In　front　walked　a　big　man　with　dark　curly　hair；　wearing　a　white　shirt　and　dark　breeches。　At　either　side　and　behind　him　walked　soldiers。　It　was　this　man　who　was　singing；　the　tune　meant　nothing　to　Hornblower；　but　he　could　hear　the　words　distinctly…it　was　one　of　the　verses　of　the　French　revolutionary　song；　echoes　of　which　had　penetrated　even　across　the　Channel。
　'Oh；　sacred　love　of　the　Fatherland　。　。　。'　sang　the　man　in　the　white　shirt；　and　when　the　civilians　in　the　square　heard　what　he　was　singing；　there　was　a　rustle　among　them　and　they　dropped　to　the　knees；　their　heads　bowed　and　their　hands　crossed　upon　their　breasts。
　The　executioners　were　winding　the　blade　up　again；　and　the　man　in　the　white　shirt　followed　its　rise　with　his　eyes　while　he　still　sang　without　a　tremor　in　his　voice。　The　blade　reached　the　top；　and　the　singing　ceased　at　last　as　the　executioners　fell　on　the　man　with　the　white　shirt　and　led　him　to　the　guillotine。　Then　the　blade　fell　with　another　echoing　crash。
　It　seemed　that　this　was　to　be　the　last　execution；　for　the　soldiers　began　to　push　the　civilians　back　towards　their　homes；　and　Hornblower　urged　his　horse　forward　through　the　dissolving　crowd。　He　was　nearly　thrown　from　his　saddle　when　the　animal　plunged　sideways；　snorting　furiously…it　had　scented　the　horrid　heap　that　lay　beside　the　guillotine。　At　the　side　of　the　square　was　a　house　with　a　balcony；　and　Hornblower　looked　up　at　it　in　time　to　see　Pouzauges　still　standing　there；　wearing　his　white　uniform　and　blue　ribbon；　his　staff　about　him　and　his　hands　on　the　rail。　There　were　sentries　at　the　door；　and　to　one　of　them　Hornblower　handed　over　his　horse　as　he　entered；　Pouzauges　was　just　descending　the　stairs。
　'Good　evening；　sir；'　said　Pouzauges　with　perfect　courtesy。　'I　am　glad　you　have　found　your　way　to　headquarters。　I　trust　it　was　without　trouble？　We　are　about　to　dine　and　will　enjoy　your　pany。　You　have　your　horse；　I　suppose？　M。　de　Villers　here　will　give　orders　for　it　to　be　looked　after；　I　am　sure。'
　It　was　all　hard　to　believe。　It　was　hard　to　believe　that　thin　polished　gentleman　had　ordered　the　butchery　that　had　just　ended；　it　was　hard　to　believe　that　the　elegant　young　men　with　whom　he　sat　at　dinner　were　staking　their　lives　on　the　overthrow　of　a　barbarous　but　lusty　young　republic。　But　it　was　equally　hard　to　believe；　when　he　climbed　into　a　four…poster　bed　that　night；　that　he；　Midshipman　Horatio　Hornblower；　was　in　imminent　deadly　peril　himself。
　Outside　in　the　street　women　wailed　as　the　headless　corpses；　the　harvest　of　the　executions；　were　carried　away；　and　he　thought　he　would　never　sleep；　but　youth　and　fatigue　had　their　way；　and　he　slept　for　most　of　the　night；　although　he　awoke　with　the　feeling　that　he　had　just　been　fighting　off　a　nightmare。　Everything　was　strange　to　him　in　the　darkness；　and　it　was　several　moments　before　he　could　account　for　the　strangeness。　He　was　in　a　bed　and　not…as　he　had　spent　the　preceding　three　hundred　nights…in　a　hammock；　and　the　bed　was　steady　as　a　rock　instead　of　swaying　about　with　the　lively　motion　of　a　frigate。　The　stuffiness　about　him　was　the　stuffiness　of　bed　curtains；　and　not　the　stuffiness　of　the　midshipmen's　berth　with　its　pound　smell　of　stale　humanity　and　stale　bilgewater。　He　was　on　shore；　in　a　house；　in　a　bed；　and　everything　about　him　was　dead　quiet；　unnaturally　so　to　a　man　accustomed　to　the　noises　of　a　wooden　ship　at　sea。
　Of　course；　he　was　in　a　house　in　the　town　of　Muzillac　in　Brittany。　He　was　sleeping　in　the　headquarters　of　Brigadier　General　the　Marquis　de　Pouzauges；　manding　the　French　troops　who　constituted　part　of　this　expedition；　which　was　itself　part　of　a　larger　force　invading　Revolutionary　France　in　the　royalist　cause。　Hornblower　felt　a　quickening　of　the　pulse；　a　faint　sick　feeling　of　insecurity；　as　he　realized　afresh　that　he　was　now　in　France；　ten　miles　from　the　sea　and　the　Indefatigable　with　only　a　rabble　of　Frenchmen…half　of　them　mercenaries　only　nominally　Frenchmen　at　that…around　him　to　preserve　him　from　death　or　captivity。　He　regretted　his　knowledge　of　French…if　he　had　had　none　he　would　not　be　here；　and　good　fortune　might　even　have　put　him　among　the　British　half…battalion　of　the　43rd　guarding　the　ford　a　mile　away。
　It　was　partly　the　thought　of　the　British　troops　which　roused　him　out　of　bed。　It　was　his　duty　to　see　that　liaison　was　kept　up　with　them；　and　the　situation　might　have　changed　while　he　slept。　He　drew　aside　the　bed　curtains　and　stepped　down　to　the　floor；　as　his　legs　took　the　weight　of　his　body　they　protested　furiously…all　the　riding　he　had　done　yesterday　had　left　every　muscle　and　joint　aching　so　that　he　could　hardly　walk。　But　he　hobbled　in　the　darkness　over　to　the　window；　found　the　latch　of　the　shutters；　and　pushed　them　open。　A　three…quarter　moon　was　shining　down　into　the　empty　street　of　the　town；　and　looking　down　he　could　see　the　three…cornered　hat　of　the　sentry　posted　outside；　and　the　bayonet　reflecting　the　moonlight。　Returning　from　the　window；　he　found　his　coat　and　his　shoes　and　put　them　on；　belted　his　cutlass　about　him；　and　then　he　crept　downstairs　as　quietly　as　he　could。　In　the　room　off　the　entrance　hall　a　tallow　dip　guttered　on　the　table；　and　beside　it　a　French　sergeant　slept　with　his　head　on　his　arms；　lightly；　for　he　raised　his　head　as　Hornblower　paused　in　the　doorway。　On　the　floor　of　the　room　the　rest　of　the　guard　off　duty　were　snoring　stertorously