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¡¡Hornblower¡¡returned¡¡the¡¡salute£»¡¡conscious¡¡as¡¡he¡¡did¡¡so¡¡that¡¡Bulow¡¡at¡¡his¡¡side¡¡had£»¡¡suddenly¡¡changed¡¡his¡¡gait£»¡¡stealing¡¡a¡¡glance¡¡out¡¡of¡¡the¡¡tail¡¡of¡¡his¡¡eye¡¡he¡¡saw¡¡that¡¡Bulow¡¡was¡¡ponderously¡¡goose¡stepping¡¡as¡¡long¡¡as¡¡the¡¡salutes¡¡were¡¡being¡¡exchanged¡£¡¡Yet¡¡it¡¡was¡¡very¡¡noticeable¡¡that¡¡even¡¡though¡¡Bulow's¡¡formal¡¡training¡¡forced¡¡him¡¡into¡¡a¡¡goose¡step¡¡at¡¡a¡¡moment¡¡of¡¡military¡¡courtesy£»¡¡he¡¡had¡¡not¡¡failed¡¡to¡¡notice¡¡the¡¡troops¡£¡¡His¡¡eyes¡¡were¡¡bulging¡¡with¡¡unasked¡¡questions¡£
¡¡¡¨Spanish¡¡troops£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Hornblower£»¡¡casually¡£¡¡¡¨A¡¡division¡¡of¡¡Spaniards¡¡and¡¡Portuguese¡¡joined¡¡us¡¡from¡¡Bonaparte's¡¡main¡¡army¡¡a¡¡little¡¡while¡¡ago¡£¡¡They¡¡fight¡¡well¡¡¡¡¡in¡¡fact¡¡they¡¡were¡¡responsible¡¡for¡¡the¡¡final¡¡repulse¡¡of¡¡the¡¡last¡¡assault¡£¡¡It¡¡is¡¡interesting¡¡to¡¡notice¡¡how¡¡Bonaparte's¡¡dupes¡¡are¡¡falling¡¡away¡¡from¡¡him¡¡now¡¡that¡¡the¡¡hollowness¡¡of¡¡his¡¡power¡¡is¡¡revealed¡£¡¨
¡¡Bulow's¡¡astonished¡¡reply¡¡must¡¡either¡¡have¡¡been¡¡inarticulate¡¡or¡¡in¡¡German£»¡¡for¡¡Hornblower¡¡could¡¡not¡¡understand¡¡it£»¡¡but¡¡his¡¡tone¡¡conveyed¡¡his¡¡meaning¡¡well¡¡enough¡£
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¡¡¡¨That's¡¡high¡¡politics£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡said¡¡with¡¡a¡¡laugh¡¡and¡¡a¡¡wave¡¡of¡¡his¡¡hand¡£¡¡¡¨But¡¡one¡¡day¡¡in¡¡the¡¡future¡¡we¡¡might¡¡look¡¡back¡¡on¡¡this¡¡conversation¡¡as¡¡prophetic¡£¡¡One¡¡cannot¡¡tell£»¡¡can¡¡one£¿¡¡Some¡¡time¡¡when¡¡we¡¡meet¡¡as¡¡plenipotentiaries¡¡I¡¡will¡¡be¡¡able¡¡to¡¡remind¡¡you¡¡of¡¡this¡¡talk¡£¡¡And¡¡here¡¡we¡¡are¡¡at¡¡the¡¡breach¡£¡¡It¡¡irks¡¡me¡¡to¡¡have¡¡to¡¡say¡¡goodbye£»¡¡at¡¡the¡¡same¡¡moment¡¡as¡¡it¡¡gives¡¡me¡¡pleasure¡¡to¡¡restore¡¡you¡¡to¡¡your¡¡friends¡£¡¡My¡¡heartiest¡¡good¡¡wishes£»¡¡sir£»¡¡for¡¡you¡¡for¡¡the¡¡future¡£¡¨
