“Is that all understood?” asked Hornblower harshly; it was his mental stress that made his voice grate so.
Everyone nodded except one man.
“Begging your pardon, sir,” said Hales, the young man who pulled stroke oar, “I’m feeling a bit queer‑like.”
Hales was a lightly built young fellow of swarthy countenance. He put his hand to his forehead with a vague gesture as he spoke.
“You’re not the only one to feel queer,” snapped Hornblower.
The other men chuckled. The thought of running the gauntlet of the shore batteries, of boarding an armed corvette in the teeth of opposition, might well raise apprehension in the breast of a coward. Most of the men detailed for the expedition must have felt qualms to some extent.
“I don’t mean that, sir,” said Hales indignantly. “‘Course I don’t.”
But Hornblower and the others paid him no attention
“You just keep your mouth shut,” growled Jackson. There could be nothing but contempt for a man who announced himself sick after being told off on a dangerous duty. Hornblower felt sympathy as well as contempt. He himself had been too much of a coward even to give voice to his apprehensions — too much afraid of what people would say about him.
“Dismiss,” said Hornblower. “I’ll pass the word for all of you when you are wanted.”
There were some hours yet to wait while the Indefatigable crept inshore, with the lead going steadily and Pellew himself attending to the course of the frigate. Hornblower, despite his nervousness and his miserable apprehensions, yet found time to appreciate the superb seamanship displayed as Pellew brought the big frigate in through these tricky waters on that dark night. His interest was so caught by the procedure that the little tremblings which had been assailing him ceased to manifest themselves; Hornblower was of the type that would continue to observe and to learn on his deathbed. By the time the Indefatigable had reached the point off the mouth of the river where it was desirable to launch the boats, Hornblower had learned a good deal about the practical application of the principles of coastwise navigation and a good deal about the organization of a cutting‑out expedition — and by self analysis he had learned even more about the psychology of a raiding party before a raid.
He had mastered himself to all outside appearance by the time he went down into the jolly boat as she heaved on the inky‑black water, and he gave the command to shove of in a quiet steady voice. Hornblower took the tiller — the feel of that solid bar of wood was reassuring, and it was old habit now to sit in the stern sheets with hand and elbow upon it, and the men began to pull slowly aver the dark shapes of the four big boats; there was plenty of time, and the flowing tide would take them up the estuary. That was just as well, for on one side of them lay the batteries of St Dye, and inside the estuary on the other side was the fortress of Blaye; forty big guns trained to sweep the channel, and none of the five boats — certainly not the jolly boat — could withstand a single shot from one of them.
He kept his eyes attentively on the cutter ahead of him. Soames had the dreadful responsibility of taking the boats up the channel, while all he had to do was to follow in her wake — all, except to loose that maintopsail. Hornblower found himself shivering again.
Hales, the man who had said he felt queer, was pulling stroke oar; Hornblower could just see his dark form moving rhythmically back and forward at each slow stroke. After a single glance Hornblower paid him no more attention, and was staring after the cutter when a sudden commotion brought his mind back into the boat. Someone had missed his stroke; someone had thrown all six oars into confusion as a result. There was even a slight clatter.
“Mind what you’re doing, blast you, Hales,” whispered Jackson, the coxswain, with desperate urgency.
For answer there was a sudden cry from Hales, loud but fortunately not too loud, and Hales pitched forward against Hornblower’s and Jackson’s legs, kicking and writhing.