Shes the Natividad, sir. I can see the cut of her topsls.
Hows she heading?
On the starboard tack, sir, same course as us. Her masts are in one line. Now shes altering course, sir. Shes wearing round. She must have seen us, sir. Now shes on the port tack, sir, heading up to windard of us, close hauled, sir.
Oh, is she, said Hornblower to himself, grimly. It was an unusual experience to have a Spanish ship face about and challenge actionbut he remembered that she was a Spanish ship no longer. He would not allow her to get the weather gauge of him, come what might.
Man the braces, there! he shouted, and then to the man at the wheel: Port your helm. And mark ye, fellow, keep her as near the wind as shell lie. Mr. Bush, beat to quarters, if you please, and clear for action.
As the drum rolled and the hands came pouring up he remembered the woman aft by the taffrail, and his stolid fatalism changed to anxiety.
Your place is below, Lady Barbara, he said. Take your maid with you. You must stay in the cockpit until the action is overno, not the cockpit. Go to the cable tier.
Captain, she began, but Hornblower was not in the mood for argumentif indeed she had argument in mind.
Mr. Clay! he rasped. Conduct her ladyship and her maid
to the cable tier. See that she is safe before you leave her. Those are my orders, Mr. Clay. Ha-hm.
A cowardly way out, perhaps, to throw on Clay the responsibility of seeing his orders carried out. He knew it, but he was angry with the woman because of the sick feeling of worry which she was occasioning him. She left him, nevertheless, with a smile and a wave of the hand, Clay trotting before her.
For several minutes the ship was a turmoil of industry as the men went through the well-learned drill. The guns were run out, the decks sanded, the horses rigged to the pumps, the fires extinguished, the bulkheads torn down. The Natividad could be seen from the deck now, sailing on the opposite tack towards her, obviously clawing her hardest up to windward to get the weather gauge. Hornblower looked up at the sails to mark the least shiver.
Steer small, blast you, he growled at the quartermaster.
The Lydia lay over before the gale, the waves crashing and hissing overside, the rigging playing a wild symphony. Last night she had been stealing peacefully over a calm and moonlit sea, and now here she was twelve hours later thrashing through a storm with a battle awaiting her. The wind was undoubtedly increasing, a wilder puff almost took her aback, and she staggered and rolled until the helmsman allowed her to pay off.
Natividad wont be able to open her lower deck ports! gloated Bush beside him. Hornblower stared across the grey sea at the enemy. He saw a cloud of spray break over her bows.
No, he said heavily. He would not discuss the possibilities of the approaching action for fear lest he might be too talkative. Ill trouble you, Mr. Bush, to have two reefs taken in those topsls.
On opposite tacks the ships were nearing each other along the sides of an obtuse angle. Look as closely as he would, he could not decide which ship would be to windward when they met at the apex.
Mr. Gerard, he called down to the lieutenant in charge of the port side maindeck battery. See that the matches in your tubs are alight.
Aye aye, sir.
With all this spray breaking aboard the flint lock trigger mechanism could not be relied upon until the guns grew hot and the old-fashioned method of ignition might have to be usedin the tubs on deck were coils of slow-match to meet this emergency. He stared across again at the Natividad. She, too, had reefed her topsail now, and was staggering along, closehauled, under storm canvas. She was flying the blue flag with the yellow star; Hornblower glanced up overhead to where the dingy white ensign fluttered from the peak.
Shes opened fire, sir, said Bush beside him.
Hornblower looked back at the Natividad just in time to see the last of a puff of smoke blown to shreds by the wind. The sound of the shot did not reach them, and where the ball went no one could saythe jet of water which it struck up somewhere was hidden in the tossing waves.
Ha-hm, said Hornblower.
It was bad policy, even with a well-drilled crew, to open fire at long range. That first broadside, discharged from guns loaded carefully and at leisure, and aimed by crews with time to think, was too precious a thing to be dissipated lightly. It should be saved up for use at the moment when it would do maximum harm, however great might be the strain of waiting inactive.
Well be passing mighty close, sir, said Bush.
Ha-hm, said Hornblower.
Still there was no means of telling which ship would hold the weather gauge when they met. It appeared as if they would meet bow to bow in collision if both captains held rigidly to their present courses. Hornblower had to exert all his willpower to keep himself standing still and apparently unemotional as the tension increased.
Another puff of smoke from the Natividads starboard bow, and this time they heard the sound of the shot as it passed overhead between the masts.