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¡¡¡¨Are¡¡you¡¡all¡¡right£»¡¡sir£¿¡¨¡¡asked¡¡Brown£»¡¡solicitously¡£
¡¡¡¨Of¡¡course¡¡I¡¡am£»¡¨¡¡snapped¡¡Hornblower£»¡¡amazed¡¡at¡¡the¡¡man's¡¡impertinence¡£
¡¡The¡¡question¡¡irritated¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡irritation¡¡made¡¡him¡¡mount¡¡the¡¡ship's¡¡side¡¡as¡¡fast¡¡as¡¡he¡¡could£»¡¡and¡¡acknowledge¡¡merely¡¡coldly¡¡the¡¡salutes¡¡he¡¡received¡¡on¡¡the¡¡quarter¡deck£»¡¡down¡¡in¡¡his¡¡cabin¡¡his¡¡irritation¡¡persisted£»¡¡and¡¡prevented¡¡him¡¡from¡¡obeying¡¡his¡¡first¡¡impulse¡¡to¡¡throw¡¡himself¡¡across¡¡his¡¡cot¡¡and¡¡relax¡£¡¡He¡¡paced¡¡about¡¡for¡¡a¡¡moment¡£¡¡For¡¡something¡¡to¡¡do¡¡he¡¡peered¡¡into¡¡the¡¡mirror¡£¡¡There¡¡was¡¡some¡¡excuse¡¡for¡¡Brown¡¡after¡¡all£»¡¡and¡¡his¡¡foolish¡¡questions¡£¡¡The¡¡face¡¡he¡¡looked¡¡at¡¡was¡¡grimy¡¡with¡¡dust¡¡caked¡¡upon¡¡sweat£»¡¡and¡¡there¡¡was¡¡a¡¡smear¡¡of¡¡blood¡¡over¡¡one¡¡cheekbone¡¡from¡¡a¡¡slight¡¡scratch¡£¡¡His¡¡uniform¡¡was¡¡filthy£»¡¡with¡¡one¡¡epaulette¡¡awry¡£¡¡He¡¡looked¡¡like¡¡someone¡¡who¡¡had¡¡just¡¡emerged¡¡from¡¡the¡¡fury¡¡of¡¡a¡¡battle¡¡to¡¡the¡¡death¡£
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¡¡The¡¡desk¡¡under¡¡his¡¡feet¡¡was¡¡swaying£»¡¡as¡¡if¡¡the¡¡ship¡¡were¡¡in¡¡the¡¡open¡¡sea£»¡¡and¡¡yet¡¡even¡¡his¡¡veteran¡¡sea¡legs¡¡had¡¡difficulty¡¡in¡¡keeping¡¡him¡¡upright£»¡¡so¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡to¡¡hold¡¡on¡¡to¡¡the¡¡bracket¡¡before¡¡him¡£¡¡Only¡¡with¡¡extreme¡¡care¡¡could¡¡he¡¡let¡¡go¡¡his¡¡hold¡¡and¡¡pick¡¡his¡¡way¡¡to¡¡his¡¡cot£»¡¡and¡¡fall¡¡across¡¡it£»¡¡face¡¡downward¡£
¡¡
¡¡CHAPTER¡¡TWENTY¡THREE
¡¡
¡¡The¡¡new¡¡problem¡¡which¡¡Hornblower¡¡was¡¡debating¡¡as¡¡he¡¡walked¡¡his¡¡quarter¡deck£»¡¡while¡¡H¡£M¡£S¡£¡¡Nonsuch¡¡swung¡¡at¡¡anchor¡¡in¡¡Riga¡¡Bay£»¡¡was¡¡one¡¡which¡¡he¡¡had¡¡long¡¡foreseen£»¡¡but¡¡which¡¡lost¡¡none¡¡of¡¡its¡¡urgency¡¡for¡¡all¡¡that¡£¡¡Here¡¡was¡¡winter¡¡ing£»¡¡there¡¡had¡¡been¡¡heavy¡¡frosts¡¡at¡¡night¡¡for¡¡as¡¡far¡¡back¡¡as¡¡he¡¡could