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newly shaved everyone would guess that he had been at pains regarding his appearance。 He clapped on his cocked hat； and struggled into the pea…jacket which Brown held for him。 Outside his cabin door the sentry snapped to attention as the great man appeared。 On the half…deck a group of high…spirited youngsters ing off watch subsided into awed and apprehensive silence at the sight of the modore； which was a fit and proper thing to happen。
On the quarter…deck it was as raw and unfriendly as one might expect before dawn in the Kattegat on a spring morning。 The bustle of calling the watch had just subsided； the figures which loomed up in the darkness and hurriedly moved over to the port side； leaving the starboard side clear for him； were unrecognizable。 But the thump of Bush's wooden leg was unmistakable。
〃Captain Bush！〃
〃Sir？〃
〃What time is sunrise this morning？〃
〃Er … about five…thirty； sir。〃
〃I don't want to know about what time it will be。 I asked 'What time is sunrise？'〃
A second's silence while the crestfallen Bush absorbed this rebuke； and then another voice answered：
〃Five…thirty…four； sir。〃
That was that fresh…faced lad； Carlin； the second lieutenant of the ship。 Hornblower would have given something to be sure whether Carlin really knew when sunrise was； or whether he was merely guessing； taking a chance that his modore would not check his figures。 As for Bush； it was bad luck on him that he should be rebuked publicly； but he should have known what time was sunrise； seeing that last night Hornblower had been making plans with him based on that very point。 And it would do the discipline of the rest of the force no harm if it were known that the modore spared no one； not even the captain of a ship of the line； his best friend。
Hornblower took a turn or two up and down the deck。 Seven days out from the Downs； and no news。 With the wind steady from the westward； there could be no news … nothing could have got out from the Baltic； or even from Gothenburg。 He had not seen a sail yesterday after rounding the Skaw and ing up the Kattegat。 His last news from Sweden was fifteen days old； then； and in fifteen days anything could happen。 Sweden might have easily changed from unfriendly neutrality to open hostility。 Before him lay the passage of the Sound； three miles wide at its narrowest point； on the starboard side would be Denmark； undoubtedly hostile under Bonaparte's domination whether she wanted to be or not。 On the port side would be Sweden； and the main channel up the Sound lay under the guns of Helsingborg。 If Sweden were England's enemy the guns of Denmark and Sweden … of Elsinore and of Helsingborg … might easily cripple the squadron as they ran the gauntlet。 And retreat would always be perilous and difficult； if not entirely cut off。 It might be as well to delay； to send in a boat to discover how Sweden stood at the present moment。
But on the other hand； to send in a boat would warn Sweden of his presence。 If he dashed in now； the moment there was light enough to see the channel； he might go scathless； taking the defences by surprise even if Sweden were hostile。 His vessels might be knocked about； but with the wind west…by…north； in an ideal quarter； even a crippled ship could struggle along until the Sound widened and they would be out of range。 If Sweden's neutrality were still wobbling it would do no harm to let her see a British squadron handled with boldness and decision； nor for her to know that a British force were loose in the Baltic able to threaten her shores and ravage her shipping。 Should Sweden turn hostile he could maintain himself one way or the other in the Baltic through the summer … and in a summer anything might happen … and with good fortune might fight his way out again in the autumn。 There certainly were arguments in favour of temporizing and delay and municating with the shore； but there were more cogent arguments still in favour of prompt action。
The ship's bell struck one sharp note； hardly more than an hour before dawn； and already over there to leeward there was a hint of grey in the sky。 Hornblower opened his mouth to speak； and then checked himself。 He had been about to issue a sharp order； consonant with the tenseness of the moment and with the accelerated beating of his pulse； but that was not the way he wanted to behave。 While he had time to think and prepare himself he could still pose as a man of iron nerves。
〃Captain Bush！〃 he managed to make himself drawl the words； and to give his orders with an air of plete indifference。 〃Signal all vessels to clear for action。〃
〃Aye aye； sir。〃
Two red lights at the main yard…arm and a single gun； that was the night signal for danger from the enemy which would send all hands to quarters。 It took several seconds to bring a light for the lanterns； by the time the signal was acknowledged the Nonsuch was well on the way to being cleared for action … the watch below turned up； the decks sanded and the fire…pumps manned； guns run out and bulkheads knocked down。 It was still a pretty raw crew … Bush had been through purgatory trying to get his ship manned … but the job could have been worse done。 Now the grey dawn had crept up over the eastern sky； and the rest of the squadron was just visible as vessels and not as solid nuclei in the gloom； but it was still not quite light enough to risk the passage。 Hornblower turned to Bush and Hurst； the first lieutenant。
〃If you please；〃 he drawled； dragging out every word with all the nonchalance he could muster； 〃I will have the signal bent ready for hoisting； 'Proceed to leeward in the order of battle'。〃
〃Aye aye； sir。〃
Everything was done now。 This last two minutes of waiting in inactivity； with nothing left to do； were especially trying。 Hornblower was about to walk up and down； when he remembered that he must stand still to maintain his pose of indifference。 The batteries on shore might have their furnaces alight； to heat shot red…hot； there was a possibility that in a few minutes the whole force of which he was so proud might be no more than a chain of blazing wrecks。 Now it was time。
