Heave away! hailed Buckland from the quarterdeck.
Heave away! yelled Booth. Heave, and wake the dead!
The men flung their weight on the bars and the capstan came round, the pawls clanking rapidly as the capstan took up the slack. The boys with the nippers at the messenger had to hurry to keep pace. Then the intervals between the clanking of the pawls became longer as the capstan turned more slowly. More slowly; clankclankclank. Now the strain was coming; the bitts creaked as the cable tightened. Clankclank. That was a new cable, and it could be expected to stretch a trifle.
The sudden howl of a shotwhat wanton fate had directed it here of all places in the ship? Flying splinters and prostrate men; the shot had ploughed through the whole crowded mass. Red blood was pouring out, vivid in the sunshine; in understandable confusion the men drew away from the bloody wrecks.
Stand to your posts! yelled Smith. You, boys! Get those men out of the way. Another capstan bar here! Smartly now!
The ball which had wrought such fearful havoc had not spent all its force on human flesh; it had gone on to shatter the cheekpiece of a gun carriage and then to lodge in the ships side. Nor had human blood quenched it; smoke was rising on the instant from where it rested. Bush himself seized a fire bucket and dashed its contents on the glowing ball; steam blended with the smoke and the water spat and sputtered. No single fire bucket could quench twentyfour pounds of redhot iron, but a fire party came running up to flood the smouldering menace.
The dead and the wounded had been dragged away and the men were at the capstan bars again.
Heave! shouted Booth. Clankclankclank. Slowly and more slowly still turned the capstan. Then it came to a dead stop while the bitts groaned under the strain.
Heave! Heave!
Clank! Then reluctantly, and after a long interval, clank! Then no more. The merciless sun beat down upon the mens straining backs; their horny feet sought for a grip against the cleats on the deck as they shoved and thrust against the bars. Bush went below again, leaving them straining away; he could, and did, send plenty of men up from the lower gundeck to treblebank the capstan bars. There were men still hard at work in the smoky twilight hauling the last possible gun aft, but Hornblower was back among his guns supervising the pointing. Bush set his foot on the cable. It was not like a rope, but like a wooden spar, as rigid and unyielding. Then through the sole of his shoe Bush felt the slightest tremor, the very slightest; the men at the capstan were putting their reinforced strength against the bars. The clank of one more pawl gained reverberated along the ships timbers; the cable shuddered a trifle more violently and then stiffened into total rigidity again. It did not creep over an eighth of an inch under Bushs foot, although he knew that at the capstan a hundred and fifty men were straining their hearts out at the bars. One of Hornblowers guns went off; Bush felt the jar of the recoil through the cable. Faintly down the hatchways came the shouts of encouragement from Smith and Booth at the capstan, but not an inch of gain could be noted at the cable. Hornblower came and touched his hat to Bush.
Dyou notice any movement when I fire a gun, sir? As he asked the question he turned and waved to the captain of a midship gun which was loaded and run out. The gun captain brought the linstock down on the touchhole, and the gun roared out and came recoiling back through the smoke. Bushs foot on the cable recorded the effect.
Only the jarnoyes. Inspiration came to Bush. To the question he asked, Bush already knew the answer Hornblower would give. What are you thinking of?
I could fire all my guns at once. That might break the suction, sir.
So it might, indeed. The Renown was lying on mud, which was clutching her in a firm grip. If she could be severely shaken while the hawser was maintained at full tension the grip might be broken.
I think its worth trying, by God, said Bush.
Very good, sir. Ill have my guns loaded and ready in three minutes, sir. Hornblower turned to his battery and funnelled his hands round his mouth. Cease fire! Cease fire, all!
Ill tell em at the capstan, said Bush.
Very good, sir. Hornblower went on giving his orders. Load and doubleshot your guns.
Prime and run out.
That was the last that Bush heard for the moment as he went up on the maindeck and made his suggestion to Smith, who nodded in instant agreement.
Vast heaving! shouted Smith, and the sweating men at the bars eased their weary backs.
An explanation was necessary to Buckland on the quarterdeck, he saw the force of the argument. The unfortunate man, who was watching the failure of his first venture in independent command, and whose ship was in such deadly peril, was gripping at the rail and wringing it with his two hands as if he would twist it like a corkscrew. In the midst of all this there was a piece of desperately important news that Smith had to give.