¡¡remember£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡last¡¡two¡¡days¡¡had¡¡brought¡¡flurries¡¡of¡¡snow£»¡¡which¡¡had¡¡temporarily¡¡whitened¡¡the¡¡landscape¡¡and¡¡had¡¡left¡¡a¡¡few¡¡drifts¡¡which¡¡even¡¡now¡¡showed¡¡as¡¡white¡¡streaks¡¡on¡¡the¡¡northern¡¡faces¡¡of¡¡the¡¡dykes¡£¡¡The¡¡days¡¡were¡¡growing¡¡short¡¡and¡¡the¡¡nights¡¡long£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡brackish¡¡water¡¡of¡¡Riga¡¡Bay¡¡was¡¡covered¡¡with¡¡a¡¡thin¡¡scum¡¡of¡¡ice¡£¡¡If¡¡he¡¡stayed¡¡much¡¡longer¡¡his¡¡ships¡¡would¡¡be¡¡frozen¡¡in¡£¡¡Essen¡¡had¡¡assured¡¡him¡¡that¡¡for¡¡at¡¡least¡¡two¡¡more¡¡weeks¡¡he¡¡would¡¡be¡¡able¡¡to¡¡make¡¡his¡¡exit¡¡along¡¡a¡¡channel¡¡sawn¡¡in¡¡the¡¡ice¡¡by¡¡labourers¡¡whom¡¡Essen¡¡would¡¡supply£»¡¡but¡¡Hornblower¡¡was¡¡not¡¡so¡¡sure¡£¡¡A¡¡northerly¡¡gale¡¡¡¡¡and¡¡one¡¡might¡¡arise¡¡at¡¡any¡¡moment¡¡¡¡¡could¡¡keep¡¡him¡¡wind¡bound¡¡while¡¡at¡¡the¡¡same¡¡time¡¡it¡¡would¡¡freeze¡¡everything¡¡up¡¡and¡¡jam¡¡the¡¡narrow¡¡exit¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Bay£»¡¡between¡¡Oesel¡¡and¡¡the¡¡mainland£»¡¡with¡¡piled¡up¡¡drift¡¡ice¡¡that¡¡neither¡¡saws¡¡nor¡¡even¡¡explosives¡¡could¡¡pierce¡£¡¡A¡¡squadron¡¡frozen¡¡in¡¡was¡¡a¡¡squadron¡¡immobilized¡¡until¡¡next¡¡spring£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡squadron¡¡frozen¡¡in¡¡was¡¡one¡¡which¡¡was¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡prey¡¡to¡¡the¡¡French¡¡if¡¡Riga¡¡should¡¡fall¡£¡¡Twenty¡¡years¡¡ago¡¡a¡¡Dutch¡¡squadron¡¡at¡¡Amsterdam¡¡had¡¡been¡¡captured¡¡by¡¡French¡¡hussars¡¡charging¡¡over¡¡the¡¡ice¡£¡¡What¡¡a¡¡thundering¡¡bulletin¡¡of¡¡triumph¡¡Bonaparte¡¡would¡¡make¡¡of¡¡it¡¡if¡¡a¡¡British¡¡squadron£»¡¡under¡¡the¡¡notorious¡¡modore¡¡Hornblower£»¡¡should¡¡fall¡¡into¡¡his¡¡hands¡¡in¡¡the¡¡same¡¡way£¡¡¡Hornblower¡¡turned¡¡in¡¡his¡¡stride¡¡a¡¡yard¡¡before¡¡he¡¡had¡¡reached¡¡the¡¡limit¡¡of¡¡his¡¡walk¡£¡¡Prudence¡¡dictated¡¡an¡¡immediate¡¡withdrawal¡£
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