〃Hoist；〃 said Hornblower。 〃Captain Bush； I'll trouble you to square away and follow the squadron。〃
〃Aye aye； sir；〃 said Bush。
Bush's voice hinted at suppressed excitement； and it came to Hornblower； with a blinding flash of revelation； that his pose was ineffective with Bush。 The latter had learned； during years of experience； that when Hornblower stood still instead of walking about； and when he drawled out his words as he was doing at present； then in Hornblower's opinion there was danger ahead。 It was an intensely interesting discovery； but there was no time to think about it； not with the squadron going up the Sound。
Lotus was leading。 Vickery； her mander； was the man Hornblower had picked out as the captain with the steadiest nerves who could be trusted to lead without flinching。 Hornblower would have liked to have led himself； but in this operation the rear would be the post of danger … the leading ships might well get through before the gunners on shore could get to their guns and find the range … and the Nonsuch as the most solidly built and best able to endure fire must e last so as to be able to succour and tow out of action any disabled ship。 Hornblower watched Lotus set topsails and courses and square away。 The cutter Clam followed … she was the feeblest of all； a single shot might sink her； and she must be given the best chance of getting through。 Then the two ugly bomb…ketches； and then the other sloop； Raven； just ahead of Nonsuch； Hornblower was not sorry to have the opportunity to watch how her mander； Cole； would behave in action。 Nonsuch followed； driving hard with the strong breeze on her starboard quarter。 Hornblower watched Bush shaking the wind out of the mizzen…topsail so as to keep exact station astern of the Raven。 The big two…decker seemed a lumbering clumsy thing pared with the grace and elegance of the sloops。
That was Sweden in sight now； Cape Kullen； now on the port bow。
〃A cast of the log； if you please； Mr Hurst。〃
〃Aye aye； sir。〃
Hornblower thought Hurst looked a little sidelong at him； unable to conceive why any sane man should want a cast of the log at a moment when the ship was about to risk everything； but Hornblower wanted to know how long the strain was likely to endure； and what was the use of being a modore if one could not then indulge one's whims？ A midshipman and a couple of quartermasters came running aft with log and glass； the speed of the ship was sufficient to make the quartermaster's arms vibrate as he held the reel above his head。
〃Nigh on nine knots； sir；〃 reported the midshipman to Hurst。
〃Nigh on nine knots； sir；〃 reported Hurst to Hornblower。
〃Very good。〃
It would be a full eight hours； then； before they were beyond Saltholm and paratively out of danger。 There was the Danish coast on the starboard bow now； just visible in the half…light； the channel was narrowing fast。 Hornblower could imagine sleepy sentries and lookouts peering from their posts at the hardly visible sails； and calling to their sergeants； and the sergeants ing sleepily to see for themselves and then hastening away to tell their lieutenants and then the drums beating to arms and the gunners running to their places。 On the Danish side they would make ready to fire； for there were the minions of Bonaparte； and any sail was likely to be an enemy。 But on the Swedish side？ What had Bernadotte decided during the last few days？ Was Bonaparte's Marshal still neutral； or had he at last made up his mind to throw the weight of Sweden on the side of his native land？
There were the low cliffs of Elsinore； and there were the steeples of Helsingborg in plain view to port； and the fortress above the town。 Lotus； nearly a mile head； must be into the narrows。 Hornblower levelled his glass at her； her yards were bracing round for the turn； and still no shot had been fired。 Clam was turning next … please God the clumsy bomb…ketches did not misbehave。 Ah！ There it was。 The heavy dull boom of a gun； and then the sullen roar of a salvo。 Hornblower turned his glass to the Swedish coast。 He could see no smoke there。 Then to the Danish side。 Smoke was evident； although the brisk wind was dispersing it fast。 Under Bush's orders the helmsman was putting the wheel over a spoke or two； in readiness for the turn； Elsinore and Helsingborg were suddenly surprisingly near。 Three miles wide was the channel； and Vickery in Lotus was carrying out his orders correctly； and keeping well to the port side of the fairway； two miles from Denmark and only a mile from Sweden； with every vessel following exactly in his track。 If the Swedish guns came into action and were well handled； they could deal the squadron some shrewd blows。 Three jets of water from the surface of the sea on the starboard beam； although the eye could not see the ball that made them it was easy to imagine one could； as it skipped over the surface； but the last jet was a full cable's length from the side。 The Swedish guns were still not firing； Hornblower wished he could tell whether it was because the Swedish gunners were taken by surprise or because they were under orders not to fire。
Elsinore was abaft the beam now； and the channel was opening wide。 Hornblower shut his telescope with a snap； and a decided feeling of anticlimax。 He could hardly imagine now what he had been worrying about。 Calling up in his mind's eye the chart that he had so anxiously studied； he calculated that it would be an hour before they were in range of the shore again； where the fairway lay close in to the Swedish island of Hven … however that was pronounced in these barbarous northern tongues。 This latter thought made him glance round。 Braun was at his station on the quarter…deck； in attendance on the modore； as he should be。 With his hands on the rail he was gazing over at the Swedish shore； Hornblower could not see his face； but every line of the man's figure disclosed rapt attention。 The poor devil of an exile was looking longingly on the shores on which he could never hope to set foot。 The world was full of exiles； but Hornblower felt sorry for this one。
Here came the sun； peeping between two Swedish hills as they opened up the v