“Where is your officer?” he shouted.
There was a momentary delay, and then a young man in blue and red artillery uniform sprang upon the parapet.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“Tell your men not to fire,” said Hornblower. “Have you not received your new orders?”
The full dress, the confident bearing, the extraordinary circumstances puzzled the young artillery officer.
“New orders?” he asked feebly.
Hornblower simulated exasperation.
“Get your men away from those guns,” he said. “Otherwise there may be a deplorable accident.”
“But, monsieur —” The artillery lieutenant pointed down to the quay, and Hornblower now could spare the time to glance back, following the gesture. What he saw made his pounding heart pound harder yet for sheer pleasure. There was the Nonsuch against the quay, there was the Camilla just coming alongside; but more important yet, there was a big solid block of red coats forming up on the quay. One section with an officer at its head was already heading towards them at a quick step, muskets sloped.
“Send a messenger instantly to the other battery,” said Hornblower, “to make sure the officer in command there understands.”
“But, monsieur —”
Hornblower stamped his foot with impatience. He could hear the rhythmic tread of the marines behind him, and he gesticulated to them with his hand behind his back. They marched along past him.
“Eyes left!” ordered the subaltern in command, with a smart salute to the French officer. The courtesy took what little wind was left out of the sails of the Frenchman, so that his new protest died on his lips. The marine detachment wheeled to its left round the flank of the battery on the very verge of its dry ditch. Hornblower did not dare take his eyes from the young Frenchman on the parapet, but he sensed what was going on in the rear of the battery. The sally-port there was open, and the marines marched in, still in column of fours, still with their muskets sloped. Now they were in among the guns, pushing the gunners away from their pieces, knocking the smouldering linstocks out of their hands. The young officer was wringing his hands with anxiety.
“All’s well that ends well, monsieur,” said Hornblower. “There might have been a most unpleasant incident.”
Now he could spare a moment to look round. Another marine detachment was off at the quickstep, marching for the other battery. Other parties, seamen and marines, were heading for the other strategic points he had listed in his orders. Brown was coming panting up the slope to be at his side.
The clatter of a horse’s hoofs made him turn back again; a mounted French officer was galloping towards them, and reined up amid a shower of flying gravel.
“What is all this?” he demanded. “What is happening?”
“The news apparently has been delayed in reaching you, monsieur,” said Hornblower. “The greatest news France has known for twenty years.”
“What is it?”
“Bonaparte rules no more,” said Hornblower. “Long live the King!”
Those were magic words; words like those of some old-time spell or incantation. No one in the length and breadth of the Empire had dared to say ‘Vive le Roi!’ since 1792. The mounted officer’s jaw dropped for a moment.
“It is false!” he cried, recovering himself. “The Emperor reigns.”
He looked about him, gathering his reins into his hands, about to ride off.
“Stop him, Brown!” said Hornblower.
Brown took a stride forward, seized the officer’s leg in his huge hands, and with a single heave threw him out of the saddle, Hornblower grabbing the bridle in time to prevent the horse from bolting. Brown ran round and extricated the fallen officer’s feet from the stirrups.
“I have need of your horse, sir,” said Hornblower.
He got his foot into the stirrup and swung himself awkwardly up into the saddle. The excited brute plunged and almost threw him, but he squirmed back into the saddle, tugged the horse’s head round, and then let him go in a wild gallop towards the other battery. His cocked hat flew from his head, his sword and his epaulettes jerked and pounded as he struggled to keep his seat. He tore past the other marine detachment, and heard them cheer him, and then he managed to rein in the frantic horse on the edge of the ditch. Struck with a new idea, he trotted round to the rear of the battery to the main gate.